Buffalo Bills' Playoff Hopes Take Huge Blow With Loss To Denver Broncos

In a must-win game, the Buffalo Bills blew it on multiple occasions in their 24-22 loss to the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.

With four seconds left in the game, the Buffalo Bills seemingly escaped with an ugly win after Denver Broncos kicker Will Lutz's potential game-winning kick missed wide right. 

But much like they did all night, the Bills breathed life into the Broncos with a crucial mistake. This time, they had 12 men on the field, giving Lutz one more shot to win the game after the penalty. 

And with another chance to win the game, Lutz didn't miss.  

Lutz drilled the game-winning 36-yard field goal right through the uprights, sealing a 24-22 loss for Buffalo (5-5) on Monday Night Football at Highmark Stadium. 

Stefon Diggs had three catches for 34 yards against the Denver Broncos / © Mark Konezny, USA TODAY

It was a must-win game for the Bills, but you couldn't tell with the sloppy play throughout the night. The Bills turned the ball over four times, with Josh Allen being responsible for three of them courtesy of two interceptions and a fumble. Buffalo also had five penalties, including a pass interference from Taron Johnson that helped set up the game-winning kick from Lutz. 

The Bills' playoff hopes are even bleaker than they were heading into Monday when they were already on the outside looking in. Had Buffalo pulled out a win against Denver (4-5), they would have been 6-4 and had some breathing room heading into a brutal stretch of games to end the season. 

That breathing room is now razor-thin. The Bills are currently the 10th seed in the AFC and trail the Indianapolis Colts (5-5), Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) and Houston Texans (5-4) for the seventh seed. The C.J. Stroud-led Texans currently hold the final spot in the AFC playoffs. 

At 5-5, Buffalo will have to play its best football against some of the NFL's best. Among the Bills' final seven games is a three-game stretch where they play the Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) on Nov. 26, Kansas City Chiefs (7-2) on Dec. 10 and Dallas Cowboys (6-3) on Dec. 17. Buffalo also has to go on the road to face the Los Angeles Chargers (4-5) and Miami Dolphins (6-3). 

Even home games against the New York Jets (4-5) this Sunday and the New England Patriots (2-8) on Dec. 31 are far from sure things after they already beat Buffalo earlier this season. 

The Bills looked like the class of the AFC after Week 4 when they beat the Dolphins 48-20. Fast forward six weeks later, and Buffalo will be lucky to be among the seven teams representing the AFC in the playoffs. 

It isn't improbable that the Bills can get hot at the right time and make the playoffs. The Bills team that played from Week 2 to Week 4 can hold its own with anyone. But after six straight weeks of up-and-down play, that squad doesn't seem to exist anymore. 

If the Bills are going to make a run, they'll have to become that version of themselves for any hope of enduring a brutal seven-game stretch to end the season and overcome the odds to make their fifth-straight playoff appearance.