BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Broncos got Buffaloed. In the biggest moment, the outcome still hanging in the balance, the refs screwed Sean Payton again in a playoff game.
That’s what I want to write. There is no way Bills receiver Tyler Johnson had control of the ball with a knee in bounds as he slid across the back of the end zone. There is a better chance Matt Holliday touched home plate.
But the reality is that no replay was necessary to show how far away the Broncos are from contender status. They reached the playoffs, a year ahead of schedule, and the first half showed the selection committee got it right.
So what went wrong? This is a more sobering discussion. While the refusal to reverse the call flipped the game on its head — the Broncos trailed 21-7 instead of 13-7 with the ball late in the third quarter — the biggest issue traces back to where we started the season:
Playmakers. The Broncos need more of them.
They have their franchise quarterback in Bo Nix, and the moment was not too big for him Sunday. But please get him some help. Otherwise, Nix and Courtland Sutton will remain Titanic’s Jack and Rose hanging onto a door, hoping not to sink into the ocean floor.
On a raw, 31-degree afternoon, the offense produced two good drives, their first on a 43-yard Troy Franklin touchdown reception, and the two-minute drill at the end of the first half when Will Lutz clanked a 50-yard field goal.
Two? Two!
“You are constantly evaluating where you are at, where you need to go,” coach Sean Payton said. “My mind is always thinking about what we still need, maybe what’s missing.”
Acknowledging the problem is the first step to fixing it. It starts at tight end. Lucas Krull and Adam Trautman caught two passes for 4 yards. Or about the season average for the position. Whether it is Penn State’s Tyler Warren or Michigan’s Colston Loveland, the Broncos desperately need an upgrade. Tight ends are to quarterbacks what blankets are to Linus, especially on third down — where the Broncos went 2 for 9 on Sunday.
And that is not even the hardest truth they must confront. They are not even close to good enough at running back. While the Bills put on their mudflaps and peeled out on the Broncos’ chest, Nix led the Broncos in rushing. Again. That is the sixth time that has happened this season for those counting at home.
This will not work. Draft a starter like North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, and give crumbs to the rest. How did the Bills rush for 210 yards? Because James Cook was way better than anyone in an orange uniform. Period.
Anyone can also realize the Broncos are crying out for another receiver to pair with Sutton. Please don’t trust Franklin and Devaughn Vele to make big steps. Sign Tee Higgins, employ Marvin Mims Jr. in bursts and let the kids fight to make the team. Creating more competition at that position is critical. If you want Nix to stand in the AFC playoff octagon with Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes and not flinch, don’t make him fight with one arm tied behind his back.
The defense, clearly a strength, is not without blemishes either given the new playoffs-or-bust standard. The Broncos missed inside linebacker Alex Singleton. Hopefully, he returns healthy from his torn ACL. Regardless, they must find someone who can push Cody Barton. The Broncos need more speed, a point driven home by Matt Milano’s sideline-to-sideline routine for the Bills.
Yes, it would have been convenient to cite Johnson’s controversial touchdown as an excuse for the Broncos, for why they were outscored 21-0 in the second half.
You will be happy to know, they were not using it. Safety P.J. Locke accepted responsibility.
“If I hadn’t let up for a half second, that ball would have probably been deflected or been picked off. I blame myself,” Locke said. “I am not leaving it in the hands of the ref.”
It is in these moments that the Broncos’ future remains bright. They never said this stuff before when seasons ended, spending too much time complaining, finger-pointing, whining. The culture is baked in with accountability and self-awareness.
The Broncos believed they were going to win, and they got their butts handed to them. Their reaction was a blend of disappointment, anger and pride.
This game was the first step, as defensive coordinator Vance Joseph told players. The second one is more nuanced.
The Broncos have a quarterback, line anchors and three defensive stars in Patrick Surtain II, Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto.
It’s time to go shopping. And with added salary cap relief, it doesn’t have to be at Walmart.
“We have to have a good offseason,” Payton said.
Otherwise, left in Sunday’s wake was not a feel-good story, but the Broncos’ ceiling.
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