Bo Nix and the Bronco's Defense - the Toughest Out for the Bills?

[quincy]

For me it is Jacksonville because we feel that we know where we stand with the other teams. A new regime in Jax and they seem on the upswing. 

 

We don't have the best record against them recently and they are likely to be seeded above Buffalo. 

 

We'd have played the Steelers and Ravens, same with the Pats and Houston and LAC and Denver have the same coaches as last year but with new weapons. 

 

Denver with the time zone change and altitude potentially is the biggest challenge in terms of location, they'd have a true home field advantage. 

 

i'd dislike going into Baltimore as the five but i believe that Buffalo should feel quietly confident against any opponent for the rest of the season.   

[colin]

worst match ups for us in the playoffs, afc side

 

from least bad for us to most bad for us

 

pittz -- they just are a weak match for us

chargers -- not enough threat on o vs us

jerks -- a lot of talent on D, very inconsistent

Doncos -- at denver sucks, but we match up dece vs them

Pats -- great win over them on the road, but if they get their lb and dt back, it's hard to run on them

houston -- at home might be a huge swing, but that team has just destroyed our o the last two seasons.

 

and most of all

the first half buffalo bills.  our team not showing up in the first half will be the story of the season if it leads to us losing to a team we can totally beat.  im not sure what the record is in terms of first and second half splits, but we might be near it this year.

[Fleezoid]

The 2 teams that scare me the most are the Bills and the Refs. The Bills can beat anyone including themselves. And the Refs?....... if they've made up their minds, that's about it. 

[harryS]

9 hours ago, HappyDays said:

Surprised how many people are picking Denver. It's a matchup league and I think we match up well with them. They're basically the same team we blew out in the wildcard round last year. Ultimately I just don't think a QB like Bo Nix can out duel a QB like Allen in sudden death.

 

This is my ranking from most worried to least worried, with lines denoting significant gaps between teams:

 

Baltimore

---

Houston

Jacksonville

New England

Denver

---

---

---

LA

Pittsburgh

 

 

Nice.  I like tiering a lot.

 

Mine looks like this with "@" of course meaning a road game.  Chargers and Texans I have two entries (road and home) because it's still up in the air whether we will be seeded higher than them.  

 

@Ravens

---

@Texans

---

@Chargers

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@Broncos

@Patriots

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Texans

Chargers

@Jaguars

@Steelers

---

 

Of the teams seeded at the top, the Jags are the best matchup because it would be a shootout and we can win those.  We're 0-4 when the offense struggles.  Ravens D and Chargers D are underrated (both top 5 Ds, imo).  Broncos D is slightly overrated generally but that would still be a tough game. 

 

Like others, I have @Steelers being the best matchup overall but they would play us tougher than the first game.  (And I guarantee that running play that we spammed wouldn't work, although we would adjust and find something else that does.)  I probably would rather be at Pitt than home vs Houston but that's close (same tier).  Winning road playoff games is tough.  We haven't done it in over 3 decades (January 1993).

[dhgold]

3 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

Maybe I'm naive but the Broncos dont worry me one bit.

 

I've watched a LOT of Bo Nix through his extensive journeyman college career and into the NFL, and he simply isnt one of those dudes who is going to command and win a game at QB. On his best day, he is basically Payton's robot. But get him off script, make him do anything else, and its over.

 

I've been hearing about their pass rush for years. The Bills shut them down.

 

Remember, we played essentially this same team just last year to open the playoffs... and beat them 31-7 in the playoffs. 31-7 IN THE PLAYOFFS.

 

Nix was ineffective. We shut down their run game. Their vaunted pass rush had all of 2 sacks, Bonito had 0 sacks with 2 tackles.

 

If we face Denver again, even on their home turf, it will be closer to that 31-7 score than anything worrisome for the Bills.

I've been similarly skeptical of Nix but his recent play is starting to change that opinion; he was very good in the 2nd half against Green Bay. Your dismissal of this year's Broncos pass rush tells me you haven't watched them play.

[DrDawkinstein]

3 minutes ago, dhgold said:

I've been similarly skeptical of Nix but his recent play is starting to change that opinion; he was very good in the 2nd half against Green Bay. Your dismissal of this year's Broncos pass rush tells me you haven't watched them play.

 

They had a great pass rush through the regular season last year too. I was worried going into that playoff game. They did nothing.

 

Bonito is overrated imho

[Paup 1995MVP]

17 hours ago, boyst said:

Jaguars have the defense to contend with us and unlike any other team on that list have am offense that can keep up with us controlling the clock, running the ball, etc 

 

Their offense is a lot like ours for the results and effectiveness (or ineffectiveness).

I think Trevor Lawrence will choke come playoff time.  Its kind of like the Panthers.  Everyone was all excited this past weekend saying they were going to win the division now that the Bucs lost on Thursday night.  Well they went into New Orleans and played like the Panthers usually play.  Pretty mediocre at best.  Bryce Young is still not a stud, and will never be.  Lawrence can make some plays, but hit him a couple times hard and he turns into Rob Johnson.

 

If we turn Josh Allen loose from play 1, who is really going to keep up with us.  

[boyst]

Just now, Paup 1995MVP said:

I think Trevor Lawrence will choke come playoff time.  Its kind of like the Panthers.  Everyone was all excited this past weekend saying they were going to win the division now that the Bucs lost on Thursday night.  Well they went into New Orleans and played like the Panthers usually play.  Pretty mediocre at best.  Bryce Young is still not a stud, and will never be.  Lawrence can make some plays, but hit him a couple times hard and he turns into Rob Johnson.

 

If we turn Josh Allen loose from play 1, who is really going to keep up with us.  

I'm 23 seconds from jumping on the panther bandwagon, fyi

[ddaryl]

you want to be the best and win a SB you need to rise to any and all challenges. 

I'm nervous about seeing more of the 1st half Bills against NE ( and other games this season ) then facing any team in the playoffs. 

[dhgold]

1 hour ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

They had a great pass rush through the regular season last year too. I was worried going into that playoff game. They did nothing.

 

Bonito is overrated imho

IMO, the Broncos defense and pass rush are better than last year. Top of the head, antecdotal examples: last year in a must-have game late in December the Broncos were in a position to win but were completely unable to stop Burrow and the Bengals in the 4th quarter and overtime. This year, against the Eagles, Chiefs and Packers the defense and pass rush came up big in the 4th quarter and the other team's offense did squat. To my eyes, their super power is that they have four above average pass rushers on the DLine leading to consistent pressure; as a Bills fan living in CO who ends up watching most Broncos games, the Broncos pass rush has really impressed me in a "I wish we could do that" sort of way.

[nedboy7]

I see we’re back to the we ain’t afraid of anyone declarations.  Funny it happens after every win.  Btw don’t go back and read the 1st half of the GDT.  

[DrDawkinstein]

20 hours ago, boyst said:

Jaguars have the defense to contend with us and unlike any other team on that list have am offense that can keep up with us controlling the clock, running the ball, etc 

 

Their offense is a lot like ours for the results and effectiveness (or ineffectiveness).

 

I was recently asked if I'd go to the game if the Bills were playing in Jacksonville in the playoffs.

 

I quickly replied that I will NEVER set foot in Duval county ever again.

 

Lot X was great tho.

[frostbitmic]

Late January in the cold thin air of the mile high city is probably not your choice destination to play a playoff game ... Then again neither is Houston.

[LarryMadman]

If the Bills are on their game and specifically Josh Allen is on his game nobody is beating them. Always remember the one thing McDermott is good at is getting revenge in a rematch within the same year, talking to you Houston

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

21 hours ago, Kelly to Allen said:

 

Houston is the toughest matchup, but I still think buffalo would gut it out at home... On the road would be very difficult 

 

I believe we can run on Denver and I don't trust Bo nix in the playoffs 

 

Denver is a little bit inflated 

 

Based on todays standing.  Texans would play Pats in 1st round.  If Texans win then would play at Denver and assuming Bills win first game against Jax and 2nd against Pitt/Chargers winner, we'd then play either at Denver or Texans at Highmark for AFC championship.

Edited December 16, 2025 by Ed_Formerly_of_Roch

[boyst]

50 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

I was recently asked if I'd go to the game if the Bills were playing in Jacksonville in the playoffs.

 

I quickly replied that I will NEVER set foot in Duval county ever again.

 

Lot X was great tho.

Lot X was legendary.

 

I may go because a colleague is from there, a Jags fan, free place to stay & split the drive. For the cost of a ticket which won't be much because of demand in jax sucks... It maybe worth it.

 

Then again, neighbor I took to Buffalo for the Steelers game is a Steelers fan... And may take me the week before to Pittsburgh. 

 

And Greensboro has direct flights to Denver... 

 

And ... I'll be broke by February 

[Success]

I'd prefer not to go back to New England.  Division games always have an extra element of unpredictability.

 

Denver 2nd.  Mile High is never easy.

 

Of course, if we miraculously still get the 1 seed, bring any of 'em on.

 

[Paup 1995MVP]

3 hours ago, boyst said:

I'm 23 seconds from jumping on the panther bandwagon, fyi

I can't respect that because you had some negative words about my Maize and Blue!

[finn]

Pundits are always yapping about the way being clear for the Bills since Burrow, Mahomes, and maybe Lamar are out, but road games against Denver, Jacksonville, and Houston are each more daunting for the Bills, in my view, especially the defenses of Denver and Houston with the crowd noise. Tough outs, especially if they're in sequence.

 

I was hoping the Pats* would choke against Miami, but after last night, that seems far fetched. (I do think they'll lose to the Ravens, dropping Maye out of the MVP conversation entirely.) Given that, has anyone worked out the ideal playoff matchup? I suppose it would be the Bills to host a wild card game, go to Pittsburgh, then host Houston, does that sound right? I've played with the simulator, but it keeps giving me nightmare scenarios. 

[Maine-iac]

Tell me how much better this Bronco's defense is than last years because we ran the ball down their throats last year.