Tag: Bills broncos

Behind enemy lines: Bills Q&A preview with Broncos Wire

The Bills host the Broncos in Week 12 at New Era Field. To learn more about Sunday’s visitors, we spoke to our Jon Heath, Managing Editor at Broncos Wire, for more info: 

The Bills host the Broncos in Week 12 at New Era Field. To learn more about Sunday’s visitors, we spoke to our Jon Heath, Managing Editor at Broncos Wire, for more info:

1. What’s your brief analysis of Vic Fangio this year? He was a veteran coaching hire when most of the league has gone the youthful way and there’s those rumblings of discontent that have been floated about him recently as well.

Several players — veterans and rookies — have disputed those rumblings, as has GM John Elway. So make of that what you will. Fangio’s biggest strength is his work on the defensive side of the ball and he’s delivered there. The offense still hasn’t arrived but Fangio can’t help what players Elway put on the roster (cough, Joe Flacco, cough). Denver’s record is poor but they’ve have four close games — including a near-upset against the Vikings last week — so I think most Broncos fans are optimistic about the future under Fangio.

2. Only five sacks this year, is Von Miller still playing at a high level? Expecting him to have plenty of opportunity against rookie Cody Ford on Sunday.

Some pundits have pointed to Miller’s “low” sack total as evidence that Vic Fangio’s scheme is not getting the best out of the team’s star pass rusher. What those pundits don’t mention is that Denver hasn’t gotten much production from their interior pass rushers in recent years. This season, Shelby Harris and Derek Wolfe have totaled four and five sacks, respectively, due in part to teams giving extra attention to Miller. DeMarcus Walker has totaled four sacks as well. If Miller stole three sacks from each of those players, he would have 14 sacks so far. That would be a great season for Miller but the team’s sack total would remain the same. It doesn’t really matter where the sacks come from in Fangio’s defense, just as long as they do come. Miller’s not the player he once was but he’s still a great edge defender and dangerous pass rusher.

3. Courtland Sutton makes me shake my head. He was drafted in the same second-round area as ex-Bill Zay Jones but just a year later. Is he as legit as it seems?

It really is surprising that Sutton fell to the second round — the Broncos must have been delighted about that. He’s the reason why the team was comfortable with trading away Demaryius Thomas, the second-best WR in franchise history. So it seems like Denver certainly believes he’s legit. Sutton has been a great asset for first-year starter Brandon Allen and he looks like a guy would could be one of the Broncos’ best offensive players for the next decade.

4. Phillip Lindsay or Royce Freeman? Who should we expect to see more of? Buffalo’s run defense is suspect.

Lindsay for sure. Freeman will get his share of carries but Lindsay is without question the team’s lead running back. Lindsay got 52 snaps to Freeman’s 24 snaps last week and he’s on pace for another 1,000-yard season. Freeman is on pace for about 650 rushing yards.

5. What’s your prediction for Sunday and why?

It’s hard to call this game. Denver’s coming off a heartbreaking loss in Minnesota, which should give the team some extra motivation. The Broncos’ defense might be able to hold up against the Bills’ offense but Denver’s own offense hasn’t played a complete game all season. It’s probably going to be a low-scoring contest. Broncos, 17-14.

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Bills opponent outlook: Broncos history, statistics and more

The 7-3 Buffalo Bills meet the 3-7 Denver Broncos this Sunday at New Era Field.

Denver Broncos quarterback Brandon Allen. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The 7-3 Buffalo Bills meet the 3-7 Denver Broncos this Sunday at New Era Field. Buffalo is riding high after it’s best offensive endeavor of the season against the Dolphins in Week 11. Denver is one of the better teams in the NFL with a sub .500 record, and will be a handful to compete against.

Here is everything that you need to know about the history between Denver and Buffalo:

  • Buffalo and Denver first met on September 18, 1960 in the inaugural season of the AFL. Denver won that game 27-21.
  • Buffalo won nine straight against Denver between 1962 and 1967.
  • Buffalo and Denver met in the 1991 AFC Championship Game. The Bills narrowly defeated the Broncos 10-7.
  • Their last meeting was on September 24, 2017. The Bills won 26-16.
  • The Bills have the all-time record lead, at 20-16-1 against Denver in the regular season.
  • The Bills also lead in scoring all-time versus Denver, outscoring them 891-818

2018 Season

Denver, much like this year, was a relatively competitive team in 2018, despite their record. Case Keenum was signed in the offseason, in hopes to solidify their quarterback woes since Peyton Manning retired. It wasn’t enough, as the Broncos offense didn’t have a lot of star power, and the defense, although very talented, gave up some losses for them.

Denver finished the season 6-10, missing the playoffs for the third-straight year. They earned wins over Seattle, Arizona, Oakland, Cincinnati, Los Angeles (Chargers), and Pittsburgh.

Another disappointing season for General Manager John Elway, who would look to bring about more change following the 2018 year.

Last season, Denver finished 19th in Total Offense, with 5,602 yards. 24th in scoring, with 329 points. 19th in passing yards with 3,695 and 12th in rushing with 1,907 yards.

Case Keenum, coming off of his miracle season with the Minnesota Vikings, actually threw for a few more yards with Denver. His touchdown to interception ratio is what hurt him and his tenure, as he was traded to Washington after his year with the Broncos was over.

Keenum was ranked 14th in passing yards in 2018, with 3,890 yards to his credit, along with 18 touchdowns to 15 interceptions.

Rushing was a strong point for Denver in 2018,. After losing C.J. Anderson, who had regressed, quarterback wasn’t the only hole that the Broncos faced. Led by drafted rookie Royce Freeman, and undrafted rookie Philip Lindsay. One of the more underrated one-two punches in the NFL, the pair finished very well, and helped carry struggling offense.

Lindsay finished the highest as far as yardage, ranking ninth in the NFL amongst rushers, with 1,037 yards. He also accrued nine rushing touchdowns. His backfield partner, Freeman, finished 38th in rushing yards, with 521 and five touchdowns.

Receiving hasn’t been one of Denver’s strong aspects either, as they have lost a few weapons over the years since Manning left. Emmanuel Sanders was their leading receiver in 2018, finishing 27th with 868 yards and four touchdowns.

Emerging receiver Courtland Sutton, was next in yardage totals at the receiver position, with 704. He came in at 51st in the NFL. No other Broncos receiver or tight end finished in the Top 100.

Defensively, the Broncos were 13th in total defense, allowing 5,842 yards, as well as in points allowed with 349 points scored on them. Their passing defense came in 20th, giving up 3,929 yards by air. The rush defense, 12th with 1,913 yards given up on the ground.

2019 So Far

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Bills vs. Broncos: Final Friday injury reports

Here are the final injury reports from Friday ahead of the Buffalo Bills – Denver Broncos Week 12 meeting at New Era Field.

Here are the final injury reports from Friday ahead of the Buffalo Bills – Denver Broncos Week 12 meeting at New Era Field:

Denver Broncos (3-7)

Out

  • LB Justin Hollins (hamstring)

Questionable

  • OL Dalton Risner (ankle)
  • C Connor McGovern (back)
  • OL Ron Leary (shoulder/ neck)
  • LB Joe Jones (foot)
  • WR Tim Patrick (shoulder)
  • OL Ja’Wuan James (knee)
  • TE Jeff Heuerman (knee)

Notes:

Dalton Risner, Connor McGovern and Ron Leary are all starters on the Broncos’ offensive line. … Tim Patrick returned from injury last week and could be sitting out as a precaution. … Ja’Wuan James started at right tackle last week for the Broncos, but Denver head coach Vic Fangio said on Wednesday “it could be this week or next week.”

Buffalo Bills (7-3)

Out

  • Siran Neal (concussion)
  • OL Ty Nsekhe (ankle)

Notes:

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermot labeled Ty Nsekhe as “week-to-week” earlier this week and rookie Cody Ford would start in his place. … Jerry Hughes (groin) practice Friday and will play vs. Broncos. … Siran Neal exited Buffalo’s Week 11 game.

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Tre’Davious White making sure to do push ups for Courtland Sutton matchup

Buffalo Bills CB Tre’Davious White said he’s going to do extra push ups to prep for Denver Broncos WR Courtland Sutton.

When the Bills meet the Denver Broncos in Week 12, their offense will be highlighted by one big boy you can’t miss.

The 6-foot-4 wide receiver we’re referring to is second-year pro Courtland Sutton.

Sutton can haul balls in with the best of them. Buffalo’s Tre’Davious White is well aware of that and said he’s putting in the hours this week to prep for Sutton.

But that doesn’t mean White is going to get fancy, he told reporters this week he’s keeping it simple.

“He’s a big, strong, guy. It’s going to be tough for us,” White said. “We’ve got to get in the weight room and do our push ups for this week, for sure. It’s going to be tough for us.”

Now with Brandon Allen under center, Sutton hasn’t gotten the best quarterback play during his brief NFL career thus far. Still, the 24-year-old has had successes and commands respect. This season he has 49 catches for 805 yards and four touchdowns.

Those totals are the second-best in the AFC, behind Buffalo’s John Brown. So how does Sutton get it done? With a frame like that, a QB doesn’t always have to be accurate. The Bills might have their hands full.

“Whenever he lines up on my side, I’ve got to be ready. Whenever he lines up on Levi (Wallace) and Kevin (Johnson) side, they got to be ready,” White said. “It’s going to take a total team effort to try and slow that guy down.”

“We’ve got to try and match him at the point of attack and jump up as high as he can and just try to make it difficult for him to make those contested catches,” White added.

So far this season, White and the Bills have mostly shut down top-targets. Buffalo has only allowed one 100-plus yard receiver this year, but it came just last week in Miami’s DeVante Parker, who had a 135-yard outing. While he’s the only one, Cleveland’s Jarvis Landry and the Jets’ Jamison Crowder were awfully close at 97 yards and 99 yards against the Bills, respectively.

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott said in players like Sutton and tight end Noah Fant, the Broncos certainly have some big-play potential that his defense will have to eliminate.

“Explosive offense in that regard,” McDermott said. “It’ll be a big test for our defense.”

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Bills’ Isaiah McKenzie: ‘I want to show I can make the big catch’

Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie has a big day ahead of him on Sunday against the Denver Broncos.

Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie has a big day ahead of him on Sunday.

After all, it is the “Isaiah McKenzie revenge game.”

The Bills claimed McKenzie, 24, off of waivers last year when the Broncos cut him. Over the past few weeks, he’s getting his best opportunity in the NFL to date.

After he was a healthy scratch against the Eagles, he’s now evolved into the Bills’ No. 3 wideout behind John Brown and Cole Beasley. It’s not there yet in terms of statistics, but the snaps certainly are.

He played in a season-high 78 percent of snaps on offense for the Bills last week. Despite all that playing time, he told the Buffalo News this week that he’s not going to let all that game action get to his head. He knows he has to keep improving.

“In Denver I didn’t play much receiver. So when I got here they gave me an opportunity. They gave me little plays here and there. But now I’m in the flow of the offense. I feel like each and every week I’m getting better running routes on the outside,” McKenzie said.

“I want to show I can make the big catch when Josh (Allen) throws it to me,” McKenzie added. “If I want more, I have to show them I can run routes, I can block”

McKenzie will certainly be motivated this week, but his lack of numbers should motivate him, too. Snap counts are great, but McKenzie only had three catches for 21 yards last week against the Dolphins. He did have one 16-yard grab which helped set up a score, but McKenzie himself will admit he wants a higher bar set for him.

Setting that bar is offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who’s made use of McKenzie in jet-sweep situations, using McKenzie’s explosiveness as a rusher. But whether or not McKenzie see another high-tick of snaps next week will depend on Daboll’s gameplan as the Broncos visit western New York.

If he does, that’ll be a lot of faith the coordinator is placing in Allen, who’s struggled against better defensive units this year. Denver sports the fourth-best defense in the NFL to this point.

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Von Miller compares Josh Allen to… Bo Jackson?

Broncos linebacker Von Miller thinks Bills quarterback Josh Allen and legendary running back Bo Jackson have something in common. 

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Broncos linebacker Von Miller thinks Bills quarterback Josh Allen and legendary running back Bo Jackson have something in common.

And we assure you, there is no typo in the sentence above.

The face of the Denver defense spoke to members of the Western New York media on Thursday. While doing so, he said exactly that.

The dual-threat quarterback reminds Miller of Jackson when he’s running and using his arms to shed defenders.

“He can escape the pocket, and it’s a challenge to get him down in the open field. He’s 6-7. He’s got a mean stiff-arm like Bo Jackson,” Miller said. “He does, though — he’s got a stiff arm like Bo Jackson.”

Miller never got a chance to try and tackle Jackson. Maybe Allen will be the closest thing for him. The Bills will want to prevent that on Sunday when Miller and the Broncos visit New Era Field.

While discussing Allen’s athleticism, Miller had some more serious-sounding praise of the QB. The oft-criticism with Allen is that he runs too much, or doesn’t throw enough. There’s nothing wrong with that, says Miller. Being able to do both is the key.

“He’s the future of great quarterbacks for this league,” Miller said.

But Allen might have to face the reality of meeting Miller up close and personal. Miller will match up with rookie Cody Ford at right tackle. Ty Nsekhe’s ankle injury will keep him out of the game since Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott labeled him “week to week.”

According to Pro Football Focus, Ford has had a tough start to his career.

Ford’s overall grade from PFF is a 53.7 this season, landing in the outlet’s “below average” category. On the flip side, Nsekhe has steadily improved via PFF’s grades this year and ranks as an “above average” lineman with a mark of 67.3.

Despite that, Allen’s confident in his fellow youthful teammate in the Bills offense.

“We trust him. I trust him,” Allen said.

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Jordan Phillips suffers injury in practice

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips was a new list to the team’s Thursday injury report.

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips was a new listing to the team’s Thursday injury report ahead of their Week 12 meeting with the Denver Broncos.

According to a release from the team, the Bills’ leading sacker (7) has a toe injury. The injury likely occurred during Thursday’s practice as he did not appear on Wednesday’s injury report.

Along with Phillips, Jerry Hughes is also another noteworthy name from the injury list.

Hughes was questionable heading into Week 11 with a groin injury, but played vs. the Dolphins. He appeared in 77 percent of defensive snaps as well, meaning he did not exit the game early.

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott often gives veteran players extra rest time during the week, which could be the case with Hughes.

Siran Neal (concussion) and Ty Nsekhe (ankle) round out Thursday’s injury list for the Bills. Neal is in the NFL’s protocol and Nsekhe was already tabbed as a “week-to-week” injury status by McDermott on Wednesday.

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5 storylines to watch for during Bills vs. Broncos

Storylines for Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos in Week 12.

The Bills will look to keep their winning-ways moving forward in Week 12 as Buffalo hosts the Denver Broncos at New Era Field.

While entering the game at a better 7-3 record, the 3-7 Broncos will present plenty of challenges to the Bills.

With that, here are five storylines to watch unfold during the Bills’ meeting with the Broncos:

Bills defensive tackle Corey Liuget. Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Is the run defense actually back?

The Bills run defense has been more than suspect this season. Allowing 106.3 yards per game on the ground, Buffalo’s run defense is the 18th best group of run defenders in the NFL. Last week against the Dolphins, the Bills actually got the job done, though.

Starting running back Kalen Ballage had a score, but he only mustered up nine yards on nine carries. But you can’t bring that money to the bank. Buffalo’s offense got the job done and forced the Dolphins offense to abandon the rushing attack early. Plus, it’s the Dolphins. Despite entering Week 11 on a two-game winning streak, that’s not a good team. Shutting down the Broncos’ attack with Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman is going to be a much more difficult task.

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Josh Allen predicts Bills’ win total needed for playoff berth

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, LB Lorenzo Alexander and head coach Sean McDermott on wins needs for playoffs, Denver Broncos.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is prepping for the Denver Broncos with his teammates this week. With a win over the 3-7 visitors at New Era Field on Sunday, Allen’s team will be 8-3 overall on the year.

But the second-year QB knows the job won’t be done there.

In order to get his team into the postseason for the second time in three years and the first time in his career, Allen put a number on it.

While admitting he and his teammates are guilty of “keeping an eye on” the scoreboard around the AFC playoff picture, Allen predicted it will take double-digit wins to crack the playoffs on Wednesday.

“Ultimately, at the end of the day, I think you need to get at least 10 wins to get into the playoffs,” Allen said. “I know we got six or seven games left, whatever it is. We got to win some more games to kind of get in there. Whether we have an opportunity to make the playoffs, I think we’ve got a good opportunity in front of us right now.”

Naturally Allen didn’t want to get too far ahead of himself, though.

“Guys aren’t looking forward, we’re not talking about it, we’re taking it one week at a time, trying to win a football game this week,” Allen said.

While four games under a .500 mark, the Broncos will be among the better opponents the Bills have faced this year. At least, in terms of their defense.

After five weeks, the Broncos defense was the No. 15 unit in the NFL. Middle of the pack. Since then, they’ve blossomed into the fourth-best unit. The Bills’ stout defense ranks third.

While the Bills are a 7-3 for the first time since 1999, the group is planning to do their best in not worry about those types of figures at all. Veteran linebacker Lorenzo Alexander, like the youthful quarterback, only has the Broncos in mind even with the standings looming.

“Anytime you start looking past teams, you can get bitten,” Alexander said. “This Broncos team can come up and bite us.”

That type of message is coming from the top, down, as well. This week-to-week approach isn’t anything new for various NFL coaching staffs, with Sean McDermott being no different. He compared his team’s postseason approach in 2017 to their current one this week.

“We took it week to week back then, we take a week to week now,” McDermott said. “A lot of [his message] has remained the same because I believe in it.  And then, I’m hoping that I’ve gotten better with age, as well and experience.”

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Bills vs. Broncos: Wednesday injury reports

Injury reports for both the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos ahead of their Week 12 meeting at New Era Field.

The Bills will do battle with the Denver Broncos at New Era Field in Week 12.

Here are early injury reports from Wednesday for both teams ahead of the meeting:

Denver Broncos (3-7)

Did not practice

  • OL Dalton Risner (ankle)
  • C Connor McGovern (back)
  • OL Ron Leary (shoulder/ neck)
  • LB Joe Jones (foot)
  • LB Justin Hollins (hamstring)
  • WR Tim Patrick (shoulder)

Limited

  • OL Ja’Wuan James (knee)
  • TE Jeff Heuerman (knee)

Notes:

Dalton Risner, Connor McGovern and Ron Leary are all starters on the Broncos’ offensive line. … Tim Patrick returned from injury last week and could be sitting out as a precaution. … Ja’Wuan James started at right tackle last week for the Broncos, but Denver head coach Vic Fangio said on Wednesday “it could be this week or next week.”

Buffalo Bills (7-3)

Did not practice

  • OL Ty Nsekhe (ankle)
  • S Siran Neal (concussion)
  • DE Jerry Hughes (groin)

Notes:

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermot labeled Ty Nsekhe as “week-to-week” so he’s unlikely to play vs. the Broncos and rookie Cody Ford would start in his place. … Jerry Hughes played in Week 11 vs. the Dolphins despite being questionable with the same groin injury heading into the game. … Siran Neal exited Buffalo’s Week 11 game.

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