Mile High Report
The Denver Broncos needed to channel the OVERDOG mentality against the Buffalo Bills in this game. It felt like all game it would come down to the final play and the winner potentially being the team that ends up in the Super Bowl. The game went back and forth all game long, but the five turnovers by the Bills would be the difference in the game.
Once again, the Broncos come up big when they need a miracle to survive. They have done it all year long and now they are in the AFC Championship Game.
Both teams opened up with long opening drives. The Broncos stalled in the red zone on theirs with a crucial end zone drop by Lil’Jordan Humphrey being the difference, while the Bills converted on theirs with a wide open touchdown pass.
Both drives lasted over seven minutes and ate up all but five seconds of the first quarter.
Bills 7, Broncos 3. Full first quarter recap.
The second quarter was a wild one. The Bills began the quarter looking like they were on the cusp of completely taking control of the game with James Cook gashing the Broncos defense badly, but a critical forced fumble by Alex Singleton shifted momentum back Denver’s way.
The Broncos would capitalize with the first of two touchdowns in the second quarter.
After that turnover, they would drive down the field and cap another long drive with a big man touchdown catch by tackle eligible Frank Crum to take the lead.
Josh Allen and the Bills would charge back as Denver’s defense continued his struggles in run defense. They came up big when it mattered inside the 10-yard line to hold the Bills to a field goal with just over two minutes left in the half.
Against a team like the Bills, you definitely need to score before half if they are getting the ball to start the second half. Bo Nix found a way to convert on third down to keep their drive alive, then from 29-yards out he found Lil’Jordan Humphrey coming open in the end zone. He would throw a bullet across his body where Humphrey would redeem himself for that dropped touchdown in the first quarter to put Denver back up with 22 seconds left in the half.
Crazily enough, Allen and the Bills felt they could get into scoring range with 22 seconds and no timeouts. That led to a game-changing critical mistake by Allen who was scrambling to pick up some yards before halftime. He would fumble where the Broncos would recover with just two seconds left in the half. Wil Lutz would then boot a 50-yard field goal through to put the Broncos up by 10 at halftime.
Broncos 20, Bills 10. Full second quarter recap.
The third quarter was one for turnovers. The Broncos defense struck first with a Nik Bonitto strip-sack on the second play...
