Quarterback Josh Allen accepted the Buffalo Bills played “a lot of bad football” as they slumped to a last-gasp home defeat against the resurgent Denver Broncos on Monday.
The Bills entered Monday’s game hoping to close the gap on the Miami Dolphins at the top of the AFC East, but they produced an error-strewn performance from the off.
A fumble on the very first play of the game set the tone for the Bills, who saw Allen throw two interceptions and one touchdown while completing 15 of 26 for 177 passing yards.
Despite their numerous mistakes, Buffalo were on course for victory when Allen rushed in for a go-ahead six-yard touchdown with one minute and 55 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
However, another error undid the Bills as they were flagged for having an extra player on the field during a missed field-goal attempt from Denver’s Wil Lutz, and he made no mistake second time around to secure the Broncos’ walk-off 24-22 win.
“It sucks,” Allen said of the late defeat. “We shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place. A lot of bad football. A lot of bad football.”
Allen leads all quarterbacks for picks thrown this season with 11, while his team’s 18 total turnovers are tied for second place in the league.
The sideline reaction to the game-winner >>>#EasyToCelebrate pic.twitter.com/dvlvvktn8j
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 14, 2023
The inconsistent Bills are now 5-5 after being tipped as Super Bowl hopefuls in preseason, and Allen knows they need to cut out the mistakes, and quickly.
“I’m still confident, but it’s no secret the clock’s ticking, we’ve got to have some urgency now,” he said. “We’ve done it before, I know we can do it, it’s just a matter of doing it.”
Head coach Sean McDermott made no excuses for his team as he rued the costly late flag, saying: “We practiced that two or three times this week, the substitution from dime to field-goal block.
“At the end of the day, we didn’t execute it. So, it’s inexcusable.”
The Broncos, meanwhile, are looking up after stringing together three successive victories, having upset the Kansas City Chiefs on their last outing prior to a Week 9 bye.
With Denver up to 4-5 after a dismal start to the season, quarterback Russell Wilson – who completed 24 of 29 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns on Monday – hopes they can maintain these standards.
“To beat the Chiefs and beat these guys sets the standard of who we should be, and who we can be, and who we’re going to be,” Wilson said.
Denver are next in action against the in-form Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, while Buffalo must pick themselves up ahead of a huge home game against the New York Jets – who are breathing down their necks in the AFC East – in Week 11.
The @Broncos have won back-to-back games against the Chiefs and Bills pic.twitter.com/gn6CNJYn3O
— NFL (@NFL) November 14, 2023
