I give you the winners and losers from the Broncos 31-7 defeat to the Buffalo Bills.
Well, that sucked, but should come as a huge surprise. The Broncos exceeded expectations all season and had a tough road game against a Super Bowl favorite in the Bills and it went as expected. The Broncos are a few good offseasons away from being a legit contender but fought hard all season and ended their postseason drop.
However, Josh Allen, the Bills rushing attack, and their defense ended up being too much for the Broncos who have their season ended in the wildcard round.
Here are your winners and losers from the Broncos’ defeat to the Bills in the wildcard round of the playoffs.
LOSER – Broncos run game
I said earlier in the week that the Broncos needed their run game to step up if they wanted to have a chance to win and well, that did not happen. Outside of Bo Nix, the Broncos’ running backs did little on the ground, which has been the theme of the season, and it ended up being a reason for their demise.
The Broncos will need to add to their backfield this offseason and make it a priority. Javonte Williams is a free agent and shouldn’t be back, Jaleel McLaughlin is at best a change-of-pace guy, Audric Estime was inactive, Tyler Badie is a fringe guy and Blake Watson will be fighting for a roster spot. You need some new blood and added talent in this backfield if this offense wants to step up their game.
LOSER – Broncos run defense
It wasn’t Josh Allen’s arm that beat the Broncos, it was their run game. They had no answer for James Cook who gashed the Broncos’ defense for over 100 yards and Josh Allen couldn’t be stopped when he took off either. The Bills as a team topped 200 yards on the ground.
This falls on the Broncos linebackers and defensive line. The Bills won in the trenches and the Broncos could not stop their run game. Linebacker will be another priority for the Broncos this offseason and that weakness really showed up the final month of the season.
Josh Allen, James Cook, and the Bills run game has been damn good all year and was just too much for the Broncos today.
LOSER – Errors, drops, and missed opportunities
The Broncos had opportunities in this game to make it close or take the lead but critical errors, drops, and missed opportunities is a big reason for their blowout loss. Penalties, dropped passes by Sutton, Franklin, and Vele in key moments and not being able to capitalize on a fake punt and end of half field goal sucked whatever life the Broncos had out of them.
Let’s face it, they had a small margin of error in this game and they simply just made too many mistakes. Needed to get points after the fake punt, but they ended up going three and out. They had a chance to tie it up before halftime but Lutz missed the field goal. They had key passes dropped by the Broncos’ top receivers and just couldn’t capitalize after an opening drive touchdown.
This is a young, inexperienced, and a roster a few years away and it showed today.
LOSER – P.J. Locke
It was not a good game for the Broncos’ safety. The lowlight of his game came on a 4th down where he basically gave up on a play and allowed Josh Allen to throw back of the end zone touchdown pass to running back Ty Johnson. It was just an inexcusable effort by him on a play that changed the entire outlook of the game.
He has been a weak link in the secondary all season and should not be starting next year. At the very least, he should have some competition for his job come this offseason.
LOSER – Broncos’ weaknesses amplified
Every single weakness the Broncos had this season was amplified in this one.
Run game? They had zero rush game in this one.
Playmakers? Broncos had lots of drops and no real threat to lean on when they needed to score points. They have pieces there but really need an established threat at tight end and/or receiver.
Linebackers? Bills attacked them with their run game and passing attack. Frankly, teams attacked this weakness a lot in the second half of the year. They need upgrades here.
Safety? We already touched on P.J. Locke but man, he struggled badly in this one.
WINNER – Broncos future
Let’s end on a positive note. Regardless of this outcome, this season was a success. They found their answer at quarterback with Bo Nix, they have five All-Pro players and ended their postseason drought. They’re not ready to tangle with the elites in the AFC, but they’re a few good offseasons away from doing just that.
They did all this despite being mocked for drafting Bo Nix. Experts saying they had a bottom-five roster in the NFL, no talent, and likely having a top draft pick. On top of all that, they were handicapped due to a historic $89 million dead cap hit due to Russell Wilson being released.
The Broncos exceeded expectations, made the playoffs, and now are on the verge of an offseason where they can build around their promising young quarterback. Yes, the loss sucks, but this team has a bright future ahead of them.
SHOUT OUT: Bo Nix
The moment did not look too big for the Broncos rookie quarterback. Despite no run game, drops, and frankly a lack of talent around him, the Broncos rookie quarterback fought hard all game. He was far from perfect but this taste of the postseason SHOULD benefit him moving forward.
Other winners and losers
LOSER – Coaching: Play calling wasn’t great but how much of that was execution? Still, wasn’t a great showing for Payton OR Joseph in this one.
LOSER – Wil Lutz: He has been automatic all season but missed a crucial 50-yarder before halftime. Tough miss for a kicker who had a pretty damn good season.
LOSER – Audric Estime: Was a gameday inactive. Not a great sign for his future with this team.