Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - MATCHUP: Denver Broncos STACK UP Better vs. Buffalo Bills in 2025

Episode Date: January 13, 2026

The Denver Broncos face a pivotal divisional round clash against the Buffalo Bills—has Sean Payton finally found the formula to flip last season’s playoff script? With Bo Nix more seasoned and ski...ll players like Troy Franklin and Courtland Sutton poised for redemption, the Denver offense looks ready to exploit the Bills vulnerability against the run. Can RJ Harvey and Jaleel McLaughlin ignite the ground game to keep Josh Allen on the sidelines? Cody Roark and Sayre Bedinger analyze key matchup dynamics, including how Pat Surtain and Riley Moss might contain Khalil Shakir, their TE's, and James Cook, and why third down and red zone execution could decide the outcome. Cody and Sayre spotlight Denver’s need for disciplined coverage, precise pass rush, and sure-handed playmaking to avoid costly drops and missed chances. Cody Roark is a credentialed beat reporter for Mile High Sports and covers the Broncos daily in person. Sayre Bedinger is the site expert for Predominantly Orange. Both bring Broncos Country the most in-depth and objective coverage of the Denver Broncos. WANT MORE DAILY DENVER BRONCOS CONTENT?For all of the latest Denver Broncos news today -- Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOBroncos?sid=YouTube Locked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNFL Follow on Twitter: @CodyRoarkNFL and @SayreBedingerFollow the show on Twitter: @LockedOnBroncos Everydayer Club  If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans.Click here to join -- https://lockedonbroncos.supercast.com/ Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Ultimate QBUltimate QB is totally free to play, has no ads, and works 100% offline — perfect for when you want to sneak in a quick game or two on the go. Just head over to http://ULTIMATE-QB.COM. FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. FanDuel is officially in Playoff Mode. Every game day during the NFL playoffs, FanDuel is giving customers even more ways to get in on the action. Visit Fanduel.com to get started. PrizePicksDownload the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup.Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFL GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. RobinhoodTrade Every Play with Robinhood. Now available across the U.S. Download the Robinhood app now to begin.Futures and cleared swaps trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Event contracts are offered by Robinhood Derivatives, LLC., a registered futures commission merchant and swap firm QuoMake this the year where no opportunity — and no customer — slips away.Try Quo for free plus get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to http://Quo.com/lockedonnfl. GustoTry Gusto today at http://gusto.com/lockedonNFL and get three months free when you run your first payroll. Home ChefFor a limited time, Home Chef is offering my listeners 50% off your first box, free shipping, and free dessert for life. Just go to http://HomeChef.com/LOCKEDON. IndeedListeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/lockedonnfl. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 The Denver Broncos match up better with the Buffalo Bills in 2025 than they did last year. How have the tables turned? We'll break it all down here on today's episode of the show. You are Locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast. Part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day. The Denver Broncos are gearing up for a tough matchup with the Buffalo Bills on Saturday in the NFL divisional round of the playoffs. And this is a different Broncos team compared to last season's 2024 squad that lost in the wild. card round. Welcome to me another episode, Lockdown Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast podcast,
Starting point is 00:00:39 part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, the number one sports podcast network in the country. Thanks to all you every day. It's out there. Thanks for tuning in, making us your first listen, however you choose to do so. I'm Cody Roar, Credential Broncos reporter for Mile High Sports. joined as always by Sarah Bedinger, site expert, predominantly orange.com. And we'll talk about today how the Broncos offense matches up differently against the Bill's defense than they did last season. And why the Denver Broncos defense will have to bring their A game while they deal with a different threat here this week against the Buffalo Bills. And on top of that, I'll also tell you what the Broncos need to avoid, especially when they get down into the Red Zone. We're getting all that here on today's
Starting point is 00:01:15 episode. Sarah, my friend, great to see you here as we get ready for a playoff football. Last year was a little short live for us because Denver had a short week to play in the wild card round. And there wasn't a lot of anticipation. It's like, hey, Denver's back in it. What do we do? Well, now the Broncos, they've had some time to get healthy. They've had time to rest up. And now the game preparation all shifts to the Buffalo Bills is Denver set to take the practice field for the first time this week in anticipation for Saturday's game and Powerfield at mile high. And I tell you what, I think when we look at these two teams, the Broncos offense, the Bills defense, both units are a little bit different than what we saw last year when they faced off initially. Very different. It's been a fascinating year for the Buffalo Bills defense, which ranks 12th in the NFL and points allowed. seventh and total yards allowed.
Starting point is 00:02:02 They actually do have the number one pass defense in terms of passing yards allowed, Cody, but where they've been susceptible all year long is exactly where the Broncos have kind of struggled offensively all year long, and that's in the running game. And in the second half of the season, post-by week, we've been calling for the Denver Broncos, hey, run the ball, commit to the run, commit to RJ Harvey, give Jal McLaughlin more opportunities. They're going to have to really put some feet to those ideas against the ball. Buffalo Bills because you need in this game, in this particular matchup, especially playing at home, you need the run to set up the pass as opposed to vice versa. Now, could things go completely
Starting point is 00:02:41 differently during the game? Absolutely. You never know what to expect when it comes to the playoffs, but you feel like, Cody, this has got to be a game where the Broncos running game is something that flips the script on what we saw for maybe the majority of the regular season. Yeah, and look, there's things to maybe take from film from the Jaguars game. I mean, the Jaguars ran for a buck 54 against Buffalo. And there were times I'm wondering like, how come they just didn't stick with the run a little bit with Travis Eton and Tootin, the rookie.
Starting point is 00:03:11 There was some jokes that were made on social media. I said darn Tootin because he broke off, I think three straight runs of 10 plus yards against them on one particular series. So it is there for the Broncos to take advantage of that, right? And I imagine that the game plan for the Buffalo bills, If I had to look at it from a coach's perspective this week is, hey, we want to just shut down the run. Let's let them pass the football here. You talk about that number one ranked passing defense.
Starting point is 00:03:35 They're obviously led by Christian Benford. They have Tredavius White, who's kind of turned back to the hands of time a little bit. I know injuries have kind of derailed his career, but man, he made a couple of big plays in the wildcard round of the weekend here against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had a nice pass breakup on fourth and 10. And then he had a tip that led to the game-sealing interception from Bishop. at the safety position here. And look, I think that the bills defensively, I think they have some good players at almost every level of the field.
Starting point is 00:04:02 Gregory Rousseau off the edge is their best pass rusher. You know, I think of the lineback position, you always have Matt Milano who's a stud. He kind of played that spiral against Bo Nix last year in the playoffs. So will that game plan or that idea of philosophy be the same here for them defensively against Denver's offense? I think that's going to be key. But this is also a past defense that plays a lot of zone coverage.
Starting point is 00:04:23 They're not afraid to play, man, but primarily they play zone where their eyes are facing inward, as Sean Payton says they like to stay deeper than the deepest man, try to funnel everything inside. They have athletic linebackers like Milano and Shaq Thompson. Jack had an interception this past week as well. So this is going to be a test here for the Broncos. And that's why they really have to have the run game to complement them a little bit.
Starting point is 00:04:44 And it's the playoffs. You have to be able to get it going here. But this is a different Denver offense than what we saw last year. And I hope, I hope we see them nice of the occasion. Yeah, it's these players who have. have all been able to learn like we talked about in our Monday episode of the show, Cody, from last year's experiences, right, to get to that playoff game in Buffalo last year and then really do some hard self-evaluating over the course of the off season. Hey, what went well this
Starting point is 00:05:10 season? What went wrong in the playoffs? And how can we improve going forward? That offense last year, obviously, it was Bo Nix's first ever playoff game. It was the first ever playoff game for even a lot of the veterans on the team. I mean, we were talking about Cortland Sutton and Garrett Bowles and all these guys getting to experience finally the postseason for the very first time. So now that you've gotten your feet wet, now that you've had a chance to see, all right, what didn't work last year, we have all these different, you know, opportunities to see the Broncos stepping up in new ways. And I'm excited first and foremost for how Bo Nix is going to approach this game because as much as we talk about leaning into the running game, it's going to come down to your quarterback making
Starting point is 00:05:51 plays for you in a game like this, right? Like you said, against a lot of zone coverage, most likely, which means that we're going to probably see a lot of the same looks that we've been seeing in recent games for the Denver Broncos, team saying, hey, we're going to dare you to hit this target out on the field. And that chemistry between Bow Nix and his receivers, the timing, the accuracy on his throws, the ability for the offensive line to pass protect, it's all got to come together in a game like this.
Starting point is 00:06:19 I don't think the players need to play necessarily at purpose. game like they would have last year, right? Where we kind of went into it feeling like, hey, they need to play a perfect game offensively in order to upset the bills on the road. I think there's a bit more margin for error this time around, but I wouldn't get too cute with anything either. Yeah, you don't want to find yourself down, I think, against Buffalo. You know, if you don't want to be down 14-0-0,
Starting point is 00:06:41 you don't want to be down 10-0 against them. I think that Buffalo, their team, I think coming into this matchups, Sarah, we know they've been here before. They're experienced. They know the postseason. And they've had moments where them losing had really nothing to do with Josh Allen, whereas I felt like last year the Broncos losing had nothing to do with Bo Nix. I mean, Bo had so many receivers drop passes on crucial drives there. And it was a close game getting ready to go to halftime.
Starting point is 00:07:05 And then it got away from Denver significantly late. So, you know, I think that Denver is a better team, a far more disciplined team this year than I think what we saw in that playoff matchup. And I think you have the advantage now being home, you know, with your raucous crowd. Of course, here's the thing. The bills, they won on the road in a tough environment in Jacksonville and they found a way to win. I mean, this is a team that is trying to become the team of destiny, so to speak. And it's up to the Denver Broncos to kind of poke a hole in that and say, nah, you know what? We're here.
Starting point is 00:07:35 10 years after Super Bowl 50, we're trying to get back to Santa Clara. That's what I'm looking forward to seeing. And look, I think that we are going to see better contributions from Denver skill players. I'd make the argument that Denver skill players right now are better than that unit that marched into Buffalo initially. We know Troy Franklin got things started off hot. last year against Buffalo. I can imagine they're probably going to be preparing for that. But I'm very curious to see what type of, not necessarily tricks, so to speak.
Starting point is 00:08:01 I'm interested to see what type of schemes or what Sean Payton draws up against this Buffalo Bill's defense that, you know, they're ultra aggressive, but they also like to drop back and just play their guys into zones. And you have to be able to find those soft spots. Receivers have to be able to know when to sit versus when to keep going there. And Bow is going to obviously have to be in sync with his guys too. this is going to be an exciting game and man, I hope the Broncos, I hope
Starting point is 00:08:24 they rise to the occasion here, Sarah. And in order to do that, they're going to have to execute situationally, right? And the Buffalo Bills, that's where they've maybe been the most susceptible other than just against the run in general this season, right? 24th ranked third down defense for the Buffalo Bills, 19th
Starting point is 00:08:40 ranked red zone defense. So they've given up quite a bit when it comes to crucial downs and then getting into the red zone. I feel like that's something the Broncos have to advantage of in this game. So what does that mean? Well, you can't get behind the sticks. You can't have a bunch of negative plays on first down. You have to make sure that you are constantly, you know, the running game. You've got to be falling forward. If you're catching a
Starting point is 00:09:03 quick pass, man, you've got to make sure that you're gaining as much yards after the catch as you possibly can to create those favorable situations because even if the bills do play that zone defense where they're trying to keep the Broncos from attacking downfield, Cody. What have we seen from the Broncos over the last handful of games, even if it hasn't been exactly the high scoring, high octane offense that we would have wanted. Well, they've been matriculating down the field, haven't they? I mean, they've had drives of 14 plays, 15 place, 15 place, 16. I mean, they've had some really long drives. That's the number one way to keep Josh Allen off the field is to your offense just dominate time of possession. So even without a great running game,
Starting point is 00:09:43 the Broncos have been able to do that. And just imagine if they can run the ball effectively and really dictate the line of scrimmage. That's going to be huge for this offense in this game, especially because they kind of got whipped up a little bit against the chargers on that offensive line. So got to have a bounce back game here against Buffalo. Can they find a way to be like Thanos and find that last
Starting point is 00:10:02 infinity stone and ultimately become inevitable, right? That's one thing that they need to figure out how to do against Josh Allen and the Buffalo bills here. But coming up next, Brockos country, Sarah and I, we're going to talk about how the Broncos, how they match up against the Bill's offense. That contains not only Josh
Starting point is 00:10:17 But a couple of other explosive playmakers. We'll break all that down on more here on today's episode of the show. Today's show is brought to you by our friends over there at Indeed. If you've ever hired someone who looked good on paper but wasn't the right fit, you know how important this is. When you want candidates who truly match what you're looking for, trust Indeed, sponsored jobs. If you're hiring, Indeed is all you need.
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Starting point is 00:11:14 It deserves at Indeed.com slash locked on NFL. go to Indeed.com slash locked on NFL right now and support the show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply hiring. Do it the right way with Indeed. Today's show is also brought to you our friends over there at Quo. New Year, new systems. This is the time when a lot of us look at the messier part to how we run our business and we think there has to be a better way. And there is. Streamlining your communications is one of the quickest upgrades that you can make. And that's why today's episode is brought to you by Quo, spelled QUO, the smarter way to run your business. communications because when your team is reachable, organized, and communicating in one place, you're not just working cleaner. You're creating more opportunities to connect with customers.
Starting point is 00:11:57 Your whole team can call and text from one shared business number so nothing gets missed and close smart AI tools automatically log calls, summarize conversations and highlight next steps. So details never slipped through the cracks. It's no surprise quo was the number one rated business phone system on G2, trusted by more than 90,000 businesses from solo operators, the growing team. teams. Make this the year where no opportunity and no customer slips away. Try Quo for free. Let's get 20% off your first six months. When you go to quo.com slash locked on NFL. That's QUO.com slash locked on NFL. Quo, no miss calls, no miss customers. The Denver Broncos defense will be facing off against a very impressive trio of playmakers with the Buffalo Bill's offense coming to town. How can they avoid a similar defensive disaster like we saw against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a handful of weekends. to go, well, the Denver Broncos defense, we're betting they're going to be up to the task here in the
Starting point is 00:12:52 divisional round. But got a big hurdle to overcome Broncos country. And we're going to break it all down on today's episode of the show. I want to quickly say thank you, though, to all of you out there that make lockdown Broncos your first listen of the day every single day right here on the lockdown podcast network, the number one sports podcast network. And Cody and I also want to invite you during this playoff run. Hey, go sign up for the every day or all access club if you haven't already done. So you're going to get tons of benefits from signing up, all 22 breakdowns from Cody, locker room interviews from the players, ad free episodes of the show, bonus episodes of the show and so much more. So check out the link in the show notes for that. Cody, let's talk about the defense struggling or dealing with a
Starting point is 00:13:33 dangerous trio, right? This has been the Buffalo Bill's calling card all year long. It's Josh Allen who puts on the Superman cape, right, for that offense. But then James Cook, I don't think he's necessarily been overshadowed by any means. He's been arguably the best offensive weapon in the entire NFL this year. Even more impressive when you consider the fact that Buffalo's wide receiver room is not necessarily the best in the league right now, right? I mean, they've got some playmakers, but we talk about the defense dealing with a trio of players this week.
Starting point is 00:14:04 The bill's really heavily involved Khalil Shakir in that wild card round matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. And he's so impressive after the catch. I wonder, are we going to see Pat Sertan shadowing him in this game? I think we will, but we'll find out. I'm excited to see how this Broncos defense rises to the occasion after getting absolutely wrecked by Baltimore in last year's postseason. I think that probably still left a little bit of a bitter taste in everybody's mouth.
Starting point is 00:14:32 Yeah, look, and I think the matchup and how Vance Joseph approaches this week is going to be interesting, right? Because while they're thin at wide receiver, you mentioned Shakir, do the Broncos trust Riley Moss enough to say, hey, like, we don't care who you guys match up against, right? Is this one of those situations based on who you're facing against Buffalo with Josh Allen, with James Cook, the tight ends that they have there, where those guys certainly present a threat to you? Do you match up and move guys around in a matchup like this? Or is this specifically saying, hey, we're okay with, you know, Riley playing the boundary.
Starting point is 00:15:06 We're okay with Pat playing the field when the bills take the offense. For me, I don't know what the plan is here. And to me, I would like to see Pat take away Khalil Shakir, but I also think Rodley could do the same exact job, right? And there's other guys like Keon Coleman. What about the speed threat there of Brandon Cooks? Is that where you want Jaquan, Macmillan and Jadae Barron getting in the mix? Yeah, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:15:28 Like for me, I think from a receiving standpoint, not only is Khalil Shakir, their best guy, but I also think the tight end duo of Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid are probably the next most problematic matchups there. Then you have to factor in James Cook out of the backfield. And we know teams have taken advantage of trying to isolate running backs on will routes. That is going to be a dynamic. That with the Broncos defense certainly has to be ready for this week.
Starting point is 00:15:50 I mean, this is one where, you know, Denver defensively as good as they've been, they're going to have to play their best game this week against Josh Allen. And it's not just because of who they have. It's because of Josh Allen himself. He's the boogeyman. He's kind of, you know, the NFL is riding in my as kind of like this Superman. And he put the bills on his back. He had a 10-yard tush push that got them essentially the victory in this game.
Starting point is 00:16:11 I just think that Denver has to figure out a way to buckle down in the areas that have impacted them since coming out of the biweek. Aside from that, matchup standpoint wise, Denver might have to just play this one saying, hey, we're not going to move guys around. We're going to just play this side of the field, this side of the field. And it may change from a down and distance scenario. But I think that Denver has to be able to do that because the bills are going to motion guys around quite a bit. And this is a game where you absolutely as a defense cannot have those. free runners that Sean Payton has talked about in the past, right? And what was a huge problem against Jacksonville with miscommunications and coverage, leaving guys wide open? I mean,
Starting point is 00:16:51 that's where the Buffalo bills are going to hurt you because this isn't necessarily a dynamic vertical passing attack. This is very much a passing attack, in my opinion, that does play into Denver's favor if they are on assignment, if they are playing discipline. Because it's a lot of horizontal stuff, right? They like to toss the ball out to James Cook and let him do some workout on the perimeter. They like to get the ball out to Khalil Shakir quickly and let him do what he does best, which is create yardage after the catch. That's not to say they never push the ball vertically, but you do feel like it's much more of that horizontal approach as a, you know, as opposed to, hey, we're going to air it out and we're going to challenge you deep downfield.
Starting point is 00:17:30 Now, maybe against the Broncos where Riley Moss has all these pass interference penalties, maybe they will test it deeper downfield and and try that early in this game. But that's not really been Buffalo's game this season. So I'm interested to find out how the Broncos do match up, Cody, whether it is sending CERTAN with Shakir or whether it's trusting because honestly, a receiver with skills in the yards after the catch department, that does play more into Riley Moss's skill set, doesn't it? Where he can sort of, you know, read and react and attack. That's more what he does best as opposed to at least right now making those plays deep down field. So maybe that does play into Denver's defensive favor, but the pass rush is the focus for me in this game.
Starting point is 00:18:14 Because when it comes to getting after Josh Allen, it's not just about the first guy getting there. It's about a group of guys getting there and making sure that if he does avoid that first pass rusher, you have to make sure that the second guy doesn't miss. And if he does, boy, you're going to be in some serious trouble in a game like this. So that pass rush, they've got to be gap disciplined. they've got to obviously stay in their lanes and they've got to finish when they get to the quarterback. Yeah, and last year they had a hard time, you know, on the outside, at least getting to Josh Allen. We did see DJ Jones and Zach Allen obviously get sacks on Allen at that time going into that playoff game. He was one of the least sack quarterbacks in the entire NFL in 2024.
Starting point is 00:18:54 He's been hit a lot more this year. And, you know, they've had some changes, I think schematically. I think obviously with their offensive line, certainly personnel, wide receiver. Josh Allen has tried to do a lot of things himself. a little bit more. They've been in some nail bit bit of some games this year as well. And the pass rush has to be big because to your point, Josh Allen with his legs can hurt you not only with his legs by picking up first downs, but man, he can extend plays. And what have we seen sometimes? This year, Denver has been hurt at times against mobile quarterbacks who've been able to extend plays with their legs by time and then throw in the scramble drill. That's where the Broncos have to be on their P's and Q's here. This is one of those games.
Starting point is 00:19:32 You have to cover the initial route and you have to cover the scramble. drill right after that if you're coaching up the defensive backs this week. This is going to be a fun matchup. It's going to be tough. And I'm excited. Look, you want to be the best. You got to beat the best. I think that the Denver Broncos are not afraid of anybody.
Starting point is 00:19:45 We've got to see them bring that effort forth here on Saturday against Buffalo. But coming up next, Broncos, Sarah and I, we're going to dive deep into things that the Broncos must avoid against the Buffalo bills, things that hurt them last year. That includes red zone inefficiency, third down struggles and more can the Broncos overcome that. We'll get into that and more here on today's episode of the show. Today's episode of the show is brought to you by friends over there at Gusto. And let's be real, no one starts a business for the joy of calculating tax withholdings or managing payroll spreadsheets. But that's where Gusto comes in to take the stress out of your payroll, your benefits, and HR so you can focus on running your business and supporting your team.
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Starting point is 00:21:54 wildcard round matchup. I want to say thank you once again, all the everydayers out there in Broncos country. Thanks for tuning in making us your first listen, however you choose to do so here. Broncos get ready to prepare for the Buffalo bills. We know they're going to be back on the practice field here today for the first time since they played. Obviously, that game against the Chargers. Yes, they held an impromptu competitive practice last Friday, but this is an official practice. And we'll have injury updates.
Starting point is 00:22:15 We'll figure out who's at practice. So make sure you stay locked in all week long here at Locked on Broncos. All right, Sarah, as we get into this game here and tell the tape when you look at both of these teams last year. And I'd say in this game specifically, Denver versus Buffalo, I'd say the one thing that really plagued them. And we talked about a little bit earlier, drops by the wide receivers. And that is an issue that has kind of carried into the regular season because I believe outside of Trevor Lawrence, Bo Nix, I think is the second quarterback in the NFL that has the most yards missed or lost due to drops by wide receivers. And that has been a problem consistently this year. There's been several
Starting point is 00:22:53 key drop touchdowns that Denver has had this year as well. And when you look back in hindsight, it's like, all right, what would that have done? I think Bo finished with 3,900 passing yards. he would have been well over 4,000 if some receivers held on the ball in a couple of situations. But you know what? You can't go back and change it. But now in the playoffs, you can make this a focal point to avoid essentially. Yeah, you have to be sure handed in this game. There's no question about it, Cody.
Starting point is 00:23:17 I mean, when you look back at that Buffalo game, I know the Broncos got their butts kicked a little bit. But at the same time, you go back and watch some key moments in that game, a drop by Cortland Sutton when it was, I think, 10 to 7 or something like that. And then a drop by Troy Franklin when it was 13. to 10. So, I mean, you had opportunities. You had moments. You had these and it's those tied turning plays, those dropped passes that absolutely crush your momentum. And you can't have that. You, you're a team that's, I guess, in terms of the odds for this game, you're trying to pull off an upset right now. You're trying to be the overdogs. And in order to do that,
Starting point is 00:23:52 you cannot have unforced errors, right? If it's, you're getting open and your quarterback is making a throw and you have an opportunity to make a big play. you have to be making that play. And I'm specifically calling out Cortland Sutton, Troy Franklin, and Evan Ingram, as this team's top three pass catching options, absolutely 100% have to make the plays, have to make the difficult catches. Can't be talking after the game about, well,
Starting point is 00:24:19 that ball had a little too much zip on it or, well, if it was putting a little bit better of a spot, it might have been an easier catch. Go make the difficult catches that NFL receivers have to make for their. I saw the catch the Miami player made for Carson Beck, Cody. I don't want to hear no excuses about any NFL receiver not able to make a catch because of where a ball was thrown. Go make the plays for your quarterback and let this be a statement game for the Denver Broncos. We've had many of those, haven't we?
Starting point is 00:24:47 I mean, some arrival point games. But I think dropped passes is the number one thing that concerns me in a game like this because it has been such a repetitive issue. Yeah. And I think the timeliness. too. It's been in some crucial situations here. It's like, ah, if you hold on to that, you know, it might be a first down. It might be something that maybe gets your points, you know, at the end of the half or maybe at the end of a third quarter, like the momentum aspect has been big. And I just remember last year, there was a really key drop by Cortland Sutton across the middle of the field
Starting point is 00:25:17 that maybe would have put the Broncos into easy chip shot field goal range. And look, you know, you want to come away with touchamps. Who's to say you don't kick a field goal there and maybe you get a defensive stop versus turnover? Maybe it changes the complexity of the game there entirely, right? that the Broncos need more than just Troy Franklin to show up in this game. They need, obviously, rookie Pat Bryant. They need Evan Ingram to show up in this game. Marvin Mims, they're going to need him. And Marvin obviously caught a fake punt last year from Riley Dixon.
Starting point is 00:25:41 I don't know if that's going to be in the bag of tricks this year. I'm sure that Buffalo is probably going to be on alert about that. But I agree with you. That's going to have to be something that they avoid. You have to make those tough catches. And there's no better time to do it than now in the postseason. We've seen Cortland Hall in some of the toughest catches you could imagine. They're like the lowest completion probability and somehow he does it.
Starting point is 00:26:02 You just need him to make some of these easy ones that could sustain drives there. I think that'll be big here for the Broncos. And if they can do that and they can capitalize on that, I like how they can play against this Bill's team because you're going to have these tight windows. You're going to have some zone throws. You're going to have to make against a defender, whether it's a lineback or a safety, you're going to have to make these throws in space there and guys are going to have to catch the football. We don't want to be doing a post game show talking about, man,
Starting point is 00:26:27 that the Broncos would have just caught this one pass in the third quarter, maybe it changed the complexion of the game. We want to avoid that here. I also think the red zone struggles, Sarah, you and I have been very adamant about that. I know you've talked about that quite a bit here. When Denver gets in the red zone, you know, yes, three points is great, but this is where you have to come away with six points.
Starting point is 00:26:44 It's where you have to come away with touchdowns, so to speak. So I'm curious to see how the Broncos and how Sean Payton and the offense and how they prepare this week to kind of get that best effort, right? How can you take that almond and squeeze a little bit of milk out of it? That's what I'm curious to see. Yeah, I am too. I think that when you look at this matchup on paper, it favors the Broncos in that way of being able to cash in in the red zone, being able to cash in in the third down. I won't go so far as to say it's a get right game because this is the playoffs, but you absolutely have to be winning situationally.
Starting point is 00:27:17 I think in short yardage situations as well, these could be tight, like tide turning moments like we've been mentioning, Cody, when it's third and short defensively, for the Broncos. Can you avoid giving up a first down on the ground to Josh Allen, who got push pushed about 30 yards, I felt like against the Jacksonville Jaguars on one play. And Josh was capable of doing these things all on his own, too. But in short yarded situations, both offensively and defensively, can you extend drives as the offense? And as a defense, can you shut down Josh Allen? Can you shut down James Cook? I mean, that's maybe easier said than done for sure easier said than done when it comes to a player like alan but maybe the solution is all right shut that down early on create all these third and long situations and really get him
Starting point is 00:28:04 in his own head about having to you know reach a lot higher to make these plays as opposed to just oh i can go pick up a yard on fourth and one or i can go pick up five yards on third and three whatever it may be don't give this guy an inch because he will take a mile yeah and i think that there's also a lot of pressure on Josh Allen. I just think externally from the situations, you know, he's been able to lead the bills deep in the playoffs before, but they've never been able to get over the hump. They've never been able to beat Kansas City. And to your point that you mentioned yesterday when we did our reveal show, knowing that Denver was officially going to be playing Buffalo, one of the things that you brought up was the fact that, hey, there is no Lamar Jackson. There is no Joe Burrow. There is no patched homes in this year's playoffs. So what is it now for Josh Allen? If the time to strike is now, it is here.
Starting point is 00:28:49 But the Broncos, I think, are their biggest threat of getting in the way of that. And that's what the Broncos certainly have to hope for is that they can put a little bit of a cabosh on Josh Allen's Super Bowl ambitions and hopes. You want to be able to be the team that makes another team make wholesale changes to the coaching staff, so to speak here. And the bills are kind of on that teetering line there. They, in my opinion, Sarah, I feel like they have more pressure than any other team right now going into the postseason. And we'll see if the Broncos can find a way to make that become a little bit too much.
Starting point is 00:29:19 for them on Saturday here. But with that said, Brockos, country that I'll wrap up today's episode of the show. Where have you covered on tomorrow's show with practice updates?
Starting point is 00:29:28 Who's on the practice field? Any surprise returns in the mix here for Denver and on top of that will also take a look at some early matchups that we have our eye on here in this game. Plus this week, you'll get a crossover Thursday episode with locked on bills as we preview Saturday's playoff showdown.
Starting point is 00:29:43 It's an exciting time here. So make sure you be coming every day. If you haven't done so already, the everyday are All Access Club, get you access to one-on-one texting with Sarah and I. You get access to our Discord where we're building a very fun community of Broncos country and also other NFL fans. So make sure you join us there.
Starting point is 00:29:58 And on top of that, you get an ad-free version of the show every single day. So what are you waiting for? Becoming an everydayer all-access member, lockdownbracos.com. Sarah and I, we will see you tomorrow for a brand new episode of the show.

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