The Bills are hosting the Broncos for the first round of the playoffs. The last time these two saw each other in the postseason was in 1992 for the AFC Championship game, which Buffalo won 10-7.
Here are five storylines to follow ahead of Wild Card Weekend.
đ¤1. The least sacked QB taking on the league-leader in sacks
The Bills are getting ready to take on a Broncos defense who led the NFL in sacks with 63. Good thing for Buffalo, their offense has done an incredible job keeping the pocket clean for their quarterback as the Bills allowed the fewest sacks this season (14). Buffalo's offensive line has been consistent with this as it's the second straight season they've allowed the lowest sacks (24 in 2023).
"We know we're going to get the best and fortunately, I have so much confidence in our offensive line and what they can do, how they play together," offensive coordinator Joe Brady said of his offense. "They know what the challenge is going to be, (what's) at that stake. And they know that they're going to have to be at their best. I'm excited to watch them play."
The Broncos have been uber talented at knocking down the quarterback this season. That's because of a great pass rush featuring two powerful linebackers in Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper. Bonitto finished the regular season with the third most sacks (13.5) and Cooper finished top 15 (10.5).
It's not just those two, Denver has four players with at least seven sacks. Defensive end Zach Allen has eight and a half and defensive end John Franklin-Myers has seven. The front has had so much success this season in part due to their secondary. The Broncos rank top 10 in takeaways with 24. Cornerback Pat Surtain II has led the way with four interceptions and one forced fumble.
"I think they're extremely talented, you can start there," head coach Sean McDermott said. "You watch the film, and it jumps off the film just in terms of how fast they play and how explosive they are."
The Bills have played in seven games this season where the opponent ranked top 10 in sacks at the time of the matchup. Buffalo won five of those seven matchups. Allen was sacked more than once in just two of the seven matchups (Week 4 and Week 6).
đ§ 2. Sean McDermott vs. rookie QBs
The Bills will face a rookie quarterback for the third time this season as they prepare to take on Denver's quarterback Bo Nix. The rookie has been a big part of Denver's top 10 offense (averaging 25 points per game) thanks to his arm talent and ability to take off on the ground.
Nix finished his first regular season ranking top 10 in multiple categories â 34 total touchdowns (7th), 29 passing touchdowns (6th), 376 completions (6th) and 51 completions of at least 20 yards (tied for 8th).
Head coach Sean McDermott has been impressed by the rookie's play this season.
"(He's) extremely aware of different coverages and different looks the defense gives him," McDermott said. "(He's) extremely mobile and tough. He's the real deal."
Since McDermott became Buffalo's head coach in 2017, the Bills have been known to limit rookie quarterbacks. Buffalo has faced rookie quarterbacks 13 times and have gone 9-4 in those matchups. They've allowed an average of just 14.6 points per game (5th), 269.4 total yards per game (2nd), a 59.8% completion percentage (10th) and average about two takeaways per game against rookies.
đ¤3. Familiarity with Sean Payton and the Broncos
The ties with the Broncos run deep in Buffalo. Denver head coach Sean Payton is a familiar face to a few coaches on the Bills staff.
Head coach Sean McDermott coached in the same division and conference as Payton for more than 10 seasons. The two overlapped in the NFC East while Payton was the Giants offensive coordinator (2000-02) and the Cowboys quarterbacks coach (2003-05). McDermott spent those years coaching against Payton in various coaching roles for the Eagles. Payton moved over to the NFC South when he took the head coaching job for the Saints in 2006. McDermott remained in the NFC East with the Eagles until 2010 before jumping to the NFC South to serve as Carolina's defensive coordinator from 2011-16.
After coaching against him for many years and seeing him have success at various stops, McDermott has a lot of respect for Denver's HC.
"I think he's one of the best coaches in our league," McDermott said. "I really do. He's won at the highest levels, won a Super Bowl. I think he's one of the best offensive play callers and designer of plays that there is out there. So, it's to me no surprise that they've had the success that they've had."
Offensive coordinator Joe Brady was hired by Payton in 2017 to be an offensive assistant for New Orleans from 2017-18. Brady helped coach an offense that was led by former Saints quarterback Drew Brees. The Saints went 24-7 during those two seasons.
"I was spoiled being in New Orleans and seeing an organization that had already won a Super Bowl," Brady said. "And kind of seeing and being on the brink of how they kind of did things."
The Broncos hold a special place in edge rusher Von Miller's heart. Miller was drafted by Denver with the second overall pick in the 2011 Draft and spent 10 seasons in the Mile High City. While he was there, the LB totaled 110.5 sacks in 142 starts and won Super Bowl 50.
Miller took to Instagram after the Wild Card matchup was announced and posted a couple pictures of him in Broncos gear with a caption that read, "Full Circle."
đ4. Stopping the Broncos through the air
Denver's strength on offense lies within their passing game. Bronco's quarterback Bo Nix has thrown for 3,775 passing yards this season, putting him in the top 15. His 29 passing touchdowns are also the sixth-most in the league and the most among rookies.
Nix's go-to target is wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Sutton has 81 catches for 1,081 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. The WR has 57 receiving first downs this season, good for eighth most in the league. Nix can connect with his receivers on the deep ball as he has 51 completions of at least 20 yards (tied for 8th best).
Buffalo's defense has limited the big plays this season as they've allowed only 54 plays of 20+ yards (5thleast). They've also been a splash-play group all year totaling 16 interceptions (tied for 5th) and 32 takeaways (3rd).
Nix has thrown 12 interceptions this season. The Broncos are averaging 212.4 passing yards per game (20th) and are scoring touchdowns in the red zone 62.5% of the time (7th).
đĽ5. The Bills in the Wild Card round since 2020
The Bills have been stellar in the Wild Card round as of late. Buffalo has made it to the playoffs six years in a row now and has moved onto the divisional round in four straight seasons.
The Bills have hosted the Wild Card round the last four years and have seen an impressive output on offense. Buffalo has averaged 34.75 points per game, 417.5 total yards per game and has scored touchdowns on 86.7% of their red zone trips in those games. Josh Allen has averaged 296.8 passing yards per game, 3.75 touchdowns per game, completed 70.5% of and has a 126.3 passer rating in the last four Wild Card round matchups.
On defense, Buffalo has limited teams to an average of just 22.3 points per game, a 54.2% completion percentage and a 73.3 passer rating. They've forced six takeaways and collected eight sacks in those games.
