The Denver Broncos get a shot at revenge this Saturday hosting the Buffalo Bills in their Divisional Round gridiron matchup. After an early Wild Card Round Weekend loss last year, the Broncos are looking
to topple the Bills this time around to get the chance to host the AFC Championship Game on January 25th. Let’s take a deeper look at the Broncos’ playoff opponent.
2025 Buffalo Bills Regular Season Review
The Bills finished 12-5 during the regular season with a second-place finish behind the New England Patriots in the AFC East. Their offense had a stellar season being fourth in both points scored and yards gained. Both quarterback Josh Allen and running back James Cook were stellar performers on that side of the ball.
On defense, they were an above average unit ranking twelfth in points allowed and seventh in yards allowed. However, their one big weakness was stopping the run. The Bills were fifth worst in the NFL in rushing yards allowed, third in yards per carry allowed (5.1) and allowed the most rushing touchdowns during the regular season with 24.
The Bills Offensive X-Factor: Josh Allen — Quarterback
There is no doubt that Josh Allen is the player Broncos Country is most worried about having an incredible performance on Saturday. He proved to be a thorn in Denver’s side last year in the playoffs. And there is no doubt he has the ability to transform a game on his own. The Broncos certainly can’t afford to let him make an impact as a passer and runner if they hope to be victorious.
In seventeen regular season games, Allen completed 69-percent of his passes for 3,668 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was sacked 40 times—the most in his career. The former Wyoming standout was also a game-changer on the ground reeling off 579 yards on 112 carries with 14 rushing touchdowns. He’s the total package and will be a great test for Denver’s top-notch defense.
The Bills don’t have the most dynamic set of skill position players. Nevertheless, they are highly efficient when targeted. Only one of their top five most targeted players (Keon Coleman) had a catch-rate below 70-percent this past season. Don’t be surprised if Allen gives a lot of looks to the tight end duo of Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox.
Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph will need to have a gameplan that accounts for Allen’s dual threat nature and how efficient he is getting many players involved on offense. With respect to Kincaid and Knox, over half of the catches between them went for first downs or touchdowns. Those are two guys I’d focus on if I were Joseph.
As mentioned earlier, Allen’s 40 sacks this season is the most of his career. The Broncos will need big games from Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Zach Allen, and the rest of the defensive front seven. They led the league with 68 sacks in ‘25—can they come down with enough to limit Allen’s impact on the game? I certainly hope so.
The Bills Defensive X-Factor: Cole Bishop — Safety
It’s not often I have a safety in as any team’s Defensive X-Factor. However, second-year safety Cole Bishop gets that nod for the Bills this week. His tipped-pass interception last weekend against the Jaguars cemented their Wild Card Weekend win. It was a great play, but the former Utah Ute had himself a terrific sophomore season in the NFL.
As a seventeen-game starter, Bishop logged 85 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and has 7 passes defended with 3 interceptions in the regular season. He played 91-percent (895) of the Bills’ defensive snaps and was one of top and most consistent performers. Opposing quarterbacks had a tough go going up against Bishop. He allowed just a 60.5-percent completion percentage and QBR of 65.6 when targeted.
Bishop is a versatile player who can be deployed in a variety of ways. The Broncos’ offense, especially quarterback Bo Nix, is going to have to be cognizant of where he is at all times. They play a lot of zone defense and do a good job at disguising coverages. The margin for error is slim, and Denver can’t have Bishop forcing a turnover that could change the momentum of the game.
How the Broncos can secure a victory over the Bills
Earlier this week, I authored a piece on what the Broncos need to accomplish in order to defeat the Bills. Establishing the run and controlling the pace of the game was the primary one. Buffalo possessed the ball 41 minutes in last year’s matchup. That can’t happen this time around if Denver hopes to secure a victory.
Second, I felt the Broncos need to limit their self-inflicted wounds. The penalties, bad drops, turnovers, and third down issues cannot continue. Last but not least, they need to find a way to limit Allen’s big play ability. He is their X-Factor and arguably one of if not the best quarterback in football. He takes his play to a whole other level in the playoffs. It’s easier said than done, but the defense has to stand strong in this one.
I think this is going to be a very close game. That’s virtually how it has played out all year for Denver. I wouldn’t expect any different this Saturday going up against a tough Bills squad. All things considered, I’ve got the Broncos finding a way to topple the Bills to advance to the AFC Championship Game.
Hart’s Prediction: Broncos 27, Bills 24.
