Miles
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- Mar 18, 2019
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DENVER — After a big road win against the Carolina Panthers, the Broncos return home to Empower Field at Mile High to see if they can back up that performance against stronger competition.
With a win, the Bills would clinch the AFC East for the first time since 1995, and Josh Allen and Co. are fresh off a prime-time win over the previously top-seeded Steelers.
Allen isn't the only talented young quarterback in this matchup, though, as Drew Lock won FedEx Air Player of the Week honors after a four-touchdown day in Carolina. It's clear Lock's development is still in progress, but he'll have a chance Saturday to prove he's on the path to performing like Allen, a dark-horse MVP candidate who has made a big jump in 2020.
This matchup is about more than those two players, and the Broncos will need strong performances from their entire roster to beat the Bills and complete a 2020 sweep of the AFC East.
These are the questions that will determine if the Broncos can continue a late-season surge.
CAN A BEATEN-UP DENVER SECONDARY CONTAIN THE BUFFALO PASSING GAME?
The Broncos' passing defense struggled late in the team's Week 14 win over the Panthers, as Teddy Bridgewater completed 12-of-14 passes for 129 yards and a 105.1 quarterback rating in the fourth quarter. Carolina scored 17 points in the final frame, and the Panthers' success largely came through the air, as Robby Anderson and Curtis Samuel combined for eight catches in the fourth. Denver had success early against the Panthers' passing attack, holding Bridgewater to just 62 passing yards in the first half, but the Broncos can't afford to let the Bills throw the ball at will.
The issue? Buffalo's passing attack is far more potent than the one Denver saw in Carolina. The Bills ranked third in passing offense entering Week 15, and Allen has completed more than 68 percent of his passes as he's earned a 28-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Allen has also added six rushing touchdowns on the season.
"He's having a hell of a season," Head Coach Vic Fangio said this week. "He's a big, strong guy who can run. He's tough to tackle in the pocket and he's tough to tackle when he breaks out of the pocket. They have some designed runs for him. He's seeing the field very well and throwing it very well. The guy has really emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the league, and I can remember when people were saying there wasn't enough good quarterbacks for the league and it seems like we're playing a good one every week, so I think that's disappeared."
Of course, the Bills' ninth-ranked scoring offense relies on more than Allen's arm. Stefon Diggs ranks second in the NFL in receiving yards with 1,167 and leads the NFL in receptions with 100. Cole Beasley isn't far behind, as the dangerous slot receiver has 71 catches for 838 yards and four touchdowns. The Broncos' injury issues on the back end of the defense only complicate matters. Denver lost Duke Dawson Jr. and Kevin Toliver II against the Panthers, and the team was already without Bryce Callahan, A.J. Bouye and Essang Bassey. If De'Vante Bausby, Michael Ojemudia or Will Parks can't play a full game, the Broncos will be hard-pressed to find a substitute.
Perhaps the Broncos' best hope against the Bills' passing attack is similar to how Denver held up against Kansas City: avoid giving up the back-breaking play and hold the opponent to field goals in the red zone. If Bradley Chubb — drafted two spots ahead of Allen in 2018 — can get to the quarterback, that'd be of great assistance, too.