When the Denver Broncos scored on their opening drive against the defense of the Buffalo Bills, not many people thought that it would be the only time they would score for the rest of the game. Bo Nix connected with wideout Troy Franklin for an early 43-yard touchdown to put the Broncos up 7-0. It looked like it was going to be a long day for the Bills defense.
Then it became the complete opposite. After they cleaned it up, Denver’s offense never got into the endzone and they doinked a field goal try at the end of the first half to still give the Bills a 10-7 lead going into halftime.
Fun fact, after Nix’s 43-yard TD pass, he would only pass for 101 more yards on the day. He looked like a rookie quarterback after the start, but it also didn’t help that his playmakers weren’t creating separation.
Seven points is the least amount of points that Buffalo has given up this year. Coming into this game, the Broncos were averaging 25 points per game as well as averaging 325 yards per game. Against Buffalo, they only put up a total of 224 yards and their rushig attack was non-existent.
The defense managed to sack Nix twice and only allowed Denver to hold the ball for over 18 minutes, as compared to Buffalo who had the ball for over 40 minutes.
Bills fans should feel excited about defense heading into next weekend
Buffalo’s defense has been more of a liability than an asset this season. After their bye week, they gave up 40+ points in back-to-back weeks against the Rams and Lions, causing a huge reaction from the public that the defense would be the reason why the Bills don’t win the Super Bowl. Well this game shows something different.
One thing that truly stands out from this beatdown of the Broncos is that Buffalo only allowed Denver to convert twice on third down out of a possible nine times, per Alex Brasky.
Most encouraging stat recorded by the #Bills defense during drubbing of the Broncos: Buffalo limited Denver to 2 of 9 conversions on third down. It’s been an area BUF’s defense has struggled all season — a big reason for the Wild Card win #BillsMafia
— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) January 12, 2025
Buffalo will take on a familiar opponent in the Baltimore Ravens next weekend. The last time these teams saw each other, Buffalo didn’t show up whatsoever and the Ravens handed the Bills their worst loss of the season. If this Bills defense can have a duplicate performance against a red-hot Ravens offense, the Bills could be on their way to the AFC championship game.