Broncos-Bills Revenge Game: What's Changed Since Last Year

How much has changed since the Broncos were blown out by the Bills in the playoffs?

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen eyes how the Denver Broncos are lined up as he calls the play during the first half of the Buffalo Bills wild card game against the Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 12, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A year ago, the Denver Broncos went on the road to take on the Buffalo Bills in the Wildcard Round of the playoffs. Denver got stampeded from start to finish, as the Bills ran the ball at will and walked out with a 31-7 win.

This year, things are reversed, with the Broncos sitting atop the AFC. The Bills will travel to Denver for the Divisional Round after they vanquished the No. 4-seeded Jacksonville Jaguars on the road.

This has the makings of a revenge game for the Broncos, with everyone within the organization taking last year's Wildcard loss to heart. 

Even though it's a year later, the two teams are similar to their 2024 counterparts, but the Broncos have a few significant changes, especially on defense. These roster improvements could be difference-makers this time around. 

Broncos' Improvements

Nov 2, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga (9) and Denver Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) celebrate after a play during the first half against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

Talanoa Hufanga gives the Broncos a better run-defending safety than they had last year, in a game where the Broncos' safeties struggled with their downhill responsibilities. The Broncos made it a priority to bring in Hufanga, and they did so with the Bills' loss fresh on their minds. So far, he has lived up to those expectations, finishing north of 100 tackles and earning second-team All-Pro honors. 

The linebacker position has been overhauled, so to speak, from last year. Cody Barton is gone, and Justin Strnad isn’t a full-time starter, with both of them being benched starters in that playoff loss after playing poorly. Alex Singleton is back healthy, and the Broncos brought in Dre Greenlaw. While Greenlaw hasn’t fully lived up to expectations, his down games are still better than Barton's best were last year. 

Denver didn’t make changes to its defensive front, but everyone on the defensive line is playing better than they were last year, especially against the run. Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, D.J. Jones, and Malcolm Roach are all having the best years of their respective careers as run defenders.

The Broncos are also getting contributions from Eyioma Uwazurike, who has been playing better than their depth defensive linemen from a year ago. 

There is a concern, however, and it comes with Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper on the edge. Bonitto isn’t a great run defender but an opportunistic one, and he will likely face off against Dion Dawkins, one of the NFL's best run-blocking left tackles. The Bills made a point of attacking Bonitto in the run game last year, so he and the Broncos' defense will need a plan for that. 

Also, Bonitto had trouble securing sacks down the stretch, and Josh Allen is one of the NFL's toughest quarterbacks to sack. Cooper, on the other hand, will need significantly better pass-rush lane discipline than he has shown since Week 10, because when Allen gets out of the pocket, bad things happen for the opponent. 

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Offense: Much the Same but More Experienced

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) gets grabbed by and then sacked by Buffalo Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau (50) during the second half of the Buffalo Bills wild card game against the Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 12, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Offensively, the Broncos are much the same, though their weapons have gained needed experience, and the addition of wide receiver Pat Bryant and tight end Evan Engram helps them out. Not having No. 1 running back J.K. Dobbins hurts, as the Bills' rushing defense is bad.

The Broncos will need RJ Harvey to have a good, consistent game running the ball and working as a receiver. Denver will also expect Jaleel McLaughlin to continue averaging north of 5.5 yards per carry as the No. 2 running back, as he did over the final three regular-season games.

The Takeaway

At home, the Broncos are hard to beat (8-1 this season), and they're entering this game as the underdogs, which is what they love to see. The Broncos are rested and much healthier than the Bills, while Buffalo is battle-tested coming off a Wildcard win.

The Bills could be without several key players who were part of the bullying of the upstart Broncos last year, including wide receiver Gabe Davis, running back Ty Johnson, safety Jordan Poyer, and more. The Broncos, meanwhile, are pretty close to full strength, with the exception of the aforementioned Dobbins, safety Brandon Jones, and center Luke Wattenberg, all of whom have been on injured reserve for weeks.

With this being a chance to exact revenge and make a statement, the Broncos have a lot going for them in this game. However, the Broncos will have to execute better than they have in recent weeks.