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Wilson has completed 12 of 14 and Denver D has forced three more turnovers.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Russell Wilson was in trouble. He had done a great job of escaping pass-rush pressure all night, but this time he turned and there was Bills’ defensive end Shaq Lawon bearing in on his midsection.
Wilson pivoted in retreat to gain a foot or so of separation and quickly lofted a pass towards the left side of the end zone where Courtland Sutton was running over from the middle. The Bills’ secondary seemed to have the pass well covered, but Wilson found an small area that wasn’t and Sutton did the rest. By an inch, Sutton’s left foot was in bounds. By a quarter inch, Sutton dragged his trailing right foot on the blue carpeted end zone and upon replay review, the initial incompletion ruling was ruled a mistake. T
With Vance Joseph’s resurgent Denver defense forcing another three turnovers – including two interceptions off Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen – the Broncos took a 15-7 halftime lead on the stunned Buffalo Bills, who were booed into their locker room by their home crowd at Highmark Stadium.
The incredible play by Wilson and Sutton lifted the underdog Broncos to a 9-0 lead on the surprisingly struggling Buffalo Bills midway through the second quarter. Wil Lutz clanked the extra point – the first gaffe in what had been an otherwise splendid performance by the Broncos. Lutz rebounded by finishing the next possession with a 49-yard field goal and then made a 40-yard field goal in Toro! Toro! fashion to beat the halftime buzzer.
What in the name of Sean Payton is going on here? This is the same Broncos team that gave up 70 points and lost by 50 at Miami? The same Denver team that got steamrolled at home by the New York Jets to fall to 1-5?
The Broncos entered play Monday night well-rested from their bye week and the confidence provided by a two-game winning streak. They were also 7-point underdogs but the oddsmakers weren’t paying attention to the work Payton has been doing the past month.
The transformed Broncos began by not playing all that well but still beating the Green Bay Packers in Denver, 19-17.
They then played much better in forcing five Kansas City turnovers to finally beat the Chiefs, snapping their 16-game losing streak against the seven-time defending AFC West champs, again at Empower Field at Mile High. After a bye week, Payton dug out a few tricks to prepare his team for the road trip to Buffalo, where the Bills were 5-4 with one loss to the lowly Patriots.
Payton had the Bills logo painted on each of the Broncos’ practice fields. During practice Saturday he had the Monday Night Football theme song blaring from outdoor speakers. He had his team leave Saturday afternoon for a Monday night game, a day earlier than is common. And he will have them stay another night in their Buffalo hotel before flying out Tuesday afternoon – a night later than customary.
The Vikings this Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High are next.
On a chilly, windy night, the Denver defense continued it’s remarkable run of creating turnovers. The Bills won the opening coin toss and made the unusual decision of taking the ball first rather than defer, as if they wanted to make a statement with their struggling offense.
On the first play, Broncos nickelback Ja’Quan McMillian flat took the ball way from running back James Cook, who was held up after taking a screen pass. The fumble gave the Broncos the ball at the Buffalo 28, but three run calls and a false start penalty meant settling for a 40-yard Lutz field goal.
Turnover one was worth 3 points. Turnover two prevented at least 3 points and maybe more. Bills quarterback Josh Allen from the Broncos’ 28 threw across the middle a tad high to an open receiver Gabe Davis, who still should have caught the ball around the Denver 15. But the ball clanked off Davis’ hands and Justin Simmons from his center-field safety position dove to intercept at the Broncos’ 12.
No points for the Bills. Come again why they took the ball first?
Allen threw another interception late in the first half to set up Lutz end-of-half field goal, which came after the special teams until was forced to hurry on to the field as the clock ticked down. The last time the Broncos won in Buffalo was the 2007 season opener. As the Broncos’ field goal until rushed onto the field – Toro! Toro! – was the call, Jason Elam nailed a 42-yard field goal at the buzzer for a 15-14 win.
Same place, same situation 16 years later.
Counting the final three quarters of their previous game against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Denver D has forced 8 turnovers in a five-quarter span.
The game time temperature was officially 48 degrees with a 9 mph wind – balmy by mid-November Buffalo standards, but questionable because the flags on top of the stadium whipped into a stiff horizontal position.
Nevertheless, Wilson was 12 of 14 for 114 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Javonte Williams had 43 yards rushing off 12 carries. Sutton had four catches for 47 yards and a touchdown. The Bills were credited for a sack on a no-gain rush by Wilson but former Bronco pass rusher Von Miller didn’t seem to make much of an impact.
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