Denver Broncos @ Buffalo Bills (8:15 PM)
The Denver Broncos (3-5) and veteran QB Russell Wilson are headed for Highmark Stadium to face the Buffalo Bills (5-4) and superstar quarterback Josh Allen on Monday Night Football.
Buffalo is coming off of a 24-18 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football last week. The Bills yielded 348 yards to Joe Burrow in that contest, but they were effective against the run. Joe Mixon and the Bengals’ running game averaged less than 3 yards per carry. The Bills’ offence was rather lackluster. 317 net yards isn’t enough to beat a high-power offensive attack like the Bengals. The running game was even worse, with the quarterback, Josh Allen, being the Bills’ leading rusher with 44 yards.
In terms of the passing attack, Allen had a decent day. He went 26/38 (near-70% completion%) with a touchdown and an interception. However, the Bills finally utilized some of their other offensive weapons not named Stefon Diggs. Rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid registered 81 yards on 10 receptions. Second-year receiver Khalil Shakir also had a solid game, catching 4 passes for 57 yards. Stefon Diggs had a decent game as well, recording 6 receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown.
We will have to wait and see how the Bills fare against a Broncos secondary with former-All Pros Patrick Surtain II and Justin Simmons.
Meanwhile, the Broncos are riding high. Denver is currently on a two-game winning streak. Week 9 was their bye week, so they are well-rested for this contest on primetime. The Broncos’ last game was against the Kansas City Chiefs where they won in stunning fashion, 24-9. Keeping a Patrick Mahomes-led offence to only 9 points is impressive on any occasion. Denver’s defence was elite, forcing the Chiefs to turn the ball over 5 times, including 2 interceptions from Mahomes.
While the offence only recorded 240 net yards, the defence stepped up when it had to in order to seal the victory. Denver will have to prioritize complementary football to pull off the upset against the Bills.
Russell Wilson has had a decent year, to say the least. He’s been adequate on the statsheet, throwing for 1,613 yards with 16 touchdowns and 4 interceptions (101.7 quarterback rating). While his usage was most definitely low against Kansas City, he will have to be on his A-game against a top-half passing defence in the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo is averaging 219.6 passing yards per game so far this season, which is 14th in the NFL.
Josh Allen has continued to be his high-risk, high-reward self. Allen has thrown for 2,423 yards with 18 touchdowns and 9 interceptions (99.6 quarterback rating) this season. The Broncos’ defence is very hit-or-miss. They allowed 70 points to the Miami Dolphins in week 3, but then allowed 9 points to the Chiefs in week 8. Josh Allen should dominate, however, facing a bottom-ten passing defence in the Denver Broncos. Denver is allowing 251.8 passing yards per game in 2023, which ranks 27th in the NFL.
Momentum is definitely a factor in the NFL, with the Broncos coming off a bye week and a win over one of the NFL’s best teams in the Kansas City Chiefs. The Buffalo Bills are 2-3 in their last 5 contests. While the game may seem heavily favoured for the Buffalo Bills, an upset for the Denver Broncos is definitely plausible.
Denver Broncos (+7.5) @ Buffalo Bills (-7.5)
Head Ref: Bill Vinovich
Watch on: TSN, DAZN
Notable Injuries:
Broncos: DL Haggai Ndubuisi (OUT), S Kareem Jackson (OUT due to Suspension)
Bills: S Micah Hyde (OUT), DE Kameron Cline (DE), CB Christian Benford (OUT)
*Note: All Betting Odds mentioned throughout the article are via FanDuel Sportsbook
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