The Broncos struggled against the Bills’ rushing game, leading to a disappointing playoff exit

Buffalo ran all over Denver, racking up 210 yards on 44 carries. That’s a lot, especially for a team that used to be known for its strong defense. The Broncos allowed the second-most rushing yards in their playoff history, which is pretty rough.
On the flip side, Denver’s offense struggled big time, only managing 79 rushing yards. The Bills hit that mark in just the first quarter! Payton admitted he didn’t think the Bills would run that well, but he wasn’t shocked either.
The Broncos had a solid run defense during the regular season, thanks to new players like John Franklin-Myers and Malcolm Roach. They went from being one of the worst to one of the best. But in this game, they looked like last year’s team, which was not good.
Franklin-Myers pointed out that tackling was an issue, while safety P.J. Locke said they had trouble fitting gaps. They just couldn’t get it together from the start. Locke mentioned that the Bills kept changing their running gaps, which threw them off.
James Cook, the Bills’ running back, had a fantastic game, finishing with 120 yards and a touchdown. He was hard to stop, whether he was running inside or outside. Cook was patient and set up his own blocks, making it tough for the Broncos.
The Bills controlled the game with a long touchdown drive that took over seven minutes. They scored 31 unanswered points after the Broncos initially took the lead. The Bills dominated time of possession, holding the ball for over 41 minutes compared to Denver’s 18.
Even Ty Johnson, who caught a controversial touchdown pass, got in on the action with 44 rushing yards. Payton summed it up well: they just didn’t have an answer for the Bills’ run game.