Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills have had the same mentality throughout the 2024 season to take each day one-by-one and execute on Sunday. That is no different this week in their Wild Card matchup against the Denver Broncos.
The Buffalo Bills held a walkthrough practice on Wednesday ahead of their playoff game against the Broncos.
Preparing for the Denver Broncos
While the Bills have had the benefit of knowing that they will be in the playoffs since their Week 13 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, the Broncos did not have the same benefit and were playing in a win-or-go-home game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18.
Now that both teams know their opponent, the Bills have their focus turned towards the Denver Broncos and their rookie quarterback and Super Bowl Winning Coach.
"A team that's very talented across the board, all three phases," McDermott said. "The return game with (Marvin) Mims Pro Bowl returner. Their defense, starting with their defensive line, very talented affecting the quarterback. And then their offense has done a phenomenal job in moving the ball and keeping the ball and not turning the ball over. So a big challenge for us."
Rookie QB Bo Nix became the first Broncos quarterback since Hall of Famer John Elway to lead the Broncos to the playoffs as a rookie. The rookie made waves in his first season throwing 29 touchdowns and proved to be a weapon with his legs, rushing for 430 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground.
"He moves well, he has a nice arm, can get out the pocket, can throw from the pocket, so we got to be on our Ps and Qs," DE Greg Rousseau said.
In addition to the threat that Nix is, the Broncos also have a defense that led the NFL regular season in sacks with 63.0.
"We got to make sure that we're on top of our communication," Allen said. "Once the game goes and the first punches are thrown, you got to be able to adjust. A really, really good team and a very, very good defense. Statistically, one of the best in the league. They got some absolute studs on that side of the ball."
As head coach Sean McDermott has said repeatedly through the season, this will be a game that will be won at the line of scrimmage.
"That's big every week and it is important this week," McDermott said. "Our O-line and our D-line, every week they've got to play at a high level. And that's a big part of who we are."
"It's a full circle moment"
When he takes the field on Sunday, edge rusher Von Miller said that it will be all love for the team that he won Super Bowl 50 MVP with.
"I love those guys, I love everything about the Denver Broncos," Miller said. "I play close attention to the Denver Broncos."
Miller was drafted to the Broncos in 2011 as the No. 2 overall pick and is the Broncos all-time leader in sacks with 110.5 during his time in Denver.
Miller said that although he has only had two days to think about his emotions of playing his old team, he is excited at the prospects of competing against them. He also added that he keeps in touch with some of his old teammates like T Garett Bolles and although he may not know everyone on the team anymore, he feels like he knows them.
"Still close with Patrick Surtain, Courtland Sutton, Garett Bolles," Miller said. "Last month, we never even had the idea that we would be in a playoff game playing against each other… When I'm on the phone with Garett Bolles it doesn't feel like he's on the Denver Broncos and I'm on the Buffalo Bills. It just feels like we are in the locker room and whatever team it is and we are just catching up with each other and it's all love and respect."
The last time that the Broncos played in the playoffs was during their Super Bowl 50 run and while Miller has nothing but love and respect for the Broncos, his goal is to win the game.
"I want to win," Miller said. "Those small, three to four-second bursts when I'm playing in the game, that 60 minutes when I'm out there, I want to win the game. I want to beat the Denver Broncos. It's all love at the end of the day… It's a cool event to be able to play against this new and improved Denver Broncos… It's a full circle moment, and it's nothing but respect for the Denver Broncos, and Broncos country, for sure."
"Put one foot in front of the other"
All season long, the Bills locker room has maintained that their approach was one game at a time and this game is no different.
"You got to put one foot in front of the other," Allen said. "We understand that it's a very good team. They're well coached. Their defensive line is one of the best in the league. They got a couple guys outside that can absolutely go… We're gonna have our hands full. We're just trying to put one foot in front of the other and take it day by day, and have a good week of practice and then try to go up there and execute on Sunday."
Even though the stakes are higher in this game than others, DE Greg Rousseau said that it is important for them to stay grounded and stay with their process.
"Being able to just be grounded in that and know it's the process today is all about having the best Wednesday we can have, and then the next day is the next day, and Sunday's gonna take care of itself within the process, if you just kind of stay, stay true to even playing good ball all season," Rousseau said.
Buffalo has players that have been to the playoffs multiple times in the past and they said their experience can help them in being comfortable.
"This is my fourth time in the playoffs, so I kind of know to expect, energy wise, and where my body's at physically, and just what the atmosphere will be like, which will be incredible here in Orchard Park. I've done it four times now, so it's just being comfortable," RT Spencer Brown said.
This team feels as though they have not yet played their best game and that this year they are ready to peak at the right time as opposed to seasons in the past.
"I just feel like this team this year is in a different space than we were last year," CB Rasul Douglas said. "This year, I think we're kind of just playing ball, and we haven't peaked at all yet. We haven't played our best game, even on both sides… We just got to just put it together and find a way to all be on the same page at the same time and peak."
Injury Report
- Full: LB Terrel Bernard (Quad), DT DeWayne Carter (Wrist/ Calf), WR Amari Cooper (Back), CB Rasul Douglas (Knee), S Damar Hamlin (Rib), RB Ty Johnson (Knee), TE Dalton Kincaid (Knee), DB Cam Lewis (Shoulder), LB Matt Milano (Biceps), DT Jordan Phillips (Back), S Taylor Rapp (Neck), WR Curtis Samuel (Rib), DE Dawuane Smoot (Wrist), LB Dorian Williams (Elbow)
- Did not practice: KR Brandon Codrington (Hamstring), CB Ja'Marcus Ingram (Personal)
