By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun Senior Sports Columnist
And then it was over … thanks to a curling 23-yard field goal less five minutes into overtime of Saturday night’s AFC divisional playoff game at Denver’s Empower Stadium at Mile High.
And while Bills fans complained that the reason was their most popular target — officiating — NFL explanations indicated that while controversial, the three OT penalties were valid in Denver’s 33-30 victory.
BLAM.
That slam was the Super Bowl window closing, yet again, for Buffalo which has failed seven times in eight tries to earn a berth in the NFL Championship Game.
This all happened with elite quarterback Josh Allen assuming the blame.
In tears as the told his press conference, “I feel like I let my teammates down tonight, “(I’m) extremely sorry.”
But he also had reason to accept responsibility.
Allen was responsible for four of the game’s five giveaways … two picks and two strip sacks plus a fumble that was recovered.
Buffalo, which finished 13-6, got three touchdown passes from Allen: wideouts Keon Coleman (11 yards) and Mecole Hardman (4) and tight end Dalton Kincaid (14). And the Bills out-rushed the Broncos 183-70, 117 of those from James Cook whose lost fumble was the game’s most egregious turnover.
But those weren’t the only stats where Buffalo dominated Denver (15-3).
THE BILLS had a 100-yard advantage in yards gained (449-349) in third-down conversions (10-15 to 8-16), plays run (78-68), yards per play (5.8-5.3) and time of possession 41 minutes to 29.
But the Broncos won the statistic that always looms as the most important: takeaway/giveaway: 5-1.
ACCORDING to the New York Times, tight end Dawson Knox stood in the middle of the locker room after the game and told the team, “The way (Allen) beats himself up is because he’s an incredible leader. “The way he puts this whole team and city on his shoulders — I can’t imagine the weight he has to carry.
“Heavy is the head who wears the crown.”
To which right tackle Spencer Brown added, “Just super proud of the guys this year. We played a lot of games like that, coming from behind, and it’s just a testament to this team that we play until the end. Whether we’re up or we’re down, we just play with a next-play mentality.
”I’m just super proud of everybody who played their ass off today. It was impressive. And the head coach says teams will beat themselves more than they’ll go out and whoop the other team, “Brown continued. “You can’t expect to win with (five])turnovers. We were just lucky to be there in the end, with a shot. We just didn’t capitalize.”
Brown added, “I mean, when your leader’s out there giving everything he’s got — and we know [Allen is] banged up. I got into an argument with an official today, trying to protect him, because [the Broncos] were just hitting guys.”
He admitted, ““You try and keep him upright as much as possible, but that’s a tough-ass dude. That’s a guy you want to play for, that’s why our team plays so hard. We know whenever 17 is back there we’ve got a shot. I’m gonna say it again: we wouldn’t be in this position without him. I know he’s probably gonna get criticism for what happened today, but onto next year, we’re not dead. We’ll keep moving.”
NOTES FROM the Bills 33-30 loss to the Broncos Saturday afternoon at Denver’s Empower Field at Mile High:
Here are Buffalo’s 2026 home games besides AFC East foes Miami, New England and the Jets: Kansas City, Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago, Detroit and
Baltimore: Away; Denver, Green Bay, Las Vegas, Minnesota, Houston and Los Angeles Rams.
— Denver intercepted Allen twice, once by safety P.J. Locke and the other by cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian. Buffalo’s lone pick of Nix was by rookie defensive tackle Deone Walker (6-foot-7, 330 pounds).
— Broncos inside linebacker Alex Singleton had game-highs in tackles (14) and solos. Bills safety Cole Bishop topped his team with 12 tackles and nine solos.
— Buffalo had no sacks of Denver’s Bo Nix swhile the Broncos sacked Josh Allen three times: edge rusher Malcom Roach had 1.5, outside linebacker Nik Bonnito one and edge rusher Zach Allen .5.
— Inactive for the Bills were three starters: safety Jordan Poyer (hamstring), middle linebacker Tyrell Bernard (calf) and cornerback Maxwell Hariston (ankle) plus reserve running back Ty Johnson (ankle), offensive tackle Tylan Grable, defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis and tight end Keleki Latu.
