The Denver Broncos enter the postseason as the most penalized team in the NFL, while Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has been the league’s most effective player at turning penalties into points.
As a result, Saturday afternoon’s divisional round matchup at Mile High carries the risk of being defined by officiating rather than play on the field.
Denver has been flagged for an NFL-high 1,149 penalty yards in 2025, with a significant portion coming from a league-worst 350 yards on defensive pass interference calls.
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Cornerback Riley Moss, in particular, has drawn the attention of officials, accounting for a league-high 203 penalty yards on 10 DPI flags alone.
On the other side, Allen led all quarterbacks this season with a +5.6 expected points added (EPA) generated from penalties, underscoring how costly flags against Buffalo opponents can be.
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The game will be overseen by veteran referee Carl Cheffers and his crew. Cheffers is the most senior official assigned to a divisional round matchup and is known for a higher-than-average number of penalty calls. According to Pro Football Reference, his crew averaged nearly two more penalties per game than other NFL officiating crews this season.
There is a slight silver lining for Denver: home teams won at a marginally higher rate in games officiated by Cheffers’ crew in 2025. That trend could work in favor of the Broncos, who enter the matchup as the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
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