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Bills at Broncos: The good and bad from divisional round loss

Daniel Adams
Brandin_Cooks_Catch

Matthew Stockman, Getty Images

The Buffalo Bills were defeated in the AFC divisional round by the Denver Broncos, 33-30, in a heartbreaking overtime finish. This puts an end to their season. 

Five Bills turnovers proved to be costly, and on the defensive side of the ball, they allowed quarterback Bo Nix to make plays both through the air and on the ground.  

The Bills now look ahead into another offseason of questions that need to be answered. Buffalo has now fallen short of the big game for the sixth straight season.

Below is the good and bad from their final game:  

The bad  

Turnovers  

The biggest factor in the Bills loss to the Broncos was their turnovers. The Bills turned the ball over five times in Saturday’s game, fumbling three times and throwing two interceptions. The first turnover came early in the second half following a big run from Josh Allen, as a James Cook fumble gave the ball back to Denver, who turned it into a touchdown.  

Late in the second quarter, the Bills were down a touchdown heading into halftime with under 20 seconds left on their own 30-yard line. Despite receiving the ball to begin the second half, Allen snapped the ball out of the shotgun formation and looked to pass, but he kept it himself for 12 yards before fumbling and giving Denver the ball in great field position. The Broncos capitalized with a field goal and went up 10 heading into halftime.  

The Bills recevied the ball to begin the second half. On the second snap in the third quarter, pressure off the edge got to Allen and forced another fumble, which resulted in another field goal for Denver. Later in the third quarter following a great play from Deone Walker to get the ball back, Allen forced the ball downfield and gave the ball right back to Denver.  

The Bills’ inability to take care of the football lost them the game. No team can turn the ball over five times and expect to win. Buffalo had to play mistake-free football, especially in the playoffs, and they failed to do so.  

Secondary reserves 

The Bills were already banged up heading into this one with key pieces such as rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston and veteran safety Jordan Poyer both being out. Buffalo’s secondary was led by (CB1) Christian Benford, (CB2) Tre White, (NCB) Taron Johnson, (FS) Cole Bishop, and (SS) Cam Lewis. The secondary held their own, yet two plays when Tre White and Cam Lewis left the game resulted in touchdowns.  

With the game tied at 10, Denver had the ball on Buffalo’s 30 with under 30 seconds remaining in the first half. Cam Lewis went out due to cramping and Darnell Savage filled in at the safety position. Savage got beat over the top and allowed a touchdown late in the half.  

Late in the fourth, the Bills once again had to rely on their reserve secondary for help. Tre White went out for a play and Dane Jackson filled in for him at cornerback. Jackson got beat by Marvin Mims and allowed a touchdown, as Denver retook the lead late in the fourth.  

The Bills secondary reserves were lackluster, and without help from key players the defense struggled immensely.  

Brandin Cooks play

The Brandin Cooks play in overtime will be talked about for a while. On third down, Allen took a deep shot to Brandin Cooks downfield in one-on-one coverage with cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian. Cooks looked to have caught the ball and be down by contact, but McMillian came up with the ball, and the officials ruled it an interception in favor of Denver.  

This play completely flipped the momentum for Denver as they got the ball back along with the help of 53 penalty yards called on Buffalo in the final drive to setup a game-winning field goal in overtime.  

Defensive pressure  

The Bills defense could not get pressure on Bo Nix. Buffalo’s defense did not record a single sack against Nix, even though he dropped back to throw 46 attempts. The Bills defensive line was not up to the task of getting pressure on Nix and making him uncomfortable. When Buffalo attempted to send pressure with four down linemen, they were not effective and allowed Nix to buy time and make things happen downfield.  

The good  

Dalton Kincaid  

Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid was a bright spot for Buffalo on Saturday. Kincaid was targeted six times and caught all of his targets for a team leading 83 yards. Kincaid hauled in a big touchdown reception in the fourth quarter to help the Bills regain the lead. He has continued to be one of Allen’s most reliable weapons on the offense when he’s healthy and will be a big factor in the offense next season.  

Khalil Shakir  

Bills receiver Khalil Shakir led the team in receptions as he hauled in seven of his nine targets from Allen for 75 yards. Shakir is a staple in the Bills offense and, like Kincaid, will be a big factor in the offense next season. The pieces they put around them however must improve.  

Cole Bishop & Cam Lewis  

The Bills started the game with Cole Bishop and Cam Lewis as the safety duo. With both roaming at safety, they were effective in coverage and they led the team in tackles. Bishop led the team with 12 total tackles along with two tackles for loss. Following closely behind him was Lewis who had 10 total tackles along with two passes defended.  

Cole Bishop has now finished his second season with the Bills and as a professional and has improved tremendously. Bishop will continue to be a key piece in the Bills secondary moving ahead into next season.  

Matt Prater  

Despite his lingering quad injuries that affected him earlier in the season, kicker Matt Prater was perfect in Denver. Prater hit all three of his extra points and all three of his field goals, including a clutch 50-yarder that sent the game into overtime.  

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