Broncos Can Exploit Three Bills Weaknesses in the Divisional Round

The Bills move forward once more. Escaping Jacksonville with a thrilling 27-24 victory and giving fans heart palpitations, Josh Allen aims to do it again in Mile High.

However, is his magic enough to overcome the fiery Denver defense that leads the NFL in sacks? If the Broncos want to beat the reigning MVP, they must exploit three key weaknesses that undermine the mighty Bills. 

Wide Receiver Struggles 

 The Bills’ biggest weakness this season has been the lack of talent around Josh Allen. Injuries, disciplinary actions, and underwhelming performances have contributed to this. Additionally, the receivers’ inability to create separation has put Allen in difficult situations. Furthermore, this Broncos team excels in man-to-man coverage, running it almost 44% of the time. 

Buffalo will need to depend on other stars to challenge Denver’s defense. Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox are options, but James Cook must also improve his dual-threat skills. 

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Bills Have Lost Their Defensive Identity

The Bills haven’t established a strong defensive identity, especially against the run. Injuries haven’t helped, with players like Tre’Davious White, Matt Milano, Ed Oliver, and Terrel Bernard missing time. Despite these injuries, the Bills have shown significant weaknesses in their run defense throughout the season. They’ve allowed 5.2 yards per rush (31st), given up 137.2 rushing yards per game (28th), and let opponents run the ball 47% of the time (28th). 

Even with injuries, this Bills defense has failed to stop the run game with their star players. Considering Bo Nix‘s scrambling ability and R.J. Harvey’s explosiveness, the Bills’ struggle appears inevitable. 

Josh Allen Has to Play Superman 

It’s painfully obvious that Josh Allen has to do some heavy lifting. Once the run game gets stopped, Allen becomes like Rambo and risks it all. Given that Denver has one of the best defensive fronts in all of football, it’s easy to see the Bills will depend on Allen in the passing game. 

In a clean pocket, Allen appears like a flawless, well-oiled machine that spots openings in the field like a veteran sniper. Against the Jaguars, he posted an adjusted completion percentage of 95.7% and completed 20 of 23 passes for 133 yards, per PFF. Despite this, how often will Allen actually have a clean pocket?

With enough pressure, Denver will shut down Allen’s scrambling ability and ruin his MVP heroics.