3 Takeaways For the Future from Broncos' 31-7 Wildcard Loss to Bills

And just like that, the Denver Broncos' wild 2024 season ended in Upstate New York with a whimper. The Buffalo Bills man-handled the Broncos to a cruising 31-7 blowout win in the Wildcard Round of the NFL Playoffs.

In some ways, Sunday's season-ending loss was emblematic of the Broncos' entire campaign. And in others, it was vastly disappointing, showcasing the roster's holes and the team's relative inexperience.

What did we learn from the Broncos' first playoff appearance since hoisting the Lombardi Trophy? Let's dive in.

Blown Opportunities

Against a juggernaut Bills opponent, the Broncos' margin for error was always going to be razor-thin. That reality is compounded by the single-elimination stakes of a playoff game.

The Broncos needed to play perfect — not necessarily every player on every play — but in the critical situations. And the Broncos needed to capitalize on each opportunity the Bills afforded them.

That didn't happen.

From two drive-killing drops (Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin) to a rare missed field goal from Wil Lutz at the end of the second quarter, the Broncos proved unequal to their opportunity. Even when Sean Payton showed the confidence and the gambler's spirit to go with a fake punt, which succeeded, the offense couldn't capitalize and convert it into points.

Getting tricky.

📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/78GsdsSCCH
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) January 12, 2025

Payton stole a possession, but it only bought his team a couple of extra minutes of Josh Allen on the sideline. The youthful Broncos fell victim to the wizened experience of a Bills team that has been a perennial playoff contender since 2019.

But it was experience that should serve the Broncos well moving forward under Payton.

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A Run-Away Season

The Broncos couldn't run the ball. And they couldn't stop Buffalo's ground game to save their season.

Even failing to do one of those things is a death knell for a team in the playoffs. When a team fails on both ends of the coin, it's a guaranteed ticket home to the offseason.

To illustrate, the Broncos managed just 79 rushing yards on 17 attempts, and rookie quarterback Bo Nix accounted for 43 of them on four scrambles. That means that Denver's three running backs combined for just 36 rushing yards on 13 attempts.

That's a colossal failure by the backs and the offensive line, the latter of whom got manhandled by the Bills' defensive front. But Payton did his team no favors as a play-caller, with multiple plays getting blown up for losses with the ball-carrier going east and west instead of north and south.

I get it; you wanted to keep Allen on the sideline. That was imperative. But Payton was very predictable in how and when he chose to call a run play, and he would have been better served calling a few quarterback-designed rushes, especially on the obvious second down plunges.

The Broncos went 2-of-9 on third down because Nix faced third-and-long time after time. The Broncos need to upgrade the running back room, which will help the offensive line.

Defensively, the Broncos couldn't stop a nose bleed. The Bills dominated the time of possession 41:43 to 18:17. Allen converted one third-and-short after another because James Cook and Buffalo's offensive line imposed their will on the Broncos.

Buffalo finished the game with 210 rushing yards. Denver relinquished a 100-yard rushing game to Cook (120 and a TD) and 46 yards to Allen, who only rushed for three more yards than Nix, but it was how the Bills QB gained his yards that mattered.

With the exception of the Broncos' opening drive and amazing fake punt (a pass to Marvin Mims Jr. completed by Riley Dixon), nothing went according to Payton's game plan. But at least it highlighted exactly where the Broncos need to start on their offseason to-do list.

Much to Build On

Nix could have played better, but he wasn't the reason the Broncos lost this game by 24 points. His pass-catchers let him down in critical situations, and the ground game was nonexistent.

Nix would finish the day 13-of-22 for 144 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions. He was only sacked twice.

Nix delivered on the opening drive, hitting his Oregon teammate Troy Franklin on a beautiful 43-yard touchdown strike. It was all downhill from there, with the Broncos defense's inability to get Allen and the Bills off the field.

Bo Nix is the TRUTH pic.twitter.com/4PUkceavtQ
— Mile High Huddle (@MileHighHuddle) January 12, 2025

That led to Nix and the offense sitting on the freezing-cold sideline for long stretches of time, getting iced in more ways than one. Again, the rookie could have been better, and there were a few times he bailed the pocket early, showing a bit of playoff nerves, perhaps.

But Nix showed that the game and the moment wasn't too big for him. If the Broncos can strive to improve the supporting cast around him this offseason, especially at running back and tight end, the young quarterback will be better for his rough-and-tumble loss in Upstate New York.

The Broncos have a lot to build on. Nix has solved the quarterback problem that has plagued the Broncos since Peyton Manning hung up his cleats.

The Broncos also had five players make the AP's All-Pro Team, the most since 1996. Denver led the NFL in sacks and posted the team's new single-season team record for QB takedowns.

Marvin Mims Jr. developed into the offensive weapon Denver hoped he be when he was drafted in the second round. Nik Bonitto turned the corner, notching 13.5 sacks on his way to Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors, while Jonathon Cooper also hit double digits (10.5).

The Broncos have a lot going for them, but it wasn't their turn yet. Payton's rebuild is ahead of schedule, which is great to see, but it's not complete. The Broncos have some big roster holes to fill, which were badly exposed in Buffalo.

And this time around, the Broncos have the resources to compete in free agency and a full complement of draft picks. 2025 is going to be a good year.

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