Instant reaction: Broncos bamboozled by Bills in Wild Card Weekend blowout

The Denver Broncos were blown out on Wild Card Weekend by the Buffalo Bills 31-7. Here are some instant reactions from today’s loss.

The Denver Broncos secured their first playoff berth since 2025 and had the opportunity to take on the Buffalo Bills in their AFC Wild Card matchup.

They fought hard and kept it close for the first half. Alas, the wheels fell off in the final 30 minutes of play. When the clock struck zero, the hometown Bills decisively beat the Broncos 31-7.

Here are some instant reactions from today’s game which officially ended the Broncos’ season.

Broncos’ offense starts off fast, but stalls for the remainder of the game

Over the past several weeks, we have seen quarterback Bo Nix make some big strides as a passer. There is no doubt the future looks bright for the former Auburn turned Oregon signal caller. Broncos Country should be stoked about Nix’s future and the type of player he can become.

On the first drive of the game, he showed his gamer mentality and came up huge in right off the bat. Nix connected with former Oregon teammate Troy Franklin for a 43-yard touchdown pass that put the Broncos up early on the road. This throw was absolutely beautiful.

Unfortunately, the Broncos’ offense struggled the rest of the way out. For their first half endeavors, they were just 2-of-5 on third down conversions. Denver only had four possessions and the ball for slightly over 10 minutes. Even though they were able to steal a possession by converting a fourth down with a fake punt turned pass from Riley Dixon to Marvin Mims Jr., they weren’t able to capitalize off of it.

The same story repeated itself in the final two minutes of the first half. A 70-yard drive resulted in no points after Wil Lutz doinked a field goal off the right upright. Sometimes that’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

Denver’s first two of the second half resulted in consecutive three-and-outs—a common theme for the team throughout the season. While the flashes have been awesome, the consistency on that side of the ball has certainly been lacking. Criticisms of the play-calling here, which I would outline as quite conservative, certainly have some merit.

But it’s clear the Broncos also need upgrades at their skill positions. Too many dropped passes and an inability to run the ball effectively are a bad combination when trying to win in the postseason. I look forward to seeing some major investments on improving the offense this offseason in free agency and the draft.

Broncos’ defensive front seven was dominated by the Bills’ offensive line

One of my keys to the Broncos winning was being able to control the pace of the game. That meant sustaining long drives on offense and limiting the Bills’ offensive attack led by Josh Allen. That’s a tough task to do on the road no doubt, though it was essential if they wanted to win.

Unfortunately, the Broncos’ defensive front struggled mightily throughout the game. The Bills amassed 128 yards rushing in the first half and James Cook played at an elite level. Due to their run game, they accrued possessed the ball for nearly 20 minutes. Even with an extra defender up in the box, the Bills’ top-notch offensive line outplayed the Broncos’ defensive front. Keep in mind, Allen only had 61 yards passing in the first half, but the Bills’ offense was still able to control the pace of the game on the ground.

The Bills aired it out more in the second half and were quite successful. The Broncos’ pass rush wasn’t able to get home, and safety P.J. Locke was burned routinely in coverage and notched one of his worst performances of the season today. If I were the Broncos, I’d be looking at finding a replacement for him this offseason.

While the defense had a solid year overall, they definitely struggled in the last month or so. They gave up over 200 yards on the ground today. Adding talent to every level of the defense is going to be critical moving forward. They need an extra defensive lineman, help at linebacker, and could use another safety or cover guy in their secondary.

All things considered, the Broncos’ 2024 campaign was a success

I had the Broncos pegged as a 10-win team with a shot at making the playoffs. They met my expectations and exceeded them in many ways. A lot of people thought the team wasn’t going to be this good, but they did a solid job this season.

The odds were stacked against Denver with a historic dead cap hit when they moved on from Russell Wilson. On top of that, only having a few top draft picks over the past four seasons hasn’t helped with respect to adding talent on the roster. Today’s result certainly isn’t what anyone wanted, but all things considered, I’d view the season as a success and huge step toward becoming a legitimate contender in the future.

The franchise has ample cap space and for the most part a full slate of draft selections. They are certainly going to get better and should be more competitive next season. I believe the future is bright and fans have a lot to look forward to. Onto the offseason. Free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft is going to be interesting for sure!