Broncos vs. Bills Open Thread/Live Blog | Week 15
The Denver Broncos face a penultimate litmus test this week with the 10-3 Buffalo Bills in town. It's Drew Lock vs. Josh Allen — a head-to-head quarterback matchup fans have been pining to see.
For the Broncos to keep their very dim playoff hopes alive, they'll have to win out. The Bills are the next, and biggest, obstacle in Denver's way of doing just that.
Meanwhile, we're going to be breaking this game down live and we want you to join us. We'll live-blog and discuss BUFvsDEN here in our weekly Open Thread. Dive into the conversation — it's easy — by simply scrolling to the bottom of this page and click the orange 'JOIN NOW' button.
You can log in with Facebook or Google and either way, it's free. From there, sound off in the comment section and share your takes and observations with our staff, subscribers, and fellow members of the MHH community as we react to the game in real-time.
What to Watch For
OLB Bradley Chubb: Needs 2.5 sacks to reach double-digit sacks for the second time in his career.
RB Melvin Gordon: Needs 13 scrimmage yards to become the ninth active running back with 7,000 scrimmage yards in his career, needs seven rushing yards to become the 12th active running back to rush for 5,000 yards in his career, and six receiving yards to reach 2,000 receiving yards in his career.
RB Phillip Lindsay: Needs 30 scrimmage yards to become the 13th Broncos running back to reach 3,000 scrimmage yards for his career.
CB Michael Ojemudia: Needs one forced fumble to become the ninth rookie cornerback to force three fumbles in a single season.
S Justin Simmons: Needs one interception to become the second Bronco to record 16 picks during his first five seasons with the team (since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger).
Inactives
First Quarter
Broncos to receive.
Broncos open with the give to Lindsay for a 2-yard gain.
Lock hits Noah Fant on 2nd-&-7 for a 10-yard gain.
Lindsay carries for 10 yards.
Lindsay picks up 4-yard gain on 1st-&-10.
Lock's pass is tipped, falls incomplete. Nick Vannett targeted.
On 3rd-&-6, Lock scrambles for 13-yard gain, moving the chains.
Gordon picks up 1-yard gain on first down.
On 2nd-&-9, Lock scrambles for 2-yard gain.
On 3rd-&-7, Lock is nearly picked off targeting Jerry Jeudy. Incomplete. Broncos got lucky there.
Vic Fangio opts to give emergency kicker Taylor Russolino a shot at the 54-yard field goal. No good. Wide right.
Allen hits Stefon Diggs for a 7-yard gain.
Devin Singletary moves the chains on second down with a 4-yard gain.
Allen hits Singletary on the swing pass left, who picks up two yards.
On 2nd-&-8, Allen targets Dawson Knox but the throw is high. Incomplete with Josey Jewell in coverage.
On 3rd-&-7, Allen hits Diggs to move the chains. Flag falls. De'Vante Bausby flagged for illegal contact. Declined
Allen sacked on second down by Jeremiah Attaochu, forcing the fumble. Allen falls on it, averting disaster for Buffalo.
On 2nd-&-7, Allen is picked off by Bausby but Broncos flagged for neutral zone infraction on Attaochu.
On 3rd-&-2, Allen hits Cole Beasley for a 5-yard gain, moving the chains.
Beasley destroyed by Will Parks as Allen throws the bubble-screen incomplete.
On 2nd-&-10, Allen doesn't like what he sees pre-snap, calls timeout. Ball at the Broncos' 20-yard line.
A couple plays later, Bills hit pay-dirt on the Allen to Knock connection. The Bills' tight end pushed off Bausby at the top of his stem. No call. Extra point is good.
Bills 7, Broncos 0
On 1st-&-10, Broncos run the naked boot with Lock connecting with Fant for a 16-yard gain.
Lock dumps off to Fant again for a 10-yard gain.
Three plays later, Lock sacked on 3rd-&-9 as Buffalo's coverage forced Lock to tuck the ball and scramble. Mario Addison credited with the sack and it'll go down as the first sack relinquished by Garett Bolles all year.
Sam Martin's punt goes 45 yards and bounces favorably to be downed on the Bills' 5-yard line.
The first-down give goes to rookie Zack Moss, who picks up five yards.
On 2nd-&-5, Allen goes deep and connects with Diggs but it's incomplete as his foot was out of bounds. DeShawn Williams flagged for being offsides.
On first down, Singletary picks up two yards.
End of quarter
Bills 7, Broncos 0
Second Quarter
Bills moving the ball.
On 3rd-&-4, Allen hits Diggs right at the sticks. Tackled immediately. Officials give a favorable spot. Chains moved.
Allen sees press coverage, no Broncos in the middle of the field, so he takes off and scores from 24 yards out. Extra point is good.
Bills 14, Broncos 0
Lock's pass is tipped on first down.
Lindsay stuffed for no gain on second down.
Lock throws incomplete for Jeudy on 3rd-&-10. Punt.
Martin's punt is muffed by Andrew Roberts. Jacob Boebenmoyer recovers. Broncos in business at the Bills' 45-yard line.
Lock rolls right, dumps off to Lindsay who picks up eight yards.
On 3rd-&-1, Lock keeps it on the zone-read and picks up 13 yards.
Three plays later, on 3rd-&-8, Gordon rumbles from 10 yards out to pay-dirt. Touchdown! Russolino connects on the extra point.
Bills 14, Broncos 7
Broncos force a three-and-out but the Bills' punt goes 60 yards and is muffed by Diontae Spencer. Broncos recover but it pins them deep after Trey Marshall flagged for block in the back on the return.
Starting from their own 5-yard line, Broncos go three-and-out after Lock's first pass is tipped, Gordon picks up two yards on second down, and Tre'Davious White breaks up a pass to Fant.
Martin's punt goes 53 yards and is downed on the Bills' 40-yard line.
Allen hits Knox for a 27-yard gain. Shelby Harris penalized for roughing the passer, setting the Bills up in business on the Broncos' 5-yard line.
Singletary scores but the touchdown is wiped off the board by a holding foul on Buffalo.
On the ensuing play, Allen hits ex-Bronco Isaiah McKenzie for a 13-yard gain. But it's another no-go. Diggs penalized for offensive pass interference.
On the ensuing play, Bills penalized for delay of game, backing them up to the Broncos' 30-yard line as the two-minute warning sounds.
Two-minute warning.
Allen goes deep for McKenzie. Incomplete.
On 2nd-&-Goal, Allen threads it down the left seam to Jake Kumerow, splitting Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson. Extra point is good.
Bills 21, Broncos 7
Lock answers, leading Broncos on a seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive culminating in a touchdown pass to Fant. Russolino misses the extra point.
Bills 21, Broncos 13
End of half.
Third Quarter
Russolino kicks it short and Roberts makes him pay, returning it 53 yards to the Broncos' 43-yard line. The exact opposite of what the Broncos needed to open the second half.
On 3rd-&-7, Allen hits Diggs and he's tackled shy of the sticks but the refs give him the yardage.
On the next play, Allen scrambles right and scores. Extra point is good.
Bills 28, Broncos 13
On first down, Lock scrambles, climbs the pocket and is hit from behind by White, forcing the fumble. Jerry Hughs scoops it up and makes Denver look like Keystone Cops as he returns it for a touchdown. Extra point is good.
Bills 35, Broncos 13
Lindsay picks up four yards on first down.
On second, he loses six.
On 3rd-&-12, Broncos try to run a screen and Lock throws it in the dirt. Three-and-out complete. Punt.
Allen hits Diggs for a 55-yard gain on first down. Bausby burned in coverage. Diggs has nine catches for 128 yards on the day.
A few plays later, on 4th-&-1 from the 4-yard line, the give goes to Moss and he's stood up by Alexander Johnson. Broncos get the stop!
Broncos go three-and-out after Graham Glasgow jumps early to open the series. Punt.
Allen drives deep and after a comedy of errors, has to settle for a field goal.
Bills 38, Broncos 13
Lock hits Fant for a 9-yard gain.
End of quarter
Bills 38, Broncos 13
Fourth Quarter
Lock sacked by Ed Oliver for a 10-yard loss.
On 3rd-&-22, Lock throws incomplete to Jeudy. Punt.
Bills grind the Broncos on the ground with Moss, nickel and diming Fangio's defense.
Broncos bend, don't break. Bills forced to take another field goal but the game is already out of hand.
Bills 41, Broncos 13
Lock hits Fant, Hamler, and Lindsay to get the Broncos in a groove in garbage time.
Gordon picks up six and then seven yards to move the chains.
Lock hits Patrick for a 10-yard gain.
Gordon picks up 16 yards on first and second down, moving the chains.
On 1st-&-10 from the Bills' 16-yard line, Lindsay picks up eight yards.
Two-minute warning.
Gordon punches it in from the 8-yard line. Russolino misses the extra point.
Russolino has now missed two extra points and a field goal.
Bills 41, Broncos 19
Broncos attempt an onsides kick. Bill recover.
On first down, Singletary scores from 51 yards out.
Bills 48, Broncos 19
