But a pair of Wil Lutz field goals - the first in a fire-drill situation before halftime - also proved to be the difference. Two botched extra points and a nullified missed field goal at the buzzer nearly cost the Broncos the game entirely. This one could have been an “F” and it could have been an “A.” It was that kind of a night. Two core players and two guys who took over starting roles in recent weeks.

Four different players came away with takeaways: Safety Justin Simmons, inside linebacker Alex Singleton, nickel Ja’Quan McMillian and corner Fabian Moreau. You’d like to see the group prevent Josh Allen and company from going right down the field and taking the lead with 1:55 to go, but they more than did their part on this night. A group that looked slow and unathletic early in the year is now playing fast, rallying to the ball and making plays. After forcing five turnovers in Week 8 against Kansas City, the Broncos came up with four more against Buffalo on Monday night. Vance Joseph’s group is on some kind of heater. The Broncos had the ball that long and used it to eke out a critical win. Here’s the stat that perhaps mattered second-most after the plus-3 turnover differential: 37 minutes, 21 seconds.

Denver’s longest rushing play was 11 yards. Russell Wilson played turnover-free, though he’s got to take fewer hits over the final eight weeks. And yet, after Sean Payton drew criticism early in the year for being too impatient, it’s hard to heap blame on him for playing a grind-it-out style here. They were maddeningly conservative at times. They turned four turnovers into just six points. The Broncos went long stretches where they didn’t do much of anything offensively. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu

Big time game