3 Validating Takeaways From Broncos' 24-22 Win Over Bills
It had been 14 days since the Denver Broncos beat the Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos took advantage of their bye, which allowed them to get healthy as just two players — Baron Browning (wrist) and Ben Powers (ankle) — were on the Week 10 injury report.
The 5-4 Buffalo Bills hosted the 3-5 Broncos on Monday Night Football, where Sean Payton’s team pulled off a 24-22 upset in Upstate New York. Surprisingly, the game was close as the Broncos led for most of the game before the Bills took a one-point lead with just 1:55 left on the clock.
Russell Wilson and Denver’s offense led a heroic 10-play, 57-yard drive that set up Wil Lutz for a 36-yard game-winning field goal to steal a win in the cold and damp of Buffalo. The primetime victory against the Bills makes this a three-game winning streak for the Broncos. This team is now just one game away from being .500 after starting the regular season 1-5.
What did we learn from the 4-5 Broncos' huge win over the Bills? Let’s review three takeaways.
Russ Cooks up Crow Wings in Buffalo for Naysayers
Say what you want about Wilson. His jokes may be corny, and yes, those commercials were cringeworthy, but he’s an absolute superstar in pop culture. But the team captain is playing selfless, winning football for the first productive stretch of his career in Denver.
Against the Bills in primetime MNF action, Wilson went 24-for-29 for 193 yards and two touchdowns and rushed the ball nine times for 30 yards without any turnovers. Wilson's improvisation against a fierce Bills' pass rush, which logged four sacks for -15 yards, featured two unorthodox lobs to running back Samaje Perine that resulted in first downs late in the game.
Wilson maneuvered the pocket with a heightened sense of awareness and a renewed level of confidence under pressure. The game looked much more fun for him than it has for a while.
Boasting a 117.4 passer rating, Wilson's strong performance was complemented on the ground as Payton’s offense ran the ball 38 times for 122 yards, averaging 3.2 yards per rush. Although none of Denver’s backs were able to cross the goal line for a rushing score, Javonte Williams and Courtland Sutton each caught a touchdown from Wilson in the big win.
Trusting Payton’s commitment to running the football and allowing his teammates to fight with him allowed Russ to be one of the guys, not above them. Wilson has already surpassed his 2022 touchdown totals in Week 10.
It wasn’t pretty, nor was it without flaws, but there’s never any circumstance in which a team should apologize for a win. Sure, the Bills blew the game by having 12 players on the field with a penalty that allowed Lutz a second opportunity from a closer distance to win the game.
But two things can be true at the same time, as Wilson feasted on wings in Buffalo and cooked up some crow for his naysayers.
Simmons Surging Towards Elite
Finally, Broncos safety Justin Simmons gets to enjoy individual and team success as the recent AFC Defensive Player of the Week played another lights-out game against the Bills.
The team captain was tied for third-most tackles with five tackles, with an interception and forced fumble. Simmons picked off QB Josh Allen on Buffalo’s second offensive drive after Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian forced a fumble on the Bills' opening drive.
In total, the Broncos' defense forced a total of four turnovers, including two picks and two fumbles, in a performance that failed to yield a single sack. Nonetheless, the former Boston College star was unrelenting and forced a fumble on Bills' running back James Cook, who retained possession of the ball on a lucky bounce late in the fourth quarter.
Another fascinating aspect of Simmons’ most recent performance is the fact that he’s been operating without fellow safety and team captain Kareem Jackson, who served the last of his two-game suspension on Monday night after violating NFL unnecessary roughness policies in multiple games this season.
Simmons, 29, was drafted to Denver in the third round back in 2016 and has utilized his All-Pro experience to springboard his younger teammates to success, like P.J. Locke, Delarrin Turner-Yell, and Fabian Moreau, the last of whom also logged a pick.
In the Broncos' back-to-back upset wins over quality AFC opponents, Simmons has recorded two interceptions, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble, seven tackles, and two pass break-ups. He’s literally gone toe-to-toe with two of the AFC’s best quarterbacks and has finally come out on the winning side.
For too long, Simmons has enjoyed individual success amid his team's collective struggles. If he continues to lead and keeps this level of production up, he’ll soon be recognized as an elite safety among the NFL’s defensive royalty.
Penalties Continue to Plague an Undisciplined Squad
Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good, and there's nothing wrong with that in a Week 10 matchup on the road in Buffalo on MNF. Good fortune certainly had something to do with the Broncos' two-point win, as Denver amassed 10 penalties for a total of 61 yards.
Right tackle Mike McGlinchey is still recording false-start penalties as the highest-paid offensive tackle in team history, and he's the most penalized Bronco this season with seven penalties in nine games. The blown assignments and mental errors have plagued both sides of the football, as the offense is responsible for 31 total penalties while the defense accounts for 27 fouls for a combined total of -447 yards.
False starts, offensive and defensive holding, unnecessary roughness, and other bone-headed miscues have quickly become a habit for a Broncos squad hoping to earn a .500 record next week at home.
The last time the Broncos were flagged this much was during Week 1's 17-16 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders at home when they were also penalized 10 times. Since then, the Broncos have averaged approximately seven penalties per game.
Oddly enough, Denver is just as consistent with penalties on the road as it is at home. Discipline will be critical in Week 11’s Sunday Night Football tilt against the Minnesota Vikings.
While I can appreciate the sizeable improvements made by the Broncos in the last three consecutive games, penalties will eventually cost this team in the standings unless something gives. It’s a little late to teach sound discipline this far into the season, but there's still time to implement accountability and selflessness amid a growing team culture.
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