The Broncos are winners of their last two games and if they can find a way to defeat the Bills on Monday night, the team has a brand new season. But in order to do that, the Broncos will have to buck some trends, much as they did when they finally defeated the Kansas City Chiefs.
When the schedule was released, this looked like one of the toughest games the Broncos would play this season, and it still could be. But the Bills are a team that is in a bit of a slump at 5-4 and having lost two of their last three games.
Make no mistake, this Bills team is looking to win a Super Bowl right now. Anything short of that would have to be considered a failure. That is why the Broncos could deal them a massive blow on Monday Night Football while greatly improving their own season.
When was the last time the Broncos won in Buffalo?
The Broncos and Bills don't have much of a long-standing rivalry but the Bills do lead the all-time series 23-16-1. It has been over 15 years since the Broncos won a game in Buffalo. The date was September 9, 2007.
That was the season opener for the 2007 season and the Broncos were able to get out of Western New York with a 15-14 win. Jay Cutler was the team's quarterback and he threw for 304 yards in the game and a touchdown but the Broncos still needed some dramatics to get the victory.
Trailing 14-12 late in the game, Cutler hit a quick slant to Javon Walker with just 18 seconds left in the game but the team had no time-outs remaining. The offense rushed off the field and the kicking team ran onto the field all at once in a mad scramble. They just got the snap off in time and Jason Elam kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired. Reliving his greatest moments in Denver, Elam describes that play here (video).
The Broncos got off to a 1-0 start in terrific fashion but they have not won in Buffalo since that day, losing their last three games there by an average of 17.6 points.
When was the last time the Broncos won a road game on Monday Night Football?
The Broncos and road games on Monday nights have been a bad mix for quite some time. It has been over a decade since the Broncos won a road game on MNF. That game also featured a memorable Broncos performance.
The date was October 15, 2012, and that was the game in which the San Diego Chargers took a 24-0 lead over the Broncos at halftime. Peyton Manning, in his first year in Denver, roared back with 35 unanswered points in the second half.
Manning three three second-half touchdown passes and the Broncos also got two defensive touchdowns, a 65-yard fumble return by Tony Carter and then later, a 46-yard pick-six by Chris Harris that sealed the deal.
That 24-point deficit matched the biggest comeback in team history. It was also the last time the Broncos won a road Monday night game. The Broncos have dropped their last six road Monday night contests and eight of their last nine.
Josh Allen could have, and maybe should have, been a Bronco
It's easy to look back at past drafts and say what the team should have done at the time. But in 2018, there were many Broncos fans who wanted to see the team use its first-round pick on Josh Allen.
Allen had played not too far away at Wyoming in college and the Broncos were a team in need of a quarterback at the time. In addition to Allen, Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield were also top prospects.
Mayfield went No. 1 overall in that draft and Darnold was selected at No. 3. Allen was still available when the Broncos went on the clock with the fifth pick, but Allen never seemed to be a serious option if you paid attention to what happened leading up to that draft.
John Elway didn't even personally attend Allen's pro day. He sent gary Kubiak to do the team's "due diligence" but Elway was never taking Allen. And he didn't. Instead, pass-rusher Bradley Chubb was the choice.
Since then, many Broncos fans have bemoaned the decision not to draft Allen, something long-time Broncos reporter Woody Paige puts into words here.
Allen has only faced the Broncos twice in his career, but the Bills have won both games, including a 48-19 thumping in the last meeting.
In order for the Broncos to improve to 4-5 on the season, they will have to overcome some more bad history and a quarterback that remains one of the best in the business... on the other side of the field.