Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - HERE WE GO: Broncos Better Equipped for Playoff SHOWDOWN vs. Bills in Rematch

Starting point is 00:00:00 Who's going to be the first team to punch their ticket to the championship round? It's Broncos, it's Bills. It's crossover Thursday. You are locked on NFL crossover. Part of the Locked on podcast network. Your team every day. It's rematch Saturday for the Denver Broncos and the Buffalo Bills, the divisional round of the playoffs.

Starting point is 00:00:29 Broncos country, Bill's Mafia. We are so excited to have you here on today's show. Joe Marino and I, we're talking for the first time in a year, almost exactly to the date. It's exciting these two teams coming together for a playoff rematch. We've got a ton to break down with this match of the pressure on Josh Allen and the Buffalo bills, the kind of wide open nature of the playoffs in the NFL this year.

Starting point is 00:00:50 The Broncos coming off by playing this playoff game at home like they envisioned a year ago and tons more to unpack. And as always, crossover Thursday is presented by our friends at prize picks. Download the prize picks app today and use code locked on NFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. My name is Sarah Bredinger. I'm the co-host of the Lockdown Broncos podcast here alongside Joe Marino. He's the host of Locked-on Bills.

Starting point is 00:01:17 And we're so thankful to every single one of you for tuning in every single day to our respective shows, making us your first listen of the day right here on the Locked-on Podcast Network, the number one sports podcast network out there. And Joe, it's great to see you again. It's great to get to break down another playoff game. these two teams playing in what you and that were kind of just talking about a little bit off camera feels like a pretty wide open landscape in the NFL these two teams made it to the elite eight this is not new for the buffalo bills it's very new over the last 10 years for the Denver broncos and i'm a sucker

Starting point is 00:01:51 for a good you know uh connection to pop culture to my upbringing especially joe this matchup is reminding me so much of i don't know how much you watched it back in the day but d2 the mighty ducks the ducks as team USA going up against Iceland, a little too big for their britches, got their butts kicked in the first matchup. And from the Broncos perspective, at least, this is your second shot at Iceland, right? You know, to get past these guys. So it's going to be fun either way. But look, I think we're both looking forward to seeing how these two teams handle the pressure.

Starting point is 00:02:24 The Broncos playing at home in a playoff game for the first time in a decade and the bill's trying to be road warriors here. Yeah, that's the story for the bills. They've got to do it on the road this year. and with the Chargers getting bounced, there's no more home games for the bills to play. Now, listen, I saw D2 back in the 90s, man. It's been, it's been a while since I've watched that one. But we did get a chance to see this game, like you mentioned, a year ago in Buffalo.

Starting point is 00:02:49 I got a feeling it's going to be a lot tighter than 31 to 7. Obviously, we all remember that opening drive touchdown, right? Troy Franklin. And then the bills were able to kind of handle it from there. But in Denver this time, which. I know it was a goal of Sean Payton. He said it, right? He's like, how do we get this game at our home stadium? Well, here it is. Here it is. You know, you take down the Kansas City Chiefs, take care of business all throughout the season, winning a ton of one score games and kind of having

Starting point is 00:03:17 to deal with this fraud label, right? That's where the Broncos are at right now. They are home underdogs for this game, which is totally fine. They've been home underdogs a number of times this year. And sometimes it's been justified in other times. So they've kind of rewritten the narrative, right? Bo Nix, you know, with the overdog sort of narrative that he created for this team. And I think it's great for both of these teams, right? It adds to the sort of theatrics of everything going into it. The Buffalo Bills, they have every reason to have bulletin board material, right? I mean, Josh Allen, can he get it done in the playoffs without Patrick Mahomes,

Starting point is 00:03:51 without Lamar Jackson, without Joe Burr, I bet you guys are sick and tired of hearing about that kind of thing because it's not about those guys being there. It's about your team getting the job done. It's exactly what the Broncos have always kind of dealt with, right? Whether it's John Elway, whether it's Peyton Manning or now Bo Nix. It's like you've got to deal with that outside perception of your team, maybe not always necessarily being a unanimously positive one. And how do you respond in the games?

Starting point is 00:04:16 You and I talked about this. It feels like both of these Broncos and Bill's teams are really good teams, but not necessarily dominant teams. You've just got to find a way to go out there and win on the biggest stage possible. Well, I can tell you that we're definitely tired of hearing about Lamar Jackson. The bills have played the Ravens twice in the playoffs and beat them both times. So it's really Patrick Mahomes. They played Burrell one time.

Starting point is 00:04:39 And, you know, that was some really unique circumstances in that game. It's Mahomes, right? That's the Everest. It's really not Lamar Jackson and the Raven. So that's the one we want to correctly go away because both times, Josh has had the chance to beat Lamar in the postseason. He's gotten that done. But I think you point out a really good parallel between both of these football teams where,

Starting point is 00:04:57 maybe neither one is dominant. You know, even the Denver Broncos is the number one seed that won 14 to 17 games. And certainly the bills had a good record, 12 and 5 wasn't good enough to win the East this year. But, you know, they've had some vulnerable moments. They lost 30 to 13 to the Dolphins. They lost to the Falcons. They couldn't get it done late in the game against the Eagles and Texans, as well as the Patriots in the first match of at home. So they've had these moments where they've shown some vulnerability.

Starting point is 00:05:24 But obviously 12 and 5, they win a lot of games. and there's been a lot of resiliency along the way, which I think, you know, Broncos country can certainly appreciate with some of the games they've been able to pull off this year. And so look, whatever people want to say to minimize these teams, they're playing in the divisional round for a reason. And obviously Denver comes into this game off that buy, which feels really good for them when you got a Bill team that played a really physical road game last week against Jacksonville, lost a couple of receivers for the season, a lot of bumps and bruises along the way,

Starting point is 00:05:59 and they'll have to do it in a short week, which, you know, thanks NFL for that. I think probably play on Sunday, but, you know, an advantage for Denver in this game, for sure, is the rest component. It is. And, you know, that's something that has been a factor for Sean Payton coached teams throughout the decades. I mean, whether he was with the Saints or now with the Broncos, Sean Peyton coming off of a buy has been very successful in the postseason,

Starting point is 00:06:25 specifically 4-0 when he's had a bye week. So it'll be interesting to see how that's approached because really, and we'll get into the individual matchups in this game. But really, what I'm interested to find out is whether or not the Broncos can keep that resilient narrative going. I mean, you mentioned it for the Buffalo Bills. And that's why I think this is such an intriguing matchup on paper, even if you're just an NFL fan watching this game, these two teams, you can point to Josh Allen.

Starting point is 00:06:52 I think that's why a lot of folks are saying, hey, I like the bills in this. matchup. They've got Josh Allen. He's battle tested in the playoffs. This could be his year sort of thing. But I think when you look at both teams, it's that resilience, no matter who they're going up against, that you feel like gives each team a chance to win every game. I mean, the defenses have stepped up at different times this season. The quarterbacks have stepped up. If it's an offensive playmaker that needs to have a big game. I mean, for the bills, it's James Cook. For the Broncos, it's been different guys. Cortland Sutton, R.J. Harvey. So these two teams have shown resilience in the way that they can win games.

Starting point is 00:07:25 however you want to play it. If you want to get into a shootout, these two teams can do a shootout. If you want to have a defensive battle, these two teams will play in low-scoring games and just make a clutch play late. So that's what I'm looking forward to here is that chess match aspect of things. Whereas last year, like you said, things really got away from the Broncos after that seven-and-nothing lead, you know, happy to be here sort of mentality, made way too many mistakes.

Starting point is 00:07:49 How much have they grown from those experiences? And can they put that into practice against the team that shoot, I mean, they've been here before and they've got goals on obviously getting further, but now it's on your turf. Yeah, look, the Bonix, what he has, seven game winning drives and five, four quarter comebacks this year. We know that there's a clutch gene with Bo Nix. And this is a Billstein that's had some huge fourth quarter deficits against New

Starting point is 00:08:13 England, against Baltimore, against Tampa Bay, against Cincinnati. They were able to kind of erase some big fourth quarter and second half deficits. And so we won't be celebrating this one until all. the zeros are across the board. You got two teams that are going to battle and fight. And there's a lot at stake, obviously, the AFC championship game. And, you know, I think both teams are capable of winning this thing. It's going to be about who goes out and executes, who goes out and doesn't make the back breaking mistakes. We'll find out soon enough. We will. And I'm excited to break down kind of the aspect of obviously the bill's wide receiver

Starting point is 00:08:47 room being a little bit thin, but the Broncos struggling last year in the trenches. I mean, they got bullied big time last year in the trenches in this matchup. How are they going to be able to respond to the Bill's running game, James Cook, his playmaking ability, and about Sean Payton and his personnel groupings? What is that going to look like here in the playoffs after a couple of games where we didn't really see them do much outside of the vanilla? We're going to break all that down coming up on today's crossover Thursday edition. Lockdown Broncos, locked on bills. Crossover Thursday is presented by Quo, New Year, new systems. This is the time when a lot of us look at the messier parts of how we run our business and think there's got to be a better way.

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Starting point is 00:12:02 Where do we start? What do we want to put on the plate first? We're going to break it all down for you today on our crossover Thursday edition, Locked-on Broncos and Locked on Bills. But first of all, I want to say thank you to all-of-bancos, lock-on bills, your first listen of the day every single day. If you haven't already done so, we want to invite you to join the Every Day or All-access club as well.

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Starting point is 00:12:36 And Joe, I said it. I mean, it's like walking into an all-you-can-eat buffet and saying, all right, where do I want to start here? What do I want on the plate first in terms of the match-ups for this game? And we talked a little bit about the quarterbacks. We talked a little about the overarching kind of, you know, theme for both of these teams.

Starting point is 00:12:53 but in terms of where you want to start for the key matchups in this game, what are you looking at it specifically? Well, I think all eyes are on Josh Allen, and obviously it's a good Denver Broncos defense. And so I guess the matchup I'll highlight is Josh Allen against Vance Joseph. And obviously there's a lot on the menu for Vance Joseph with how diverse that front seven is and the different types of pass rushers they have. There's speed, there's power, there's length, there's flexibility.

Starting point is 00:13:22 They blitz. They can win with four. and there's just a lot to deal with. And Josh Allen has taken more sacks this year, significantly more sacks this year. And I think he was sacked 40 times in the regular season and maybe last year was under 20. So there's been an uptick in that this year. And certainly Broncos are capable of getting after the quarterback. And so I'm curious to see how the bills approach this.

Starting point is 00:13:45 What is their protection plan? Is there going to be a lot of quick game, which has kind of been a bigger part of the bill's offense where it's a lot of yards after catch, of getting the ball into close Shakir's hands and having him create. Do they try to take some chances down the field? Do they use six and seven man blocking surfaces? What's their hot route game look like? Do they have screens baked in?

Starting point is 00:14:06 I think it's in all of the above approach. When you're going up against a pass rush like this that can win in so many different ways, it's not one thing. It's you got to do a lot of different things. And so I'm curious to see that battle between Vance Joseph and Josh Allen, really through the lens of the protection piece for Buffalo and, you know, of course, what Joseph has cooked up to try to get after Josh Allen. I'm really interested by that as well because when we've seen teams have success

Starting point is 00:14:31 against the Broncos this year, obviously getting rid of the ball quickly and attacking downfield. I know those two things aren't necessarily always, you know, they don't necessarily go hand in hand, but you want to take those shots against a defense like Denver's because Riley Moss has struggled so badly this year on those downfield throws. Now, he's made some plays. He's made some big time plays. He's had some great games. but in almost every single game, the opposing team has tested him deep downfield, and it's been a game altering either penalty or big play going that direction.

Starting point is 00:15:03 So that's the matchup that I'm interested to find out is how do the bills attack Riley Moss specifically? And I know last year going into this game, we kind of talked about it. Pat Sertan was on his way to becoming the defensive player of the year in the NFL, and it felt like the bills had an answer for that in that there's not necessarily a receiver that he's going to have to mirror all game. Now I wonder, is it going to be Khalil Shakir that they match up Pat Sertan against and how does that impact the bill's ability to not only get that quick passing game going, but also trying to take those shots downfield?

Starting point is 00:15:38 Is it going to be Brandon Cooks and Keon Coleman getting that, you know, that attention from him? Or are they really just going to lean on James Cook and say, hey, you know what? If you can stop him, go ahead. Because that's another narrative too is, well, the Buffalo Bill's O'Lon. line is significantly bigger than Denver's defensive front. The Broncos have one guy, I think that exceeds 300 pounds on their D line, whereas the bills, I mean, just a bunch of absolute tanks on the O line. So does that size difference play a factor again like it did last year?

Starting point is 00:16:07 Well, first of all, you got to feel a little bad for Riley Moss, man. You're the corner opposite of Patrick Certain, dude. You're going to get picked on. That's going to be a tough job for whoever it is. And so, you know, it's hard to not feel. a little bit bad for the guy because he's just going to get so much more opportunities to get tested. And so I think that says a lot more about Patrick Sertain and people don't want to throw against that guy. So yeah, but it is an interesting dynamic because the bills don't have a number one receiver.

Starting point is 00:16:36 I guess it's a Kalosha Kier, but he's a slot receiver. Are they going to play Pat Sertain in the slot? Maybe. I mean, we'll see what they want to do. And if they do that, you know, what other opportunities exist? I mean, does it kind of throw off your spacing? I know that the Broncos run a, high rate of man coverage. So maybe it's a little bit easier to put a corner in the slop. But still, I mean, we say they run a lot of man coverage. It's still not even 40%. Right. No matter, even the heaviest of man coverage teams still play mostly zone. So there's there's that element to be mindful of. But I think you make a good call out.

Starting point is 00:17:09 The bills are going to run the ball. They, they are the most run aggressive team in the NFL, the highest percentage of plays of any team that are run plays or run by the Buffalo bills. And they're going to test Denver. And certainly based on how last year's game went, they're going to go back to the well. And certainly there'll be new wrinkles on both sides. And I think, you know, Denver having Drey Greenlaw and Talanoa funga are notable additions to their ability to kind of attack downhill. I'm sorry, Sean Payton. I use that phrase that I can talk about it. It's cool. But I know there was a there's a relationship with that guy. I know. I got to get my jokes in, though. But they're going to test it, right? It's going to be a big part of

Starting point is 00:17:47 what Buffalo is going to try to do. And certainly Jacksonville did a great job last week, of defending the bills run, run offense. And I'm curious to see what Denver has cooked up. I know that they're a little bit susceptible to the inside run. And certainly the bills are going to test it out and see what type of success they can have, especially with a depleted receiver core. You know, the bills don't have volume receivers, but they all kind of have roles. And half of their six receivers are placed on injured reserve over the last week, you know.

Starting point is 00:18:17 So they're thin there. And obviously, there's a lot of tight end and slot work that this, Bill's offense likes to go to, but how they play Shakir and then, of course, the Bill's plan to running the football is going to be really important. And I think communication for the Broncos defense is going to be critical as well because we haven't seen a ton of Dre Greenlaw this season, but he is expected to play and play a huge role in this game. And so what does that look like? Are you going to get the playoff enforcer that you signed him to be or is the communication going to suffer because the guy hasn't been out there? a ton this season, especially because Brandon Jones is not playing. So you've got PJ Locke on the

Starting point is 00:18:57 back end with Tala Noah Hufanga, Drey Greenlaw expected to play a massive role in this game. The Broncos like to answer teams with good tight ends by putting Jada Baron out there quite a bit more. So are they going to use that matchup aspect with the Bill's tight end duo? And that's just so many fascinating layers to this. And we haven't even got to the Denver offensive side where you feel really good about that offensive line, Bo Nix's, ability to escape pressure and create. But do you feel good about the Broncos structure offensively? That's what I'm excited to see defensively how the bills approach Denver,

Starting point is 00:19:32 because the Broncos running game, it's been a struggle this season to find consistency. The passing game, it's been a struggle this season to find consistency. But when they hit their stride, Joe, these guys, they can put up a lot of points. And so you kind of just wonder, are you getting Jekyll? Are you getting hide? Sean Payton loves to mix up personnel groupings on that side of the ball to try to keep defensive coordinators on their heels. Like, do you view the Bill's defense as doing a lot of what we've seen other

Starting point is 00:19:58 teams do down the stretch this season, playing a lot of these too high looks, keeping everything in front of them, rally and tackle, make Bo Nicks play a little game of darts out there? Can you beat us in zone coverage, hit a spot? Like, what are your expectations for how they're going to defend this Broncos offense based on what you've seen? I'm pretty sure the bills run the highest rate of two high split safety shells in the NFL.

Starting point is 00:20:21 That's what you're going to get. the bills are going to play top down. They're going to play zone match. They're going to dare you to string together 10, 11, 12 play drives to score. That's what they're going to do. And so, yeah, it'll be on Bo Nix to play in rhythm and slot throws between zones and be consistent, right, and not take negative plays. And then they have some unique pass rush schemes.

Starting point is 00:20:43 The bills are not a very good pass rush, but they are very unique with how they rush. They'll rush three with a spy over top and let those. three just rush however you want with a kind of a cleanup mere player over top. And, you know, they'll, they'll certainly try to overload sides. They'll do some stunts up front because they don't have a lot of talent up front that could just win one on one with consistency, especially against a great offensive line like the Denver Broncos have. So I think they're going to get pretty exotic with how they try to rush. Where I'm interested in Denver's offense is, you know, you mentioned the inconsistency running the ball. Well, let me tell you about a defense that's

Starting point is 00:21:17 pretty ripe to run the ball against. It's this Buffalo Bills group. They'll give it up, man, there's no doubt about it. And even Jacksonville was a similar story. It's like, oh, yeah, this is not a great rushing offense. But they still had success running the ball against Buffalo. And I think a lot of teams, it's amazing to me, Sarah. I watch, of course, the Bills games every week. I studies Bills games.

Starting point is 00:21:36 I can't believe how often these teams get away from running the ball. It blows my mind. And they just stop. I don't know if they just want to make it about their quarterback or whatever it is. They just stop run the ball. It's like, thank you very much. And what concerns me about Denver is, is replicating some of where Jacksonville had success running the football,

Starting point is 00:21:54 which was speed to the edges, right? And that's what they have. That's what Denver has in RJ Harvey and Jal McLaughlin and even Tyler Beatty. They got smaller backs that can really win with speed. And so you mash it down and you create an edge and the bills have old linebackers and that Malano and Shaq Thompson. You dare them to be right on their angles. And I get a little bit nervous about that,

Starting point is 00:22:16 especially because Denver for, we talk about inconsistency running the football. They're eighth in the NFL and rushing yards per game on carries that attack. The C gap are wider. It's 5.2 yards per carry. And that's exactly where Jacksonville had success last week. And I know the bills will be challenged in that regard again against Denver. Yeah, the running game is going to be an absolute key to victory for either of these teams. And who is going to punch that ticket to the championship round?

Starting point is 00:22:42 I mean, that's going to be the biggest factor, I think, is can you keep the other quarterback off the field? Can you control time of possession? Can you convert third downs? Can you get into third and short situations? We're going to break down some of those keys to victory coming up on today's crossover Thursday edition, Lockdown Broncos, Lockdown Bills. This crossover Thursday is presented by Home Chef. As the new year gets going, a lot of people are trying to simplify their routines, right?

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Starting point is 00:25:34 heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply hiring, do it the right way with Indeed. Whichever of these two teams, the Broncos of the bills, are going to punch their ticket to the AFC championship. It's going to depend on running the ball and a number of other keys to victory. that we're going to break down on today's crossover Thursday edition locked on Broncos locked on bills and Joe I'm excited to talk about this aspect because you mentioned it the bills weakness defensively defending the run the Broncos weakness offensively has been

Starting point is 00:26:07 really sticking with the run I really wanted to build on that conversation a little bit too but I want to also hear from your your perspective of keys to victory for the bills in this game the Broncos are one of those teams that gets away from running the ball even when it's working. Sean Payton for some reason. He's even had it on the back of his play sheet at times, like run the ball, you know? So I don't know what it's going to take to get them to commit to it, but I really feel like if they can, that's their ticket to victory in this game to keep Josh Allen off the field, to convert in the red zone and to put the pressure all on him to be, I know, I'm sure you're sick of hearing this too, to be Superman. And that's what I think the Broncos

Starting point is 00:26:48 need to have happened in this game. You need to have him put on that. cape, but you have to be the kryptonite, right? You have to prove that you are his kryptonite. Let him put on the cape. Let him be the guy who has to go win the game, but make the play. I'm not saying that you want to put the ball in Josh Allen's hands, but at the same time, if you get decimated by James Cook, Josh Allen's going to be able to kind of just, all right, you know what?

Starting point is 00:27:11 Like you said, let him, let him run the ball. If you're going to give him that, let him have it. That's where I think this game is going to be won or lost is in the trenches and in the running game. Yeah, I agree with you, dude. like it's it's you don't want to lose but if Josh Allen just does it okay you know that's that is what it is but if you don't do the things that are going to optimize your chances to win that's where it becomes frustrating and I do think that they need to stick with the run and that

Starting point is 00:27:37 would give them their best chance. Three keys for me for a Bill's win on the road here. Number one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten is protecting Josh Allen. We'll keep with it for number one here. But talked about it's deep and talented. group of pass rushers, a lot of variety. They blitz. They get organic pressure. Got to have the right pressure plan. And I think quick game needs to be a huge part of Buffalo's approach here, getting the ball out of Josh Allen's hands very quickly. Last week, believe or not, amongst the 12 quarterbacks in the wild card round, Josh Allen had the fastest average time to throw at 2.46 seconds, which is not a normal place for Josh Allen to be.

Starting point is 00:28:15 He's usually well above 2.7, sometimes pushing three seconds average time to throw. Well, got the ball out of his hands very quick. and that was critical. And this is a great Denver defense. You got to dig hard to find areas where it's maybe like not top of the league. But they're 15th in EPA per dropback when the ball comes out in under two and a half seconds. They've given up the 10th most yards after catch over expectation on throws that come out in under two and a half seconds. And so when the ball's coming out quick and you got great pass rushers, it's very frustrating, right? They want to get home. And when there's not enough time to get home, just not because you can't beat a block, but because the throws out, you know, that's going to frustraiser. them. And so I think the bill's got to be choosy with their chances to push the ball down the field

Starting point is 00:28:56 and be willing to execute their quick game, which usually they are. But there are times where Josh will chase some bigger plays. And he didn't do that against Jacksonville and he needs to not do that against Denver. Take them when they're there, but ultimately get the ball out of your hands and keep the offense on schedule. So protecting Josh Allen, I think quick game needs to be part of that. Number two of the inside run game, the Denver Broncos are metrically pretty good. against the run. I do like some of the opportunities that the bills have to utilize the size of their offensive line. And the bills are the number one rush offense in the league. And when you do consider the Broncos run defense, A gap and B gap, so B gap to B gap between the tackles,

Starting point is 00:29:36 they've given up the eighth highest success rate in run plays ninth highest yards per carry. The bills need to run the football and they need to run the ball between the tackles and challenge that. And the number three is getting pressure on Bo Nix. Bo Nix is a master at not getting sacked, right? He does not let pressure turn into sacks. Two unbelievable years of not letting that happen. That said, the passing efficiency is not nearly that good when he is pressured. He's 22nd and completion percentage under pressure, 24th and pass the rating, 23rd and turnover worthy throw rate, and 20th and catchable ball rate. You've got to find ways to get pressure on this guy and not just let him do what he wants to do and play within rhythm and take advantage of good scheme from

Starting point is 00:30:16 Sean Payton and he can be creative outside of structure. You got to limit that. as much as you can with an effective pass rush plan, which obviously Denver's got a great offensive line. Garrett Bowles is my pick for protector of the year for what it's worth. And it'll be a tough assignment. I don't think the bills have great one-on-one pass rush winners. And so it's going to be scheme that they'll have to rely on. And it needs to work. Otherwise, if you keep Bowenicks clean, he's going to make those throws and put up a lot of points. Yeah, 100%. I love those keys. And I think from the Broncos aspect of things, the number one thing is to dominate in the areas that you've dominated all year defensively, right?

Starting point is 00:30:53 Third down and red zone. You might give up some big place. You might give up some opportunities down the field, but what happens when you do? Are you going to be able to hold the bills to three or are you going to give up six, right? And that's where Vance Joseph is maybe going to make or break his head coach candidate. Candidacy going forward. So I'm interested to see can the Broncos just be awesome at the things that they've been awesome at defensively. Number two, you've got to force takeaways.

Starting point is 00:31:17 I mean, I hate that we're even talking about this with a defense that has 68 sacks this past season, top five in every major metric except for creating takeaways. It makes no sense to me, Joe, that we haven't seen that a lot this year. But I do remember the last time the Broncos were able to beat the bills, which was Russell Wilson at quarterback, one of the craziest games I've ever seen. They forced a lot of people. Too many men on the field. Too many men on the field.

Starting point is 00:31:41 Yeah, exactly. Remember it well, sir. Remember it well. We both have our, you know, the field goal against. the Colts list here with the leverage penalty. So you know what? We felt both ends of that sword. But yeah,

Starting point is 00:31:53 I think that's what you have to create takeaways against this team, right? You have to give your offense extra opportunities because if you're getting buried on the other side of the field, even if your defense is getting stops, right? If you're getting buried on the other side of the field, your offense is going to have, have to do the matriculating like they've done over the last month plus of the season. So get those extra opportunities for your offense, create some short fields for them. and I'm not saying make it easy for them, but I'm saying give them some opportunities, right? Or go get a score yourself.

Starting point is 00:32:21 So create takeaways is number two and the number three. I said it at the beginning of the segment, but you got to run the dang ball, man. They just have to. I mean, whether it's Jolil Milofloplin, which is a storyline that I've kind of been talking about the last couple of weeks, Jalululahflin could be that guy that's, all right, you lean on him a little bit more than maybe you wanted to, but he's averaging over five yards of carry over the last four games that he's played. And he's been explosive.

Starting point is 00:32:45 He's had great vision. he's been breaking tackles, and he's provided an element outside the tackles that the Broncos have not had without J.K. Dobbins, right? So R.J. Harvey, one of the worst in the NFL this year at creating outside the tackles, which also makes no sense to me. But he is having a hard time doing that. And so let R.J. do what he does best,

Starting point is 00:33:04 and let Jalil be that guy who carries the running game for you here. And once again, get that going in the playoffs and stick with it. Like you said, I mean, if Sean Payton can stick with that running game, it's going to be huge. Yeah, I don't think either team can afford to lose a turnover battle in this game. I think that's a huge storyline. And if it's even, you know, that's one thing. But if one is plus one or plus two, these possessions are going to matter a ton. And so, yeah, taking care of the football is paramount for both sides.

Starting point is 00:33:32 And man, you're not kidding about those third down and red zone numbers for Denver. Unbelievable in both regard be a good test because the bills are pretty good at converting third downs and scoring in the red zone. So one of those good on good battles and we'll see how it shakes out, man. This one's going to be good. I love it. It's good on good overall for the Broncos and the bills. Like Joe said earlier, there's a reason why these two teams are still playing this weekend.

Starting point is 00:33:57 They've been good teams all year. We'll see if that resilience comes into play in this game. We'll see if it can be tighter than 31 to 7. I think Broncos country is excited to see how this team responds after the result of last year's playoff game. Hope is in the air for the Mile High City and I'm sure for Bill's Mafia as well. So Broncos fans, Bill's fans, we appreciate you once again so much. Again, if you would, check out the link in the show notes for the Everyday All Access Club.

Starting point is 00:34:21 We'd appreciate you checking that out for so much bonus content from each of these shows. But we appreciate you again. We'll catch you on the next episode of the show.

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