Orchard Park, N.Y. — In a game littered with Buffalo Bills mistakes, the three-time defending AFC East champions’ season is in real jeopardy after an inexplicable home loss to the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.
The Bills scored on their final possession to take a late lead but the Broncos came back and scored the game-winning field goal as time expired.
Denver’s Will Lutz missed the first attempt with :04 left on the clock but the Bills had too many men on the field. He was able to kick it again and he made it, handing the Bills’ their fifth loss of the season. With the loss, the Bills’ playoff odds drop to 33%, according to ESPN.
Here are some instant takeaways.
The bizarre James Cook benching
Cook fumbled the ball on the first play of the game on a short quick pass from Allen and was benched for the next 16 offensive plays. He didn’t return to the field until the second quarter. By then the Bills had turned it over for the second time on Allen’s first interception and followed that up with two punts.
The Bills needed a spark and Cook provided it, racking up 29 yards on Buffalo’s first scoring drive. After Cook was benched, the Bills’ second drive ended with an Allen interception that should have been caught by Gabe Davis. The ball slid through his hands and into the arms of Broncos safety Justin Simmons.
Cook exploded in the fourth quarter, going over 100 yards rushing while leading the Bills to the go-ahead score with under two minutes to go in the game. He broke off a 42-yard run and fumbled it about halfway through the run and managed to catch the fumble off one bounce while never breaking stride.
Josh Allen regression?
Allen had his usual handful of exceptional throws against the Broncos, but it was the handful of head-scratchers that makes you wonder how much of the Bills’ offensive struggles rest on his shoulders. The playcalling deserves its fair share of criticism, but Allen’s bad decision-making in the passing game continues to…
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