The Broncos put a dent in the Bills’ postseason hopes with a wild 24–22 road victory Monday night.
Russell Wilson drew a defensive pass interference call on a critical third-and-10 play from Buffalo’s 45-yard line with 35 seconds left to silence the Buffalo crowd and set up Wil Lutz’s 36-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Wilson outplayed Josh Allen, who again committed costly turnovers for the Bills.
The Bills (5–5) had another sluggish start on offense and are now tied for ninth in a competitive AFC with the Colts and Raiders. The Bills have upcoming games against the Jets, Eagles, Chiefs and Cowboys.
Allen ran for a six-yard touchdown late in regulation to give the Bills their first lead of the game, but Wilson put together a well-executed two-minute drill to lead the Broncos (4–5) on the game-winning drive. Buffalo still almost escaped after Lutz missed his first shot at the walk-off field goal, but the Bills were flagged for having 12 men on the field on the play, giving Denver’s kicker another opportunity that he converted.
Wilson went 24-of-29 for 193 yards and two touchdowns and added 30 rushing yards. Allen completed 15-of-26 passes for 177 yards, one touchdown and three turnovers, including two interceptions.
Here’s what to take away from an interesting edition of Monday Night Football.
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Allen’s carelessness continues to hurt his team
The analytics community spent the past week telling the football public that they’re overreacting about the Bills’ sluggish offense this season because they have a strong EPA, DVOA and BPA. Yeah, I made that last one up.
But numbers don’t always tell the whole story. The Bills were far from efficient for most of the game against the Broncos because of turnovers and costly mistakes by Allen, who fumbled on a poor hand-off exchange with running back James Cook in the third quarter with the game tied 15–15.
That carelessness with the ball has been the theme of the Bills’ offense for most of the season. Allen has accounted for the most turnovers (14) and interceptions (11) of anyone in the NFL. Though Buffalo did enough to beat the Buccaneers and Giants, slow starts cost them against the Patriots and Jaguars. The Bills were outclassed by the Bengals last week because they aren’t on the level of Super Bowl contenders, which is hard to fathom, but it’s time to accept that reality.
Late in the first half, Allen threw a head-scratching interception to Broncos cornerback Fabian Moreau that allowed Denver to add three more points before heading into the locker room. On the drive before, Allen was exceptional, guiding the Bills on an eight-play, 81-yard drive before throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid.
Those two possessions summarized the pros and cons that come with Allen’s gunslinger mentality on the field. ESPN analyst Troy Aikman said on the broadcast that the Bills must live with those mistakes because Allen’s elite skill set and backyard style outweigh the turnovers. But they really don’t have to accept this many mistakes.
If Allen is truly one of the best quarterbacks in the league, he has to stop forcing throws and committing killer turnovers. His team also needs to help him out by getting open and catching the ball more often and producing a reliable rushing attack. Star wide receiver Stefon Diggs had a quiet night with three catches for 34 yards.
Wilson, Sutton outshine Allen, Diggs
Perhaps the Bills can learn from the Broncos on how to play cleaner football on offense.
Wilson didn’t have a spectacular performance, but he ran Sean Payton’s offense well and was decisive, often taking short gains with his legs instead of forcing throws downfield. Wilson also had a nice connection with wide receiver Courtland Sutton, and threw a three-yard touchdown pass to running back Javonte Williams to give the Broncos a 21–15 advantage with 5:06 left in regulation.
Wilson is no longer creating downfield plays away from the pocket, an area he excelled in for a decade with the Seahawks. But after a rocky first year in Denver, Wilson has had a decent bounce-back season playing within a structured offense.
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Bills bench Cook after early fumble
Cook lost a fumble on the first play from scrimmage to give the Bills their first of three turnovers before halftime.
Bills coach Sean McDermott benched Cook for most of the first half for the miscue. Veteran running back Latavius Murray had a brief stint as the lead back before Cook got out of McDermott’s dog house. Cook and Murray paved the way for Buffalo’s first touchdown of the second half, with Cook igniting the drive with a 13-yard run and Murray capping it with a three-yard touchdown run to tie the game 15–15 with 6:42 in the third quarter.
Many Bills fans on social media questioned McDermott’s decision to bench Cook since it was his first fumble of the season. Regardless, the lesson didn’t seem to take hold, as he coughed it up again on Buffalo’s final drive (though he was fortunate to pick it back up during a bizarre 42-yard gain).
McDermott might have benched Cook because of his inconsistent performances this season. Cook, a 2022 second-round pick, had averaged 39.8 rushing yards per game since Week 3 heading into Monday night, when he rushed for 109 yards on 12 carries. The Bills are at their best when the running backs are producing and the team doesn’t have to rely on Allen’s legs to move the chains.
