The Denver Broncos, after earning their first-round bye, have already figured out their Divisional round opponent before the final Wild Card game.
The Buffalo Bills are making the trip out West to face the Broncos in Denver in what's a rematch of their 2024 NFL playoff matchup. Denver is looking for revenge, and with a strong defense and a shaky Bills offense, it should be a big advantage for the Broncos.
But, there's one unexpected issue that the Broncos will face: the Bills' wide receiver room. Aaron Quinn of Cover 1 Sports noted this issue for Denver in a joking tone, but in reality, it could be a very real issue next weekend.
The Broncos have odd matchups vs. Bills WRs
"Patrick Surtain is an eraser. He eliminates team's #1 WRs weekly," Quinn posted on Twitter/x. "Luckily for Buffalo, Brandon Beane is playing 4d Chess and the Bills don't have a #1 WR to eliminate!"
This post from Quinn is one made in jest, but there is some truth to this situation for the Broncos and the Bills.
In this weekend's upcoming matchup, the Bills and Josh Allen won't have to funnel their offense through one elite wide receiver.
Instead, Khalil Shakir, the tight-end duo, Brandin Cooks, and a cast of supporting receivers all could make big impacts for Buffalo against the Broncos.
While Surtain might shut down one receiver per-play, the rest of the defense can be suspect, especially with Riley Moss's struggles at times this season.
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If Surtain is covering Shakir, the Bills will have equally capable receivers running routes, making the Broncos' defense incapable of shutting down a clear number one this week.
While Shakir is the favorite target, his route-tree doesn't involve the typical downfield shots and patterns that elite number 1 WRs have.
Even though Denver has one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in Surtain, and he'll have the clear matchup advantage on whichever receiver he covers, the rest of Allen's weapons are all just as capable as whoever is being covered by Surtain.
The shutdown ability of Surtain will give the Broncos an advantage, but it's not nearly as big a deal as it normally would be.
This dynamic will be one to keep a very close eye on in this upcoming Divisional round matchup, as the Broncos might have a tougher time defending the Bills than normal.
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