Buffalo Bills Lose To The Denver Broncos 33-30: Instant Reactions

The Buffalo Bills season has come to an end after a devistating 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos.

Buffalo managed to stage another double-digit second half comeback to take the lead in the fourth quarter. They even got a last-second kick to send it to overtime. But turnovers and untimely penalties proved too much for the Bills.

Here are the positives and negatives from the final Bills game of the 2025 season.

Rushing Offense: The Broncos were the second best run defense all season long, but the Bills didn’t seem to have a problem. After getting just 79 yards against the Jaguars on the ground, the Bills ran for 183 yards. James Cook, who finished with 117 on the ground, surpassed last week’s total of 46 by the second quarter.

Cam Lewis: Starting in place for Jordan Poyer at safety, Lewis looked like he belonged in the big moment. He had 10 tackles and two passes defended. 

Khalil Shakir: After 12 catches on 12 targets against Jacksonville, Khalil Shaqir was Mr. Reliable again for the Bills offense. He finished the game with seven catches on nine Targets for 75 yards. 

Josh Allen: Despite four turnovers, which put him in the negatives as well, Allen showed his resiliency and why many view him as one of the best in the game. Allen led the Bills back from 13 down to take a 24-23 lead in the fourth quarter. He finished the day with 283 yards and three touchdowns to go with his four turnovers. More on that later.

Third Down Offense: The Bills were able to comeback thanks to their ability to keep drives going on third down. Buffalo finished the game 10-for-15 on third down

The Tush Push: Sure, the Bills voted to ban it last offseason. But, if the league was going to keep allowing it, Buffalo was sure to oblige. All game long the Bills used the play to their advantage. It’ll be interesting to see if there are enough votes in the offseason to finally remove the play.

Second Half Defense (Mostly): The Broncos had 210 yards in the first half on offense. In the second half, the Bills (mostly) shut that down, allowing just 30 yards late into the fourth quarter. They also stopped Denver on three straight possessions, allowing the offense to get the lead back. 

The defense even came up big with a three and out on the first drive in overtime, giving the offense a chance to win the game. But it wasn't enough.

Matt Prater: The 41-year-old kicker nailed a 50-yard kick with 5 seconds left to send the game to overtime. If there’s one thing that didn’t really let the Bills down this season, it was Prater. Not bad for someone called in at the last minute at the beginning of the season. 

What's A Catch: Somehow, this was ruled an interception. That's all I'm going to say. 

Ball Security: For the Bills to win against the number one seed, they needed to protect the football. Well, they did the exact opposite of that. Five turnovers, including four from Allen alone. It’s almost impossible to win a game that way. And the Bills didn’t. The five turnovers was a season high for the Bills. 

Josh Allen: He deserves to have his own section here. Allen entered the game on a six-game streak of 2+ touchdowns and no turnovers, which was the longest stretch in NFL history. On Saturday, he had 4 turnovers—two fumbles and two interceptions—that resulted in nine points for the Broncos, including the game winning score.

There was no worse stretch than the end of the first half and beginning of the second when he lost two fumbles on back-to-back drives. In a game like this, you have to be smarter with the ball. 

Through it all, though, Allen had the ball in his hand twice to win the game. He managed to tie it in the 4th with five seconds left, and then through another interception in overtime. 

It’s another season-ending game that will have people questioning if Allen can really be “that guy”

Decision to Defer: It might be small in the grand scheme of things, but not taking the ball to start the game when they won the toss wasn’t the decision I would’ve made. On the road against the number one seed in the playoffs, the Bills should’ve wanted to try and set the tone early. Instead, they kicked and let the Broncos go up early. 

Final Broncos Regulation Drive: The Defense had held Denver to 30 yards in the second half before that final drive. On that last drive, Denver went 73 yards in 3:16 to take the lead. 

Defensive Penalties In OT: With a chance to get the offense one more time, the Bills defense imploded with big gains against and terrible penalties. I won’t blame the officials, even with some questionable calls. The defense can’t be this undisciplined.

Another Year, Another Missed Opportunity: Buffalo had its chances. This was a game that was there for the taking, and they let it slip away. Now the Bills will be asking "what if?" once again. 

Allen will be 30 when next season kicks off and in the ninth year of his career. It's time to start wondering what can be done for a team that just can't get over the hump and reach the Super Bowl.