ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Sean Payton knew the Bills would emphasize running the football ahead of Sunday’s wild-card playoff matchup. What the Broncos head coach didn’t know was just how effective Buffalo would be in doing so against a once-stout Denver defense.
The Broncos were bullied in the run game, giving up 210 yards on 44 carries in their 31-7 loss to the Bills at Highmark Stadium. Denver gave up the second-most rushing yards in a postseason game in franchise history, and the most in any game since last year against the Jets (234 yards allowed).
To make matters worse, Denver’s offense didn’t come close to matching that production, totaling just 79 yards on the ground. The Bills hit that number in the first quarter alone, and didn’t let up the rest of the game.
“Did I think they would run the ball that effectively? No, but it wasn’t surprising,” Payton said of the Bills, who ranked ninth in rushing (131.2 yards per game) during the regular season.
Denver’s run defense had been a revelation during the regular season. With the additions of defensive linemen John Franklin-Myers and Malcolm Roach, the Broncos went from one of the worst at stopping the run last year to one of the best in 2024.
The Broncos ranked third in yards allowed (96.4), second in yards allowed per attempt (3.9) and third in rushing EPA per play allowed (-0.15).
Denver held opponents under 100 yards on the ground nine times. Meanwhile, defensive lineman Zach Allen was the team’s best run defender, totaling 20 run stuffs (tackles resulting in no gain or a loss of yards), according to Next Gen Stats.
In the Broncos’ first postseason game since 2015, their defense reverted back to last year’s effort when it ranked near the bottom of every major rushing category.
Franklin-Myers said the team needed to tackle better. Safety P.J. Locked mentioned how Denver struggled to fit gaps and be patient in their attempt to stop the run. Whatever the case, the Broncos had problems from the start.
“(The Bills) run like this gap scheme, and they kept changing the gaps,” Locke said. “I think (we should’ve) been more disciplined and held our gaps as they were moving.”
Buffalo running back James Cook, who gained the 16th-most rushing yards (1,009) in the league this season, picked apart the Broncos. He finished with a team-high 120 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.
Whether Cook rushed inside or out, he couldn’t be stopped. He rushed for 65 yards on outside runs, compared to 55 when running inside, according to Next Gen Stats.
“Cook is a super patient runner,” Locke said. “He was setting up his own blocks.”
Cook and Bills quarterback Josh Allen (eight carries, 46 yards) set the tone during a 13-play, 81-yard touchdown drive that chewed up 7 minutes, 35 seconds of clock on Buffalo’s second possession of the game.
On the third play, Cook burst upfield for 16 yards. A few plays later, Allen kept the ball for a 9-yard scramble, followed by a 7-yard gain. Buffalo reached Denver’s 5-yard line when Cook powered into the end zone to take a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter.
The Bills registered 124 rushing yards in the first half and scored 31 unanswered points after Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Troy Franklin on the game’s opening drive.
By running the ball effectively, they were able to control the time of possession. The Bills had the ball for 41:43, compared to just 18:17 time of possession for Denver.
Bills running back Ty Johnson, who caught the controversial fourth-down touchdown pass in the third quarter, even got in on the act. He had nine carries for 44 yards, including 34 yards in the fourth quarter.
“We never had an answer to stop their run game,” Payton said.
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