ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The logos haven't changed. The teams have.
The Broncos will begin their 2025 postseason slate with a rematch of last year's playoff matchup in Orchard Park, and there are lessons to be taken from Denver's first postseason game in nearly a decade.
But as several Broncos said Tuesday in the leadup to Saturday's Divisional Round matchup, this isn't the same upstart group that traveled to western New York last January.
"We left with a sour taste," cornerback Pat Surtain II said. "That wasn't the result we wanted, but there's a lot to learn from and take away from that game. We know that we're a whole completely different team. Last year's in the past."
The Broncos battled in that Wild Card matchup, trailing by just a field goal at halftime and hanging within a possession until quarterback Josh Allen threw a fourth-down touchdown pass late in the third quarter. With another year of experience and some key defensive additions, though, the Broncos believe they'll be better prepared for the matchup.
"We're just not the same team that we were a year ago," outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper said, "and with the additions that we added with Dre [Greenlaw] and 'Huf' [Talanoa Hufanga], we're definitely stepping up our game and our defense as a whole."
Outside linebacker Jonah Elliss echoed Cooper's sentiment, crediting some key additions on the defensive side of the ball.
"They've merged into this defense really well, and it's a bunch of guys that trust each other," Elliss said.
The Broncos' mentality has also changed. Tackle Mike McGlinchey acknowledged that a year ago, there was an element of being excited to take the next step and reach the postseason. Entering the Divisional Round, the Broncos' goals are higher this year.
"We're excited to be here, obviously, but expecting a lot more," McGlinchey said. "We're ready for the opportunity. Again, you want to beat the best, and that's what the playoffs gives you the opportunity to do, and the Bills are going to be a great one."
While the Broncos are a different team than they were a season ago, that doesn't eliminate the ability to learn from last year's game. Cooper spoke of the value of playing against the NFL's leading rusher in James Cook, while Surtain and Denver's defense saw Allen's play-extending ability up close.
"He's been great," Surtain said. "He puts the team on his back, for sure, in critical moments. He finds a way to come through in the clutch. Obviously, he's got all the attributes, but one of the things I picked up on is his toughness — how he's able to lead his team to victory. One thing that we've got to eliminate is his second-chance opportunities. He thrives off that, finding opportunities even if the play is not there. He's a great player, so we've got to game-plan and eliminate the explosives."
Wide receiver Courtland Sutton said he's already watched the film of last year's game twice, citing the benefit of seeing the Broncos' offense on tape against the Bills' defensive scheme.
"Obviously, we didn't have our best performance against them last year," Sutton said. "There's a lot to learn from that game — things that you look at and you're like, 'Dang, man.' There [are] certain plays where it's right there, and then there's certain plays where it's like, 'We didn't execute that at all the way we wanted to.' To be able to go back in there and know that there's learning opportunities from that film, it's very beneficial."
Those elements of familiarity could be valuable as the Broncos look to earn a win in Saturday's sequel.
"The beautiful part about football is you get another opportunity," defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers said.
