The Denver Broncos really did not have many answers on defense against the Buffalo Bills offense. Buffalo ran all over Denver and were overall quite efficient on that side of the ball, but a disappointing, sloppy game from Josh Allen was honestly the deciding factor.
And, once again, both the Denver offense and defense made a key play at the right time. The Broncos will now welcome the New England Patriots into town for the AFC title game, the third time that has happened since the 2013 season.
The defense itself has regressed a bit in recent weeks, as the unit has allowed 21.3 points per game since the bye, including the playoffs, and while the Divisional Round win was nice, it should not take away from the concerning defense, as Buffalo did score 30 points and had nearly 200 rushing yards and 500 total yards. However, this key area, that has been a problem all year, seems to be hitting its stride at the right time.
Turnovers come in bunches, and they've come in a timely fashion for the Denver Broncos
Turnovers have been a massive issue for the Denver Broncos this year. In the regular season, Denver forced just 14 overall. For context, in 2024, Denver had 15 interceptions alone. It's a bit of an odd thing to see, as the Broncos led the NFL in sacks, and typically, when a defense is sacking the opposing QB this much, more turnovers are generated.
That just has not been the case, but over the past two games, dating back to the regular season finale, the Broncos have forced seven total turnovers, including five against the Buffalo Bills. Denver had two interceptions and three fumbles.
Turnovers do come in bunches, and with the defense finding its groove in giving the ball back to the offense, this could bode well for the team's chances in the AFC title game. Furthermore, Drake Maye has thrown two interceptions and lost three fumbles in the two New England Patriots playoff games.
Maye has also been sacked 10 times, so the Broncos are really getting the perfect matchup here. At some point, with how many negative plays the Denver defense has created this year, the turnovers were going to come.
Denver did force a ton of turnovers in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and while 2025 didn't really go in their favor in that regard, the defense is beginning to find their groove at just the right time.