The Big Lead

Broncos show future is bright, but work still ahead in Wild Card loss to Bills

By Sam Westmoreland

Jan 12, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) runs for a gain during the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills in an AFC wild card game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Jan 12, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) runs for a gain during the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills in an AFC wild card game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
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It took them nine years of wandering in the wilderness, of false starts, swings and misses, and the longest streak of sub-.500 seasons in franchise history, but the Denver Broncos returned to the post season for the first time since the end of the Peyton Manning era this year.

Of course, once they got there, they were summarily thrashed by the Buffalo Bills, in a 31-7 beatdown on the road on Sunday.

The Broncos were outclassed, something that came as a surprise to no one who had watched either of these teams play this season; Buffalo was one of the best teams in the NFL, and Denver was a decent but flawed team who rode a dominant defense and a young quarterback finding his footing into the playoffs.

So what comes next for Sean Payton's team? Let's break down the next steps for them this offseason.

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Fix the run game. This is a BIG one; probably the biggest one for the Broncos. They ranked 16th in the league in rushing, averaging 112 yards per game, but averaged just 4.1 yards per carry on the year. Bo Nix averaged more yards per carry (4.70 than Audric Estime (4.1), Jaleel McLaughlin (4.4) or Javonte Williams (3.7). This team ran the ball a lot, and they were not particularly good at it.

The good news for Denver is that this year's draft is ripe with running backs. Ashton Jeanty will probably be gone by the time the Broncos pick, but backs like Omarion Hampton, Dylan Sampson and Cam Skattebo could work well in the Mile High City.

Find a Tight End: Tight end might be the biggest hole in Denver's roster. Whereas running back had three pieces that struggled this season, tight end was a complete non-factor for the Broncos. Greg Dulcich and Adam Trautman are not going to get the job done; you need a better pass catcher, and maybe a better blocker, too. Harold Fannin Jr. could be a perfect fit.

Sort Out Your Wide Receivers: The Broncos maybe don't need to draft a wide receiver, but they're going to need to figure out their wide receiver room moving forward this offseason. Courtland Sutton is entering the last year of his deal and is going to need to get paid, while Marvin Mims still has another couple years left. Figure out if you're going to pay Sutton this year, and go out and bolster your corps with either a slot guy or a potential new number one.

Get Patrick Surtain Some Help: There's no denying Surtain's dominance this season; he's become one of the best cover corners in the NFL, and might be the best corner in the sport right now. The problem is, teams have been punishing Riley Moss all season, hunting him wherever he goes, and he's struggled a lot as a result. Moss doesn't appear to be the answer the Broncos need across from Surtain, so finding a couple options either in the draft or free agency wouldn't be a bad idea.

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