Bills bounce the Broncos out of Playoffs and Advance
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills showed how dominant they can be Sunday afternoon by defeating the Denver Broncos 31-7. They dominated on both sides of the ball outdoing them in almost every statistical category.
The Buffalo Bills came into this game with one key focal point: execution. They needed their MVP-caliber quarterback Josh Allen to put on his cape and lead this offense, and they did just that. The Bills’ offense looked very balanced as they put up 210 yards on the ground and 261 yards through the air.
Josh Allen continued his MVP play by throwing 20 of 26 attempts for 272 yards and two touchdowns, while also running eight times for 46 yards. He historically always played well in wild-card games throwing for 287.2 yards a game, 15 touchdowns, and only 2 interceptions. Sunday’s win gives him a 5-1 record in wild-card games.
The run game was a key factor that helped the Bills win as well. James Cook led the way with 23 attempts for 120 yards and a touchdown. Ty Johnson added 44 yards on nine carries himself. The Bills averaged 4.8 yards a carry which is above their season average. This team has played their best football when they can rely on the run game being effective. The Bills led the time of possession in this game 41:43 to 18:17. Controlling the clock will be the key to success if the Bills want to make a run to winning their first Super Bowl.
The defense played just as well. The Broncos started the game off with Bo Nix throwing a 43-yard touchdown to Troy Franklin on their first drive. The defense was not phased at all because they neutralized the Broncos’ offense for the remaining 57:36 in the game. This Bills defense made it miserable for the Broncos offense all day holding them to just 224 total yards of offense. 145 yards through the air and 79 yards on the ground. They held Denver to 2/9 on 3rd down. Getting critical stops on 3rd down will be crucial when it comes to playing better offenses in the playoffs.
The Denver Broncos may have lost the game, but they can head into the offseason knowing that this franchise has a bright future ahead of them. The championship window is beginning to open for the Broncos. Bo Nix became the first rookie in franchise history to start a playoff game. He may have struggled in his playoff debut, but he can learn a lot from this game going into the offseason. Denver will be looking to make some offseason additions to both sides of the ball through free agency and the draft. An issue that Denver will be looking to address in the offseason is the rushing offense. The last time the Broncos had a 100-yard rusher, was January 8th, 2023, when Latavius Murray ran for 103 yards against the Los Angeles Chargers. If the Denver Broncos want to become a legit offense, they will need to start with the backfield.
The Buffalo Bills are set to host the Baltimore Ravens this upcoming Sunday at 6:30. This is the game of the weekend where the top 2 leading MVP candidates will go head-to-head in a rematch from week 4. The Ravens dominated that game 35-10 in Baltimore, but the Bills will be looking to flip the script Sunday night.
Geoffrey Huggins
DiSportsPhotoAgency
Writer
