Broncos GIFCap: week 10 edition

In the span of just one month, the Denver Broncos have turned from a team who looked to battle for the first pick of the NFL Draft into a team who will be fighting for a playoff spot.

The team’s wild win over the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park on Monday night puts the team at 4-5 on the season and has them playing with a new, confident mentality. Let’s reminisce about the win as best we can using GIFs.

Pre-game vibes

For the first time in a very long time, there seems to be a forgotten type of energy spreading across Broncos Country...something felt once before in the long, long ago but now feels...foreign. Confidence. Despite the Bills’ offensive power and quality defense, and the fact it’s a road game in prime time, it seems plausible that the Broncos will actually win. Is this crazy?

TURNOVER! TURNOVER! BRONCOS BALL!

Cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian strips the ball on the first play of the first series, giving the Broncos the ball inside the 30-yard line to start out. Set the TONE!

Oh, a field goal...yay...

A three-play nothing burger with a false start is how the Broncos offense thanks their defense. A field goal gets the team up 3-0, but there’s certainly a bit of wind sucked from the sails as fans are reminded that the offense hasn’t exactly been the most prolific during the previous two wins.

INTERCEPTION! The D steps up again!

Okay, the defense has come to play! After a solid effort leading his team down the field in ideal scoring position, Josh Allen made an errant pass that was picked off by Justin Simmons at the 12-yard line. Can the offense capitalize in a bigger way this time?

And the offense falls flat...again

For the love of...ugh. After a promising start to the drive with a couple of first downs get to midfield, another false start penalty followed by a sack of Russell Wilson pinned the team back in their own territory with a third-and-long situation they could not convert. Punt. No points. Sorry, D.

Now THAT’S a touchdown!

After exchanging punts with the Bills twice, the Broncos put together a drive to get inside the Bills’ 15-yard line, but could only get inside the 10-yard line after three plays. Electing to go for the end zone rather than split the uprights, Sean Payton drew up a pass play. Wilson evaded a sack, threw off his back foot off balance to Courtland Sutton in the end zone, but OOF! He’s out of bounds. Or was he? Upon immediate review, Sutton miraculously saved the play by getting his feet barely inbounds (as close as possible) to produce points off Wilson’s solid throw.

Of course we miss the PAT

A doink off the left upright makes the score 9-0 rather than 10-0. Yeah, it’s windy, but make the freaking extra points, please.

And THAT’S why you make extra points...

As if the Bills could sniff the chance to grab momentum, the offensive unit marched 81 yards on eight plays when Josh Allen found an uncovered Dalton Kincaid for a touchdown. The team stayed aggressive, going for two, and converting on a pass to Gabe Davis. 9-8 Broncos.

The offense just...can’t do the job

Now seems like it would be a good time for the offense to pull its weight and keep the game within a touchdown’s reach. Nope. Not quite. The team was able to get inside the 50, but yet another boneheaded penalty (holding on Lloyd Cushenberry) killed the drive and forced a field goal. 12-8 Broncos and the momentum is fading...we’ve seen this movie before...

Defense comes up HUGE!

Thank you Fabian Moreau! The defensive back stepped up on the first play to pick off Josh Allen and give the Broncos a chance to pull comfortably ahead.

Aaaand we get another field goal...

Starting from the 31-yard line, the Broncos offense could only muster up nine yards in three plays before taking the points. Will Lutz converted to make the score 15-8 to end the first half. The team is up, but after three turnovers, it seems like too many opportunities were left incomplete.

No offensive juice to start the second half

The Broncos offense really needed to come out of the locker room re-energized and ready to pounce. Instead, they committed two more penalties and were forced to punt. The defense stepped up to stop the Bills on downs at midfield, but a third-down fumble by Courtland Sutton a few yards short of the first down marker gave the ball right back to Buffalo. This...is unsatisfactory.

Another opportunity!

The defense comes up a huge yet AGAIN with its fourth turnover of the game! Do your thing offense! How many chances do you need?

*Sigh*...another punt

For the love of pete, just move the freaking ball! Do your job! Four yards on three plays and a punt. Good grief, get it together...

FINALLY, a touchdown!

Well better late than never! A finely engineered drive by Russell Wilson is capped off with a three yard dump to Javonte Williams. Just make the extra point, and things look much better!

Oh it’d be funny if it weren’t sad

Unbelievable...Riley Dixon can’t handle the snap, and now the Broncos miss yet another PAT and are at risk to lose the lead. Just par for the course for these guys...

Yep, this is about right

And the Bills march on down the field on the back of a determined James Cook to make the game 22-21 instead of the tie it should’ve been. Thanks, special teams!

Just get into field goal range

The Bills left enough time on the clock for the Broncos to still win. Russell Wilson and the offense have to do their part, though!

We’re there! Finish it!

Thank you, Jerry Jeudy! After the front seven went all-out blitz on Wilson, Jeudy was able to get loose enough for Wilson to find him deep to draw a pass interference. Now just an easy field goal with less than 30 second remaining.

Are...you...kidding me

Unbelievable. Despite seemingly having enough time to get set, Will Lutz pushes the field goal wide right...game over...Bills win...just awful execution by Denver...

But wait...

Just unreal...the Bills felt a bit rushed, too, apparently, and set up with 12 men on the field. Flag is thrown, and the Broncos get another shot with more time to get set.

And that’s game!

Lutz capitalizes on the mulligan, and the Broncos leave victorious! Let’s keep the momentum going!

Looking ahead

A win is a win, don’t get it wrong, but when a team wins the turnover battle 4-to-1, they shouldn’t need a miracle penalty bail out to secure a two-point win at the last second. The defense once again stepped up and carried the load, but the penalties (10 on the day) have to be cleaned up. Russell Wilson has GOT to start making quicker decisions and stop sitting in the pocket with the ball too long. And the offense in general has to find away to finish drives and take advantage of opportunities provided by the defense. Still, though, it’s great to be on the winning side of that, and at 4-5 with two home games the next couple of weeks, the team is sitting much better than they were at the beginning of the season.