Broncos' Underdog Status vs. Bills Is a Boost They Need

The Denver Broncos aren't guessing anymore. The Buffalo Bills will be making the trip to Denver this coming Saturday — on a short week turnaround — to take on the Broncos.

Empower Field at Mile High will be rocking with the energy of a fanbase that hasn't hosted a home playoff game in a decade. The rested Broncos are healthy, and ready to exact some revenge on the Bills, who bullied and bounced them from the playoffs in Upstate New York a year ago.

The Broncos are 8-1 at home this season, and they'll not only find themselves in familiar football environs in front of the Mile High Faithful, but also the well-trod territory of being set up as home underdogs. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Bills are 1.5-point favorites.

On one hand, it's understandable. The Bills are a more experienced playoff team. On the other, the Broncos are the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC and tied the New England Patriots for the best record in the conference at 14-3.

The Broncos' home record this season notwithstanding, the oddsmakers still aren't sold on this team. And that's right where Sean Payton wants the Broncos: flying under the radar.

Last year, when the Broncos were rebuked and sent home from the Wildcard Round with a 31-7 loss to the Bills, the gap separating the two teams was pretty clear. Even Payton had to acknowledge that gap, especially after Buffalo pulled away in the second half.

“I’m telling you what, I didn’t see a gap last weekend until the second half. Then you see a gap because you’re losing, but I felt really confident we could go in there, and play well and win," Payton said of the Bills loss during his end-of-season press conference last January.

What Payton went on to say should serve as a lesson for the 2025 Broncos, who now find themselves in a prime position to achieve all their goals in this new year. The lines that separate most playoff teams are finite, and the margin for error is always going to be razor-thin.

"Those lines are much finer than we think. I use that term, ‘There’s a fine line between a groove and a rut.’ It’s a player, it’s two players, it’s the line of scrimmage, it’s the kicking game," Payton said last year. "We’re not looking backwards; we’re looking ahead, and it starts with the division."

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Broncos' Offseason Informed by Bills Blowout

Talanoa Hufanga 9 of the Denver Broncos, and Dre Greenlaw 57 of the Denver Broncos, celebrate at midfield. — DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 06: Talanoa Hufanga 9 of the Denver Broncos, and Dre Greenlaw 57 of the Denver Broncos, celebrate at midfield during a game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, CO on November 06, 2025. | Kevin Langley / Icon Sportswire / IMAGO

Payton and Broncos GM George Paton didn't sit on their hands after that humbling loss to the Bills. The Broncos used their cap space to sign the pieces Payton felt were missing from the equation in Upstate New York and drafted a class of players who went on to make a big impact on the roster.

The Bills ran the ball at will in the Wildcard Round, so the Broncos went out and signed safety Talanoa Hufanga and linebacker Dre Greenlaw, both formerly of the San Francisco 49ers. Payton also felt there was a missing weapon in Bo Nix's arsenal, so a budget was made for tight end Evan Engram.

In the NFL draft, the Broncos stuck with the best-player-available strategy, and while cornerback Jahdae Barron was drafted to a position of strength, he came in handy when Patrick Surtain II was lost for three games in the middle of the season. Running back RJ Harvey and wide receiver Pat Bryant both influenced this team's destiny, contributing Denver's 14-win season in their own way.

Against the Bills last year, the Broncos were also without linebacker Alex Singleton, who'd spent most of the season on injured reserve with a torn ACL. He's fully healthy and likely champing at the bit to face Josh Allen and company on Saturday.

At the end of last season, Payton said "it starts with the division." The Broncos dethroned the Kansas City Chiefs, winning the AFC West crown for the first time in a decade, and by sweeping their bitter rival, Payton and company did their part to help ensure Andy Reid's squad missed the playoffs.

Payton described that loss to the Bills as "brutal." He used words like "misery, sorrow, drudgery."

Denver might be set up as underdogs once again, but Payton will be instilling the "overdogs" mindset in his team this week. The Broncos have been ready to rematch the Bills for nine months, and the wait is almost over.

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Broncos' Offseason Informed by Bills Blowout

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