Bills’ Last-Second Loss to Broncos Included Historic Amount of Errors on Final Drive

The Bills accomplished history that hadn’t been seen since the 2016 season that led to Denver’s game-winning field goal.

The Bills capped off a six-play, 75-yard drive to score a go-ahead touchdown against the Broncos with just 1:55 remaining in the fourth quarter. With 35 seconds left on the clock, and Denver facing a 3rd-and-10, it appeared Buffalo was in position to hold for the win.

But two pivotal errors in that final stretch resulted in the Bills ultimately falling 24-22 to Denver. The first was a 28-yard defensive pass interference on Jerry Jeudy which moved the Broncos into field goal range, followed by the Bills being penalized for too many players on the field as Denver kicker Wil Lutz’s 41-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.

The two penalties, worth a total of 33 yards, made all the difference, and as OptaStats detailed, it was the first time since 2016 that a team had 30-plus penalty yards in the last minute of the fourth quarter and lost.

The Bills are the first NFL team to have 30+ yards of penalties in the last minute of the 4th quarter while holding a lead and lose the game since the Bengals did so in their playoff loss to the Steelers on January 9, 2016 (personal fouls on Vontaze Burfict and Adam Jones).

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) November 14, 2023

The defensive penalty for too many players on the field gave Lutz another opportunity to kick the game-winner, which he made from 36 yards out.