BUFFALO, N.Y. —Friday afternoon, the Broncos shuffled off to Buffalo in advance of their Sunday afternoon duel with the Bills.
Eastbound trips to play in early-afternoon games have not caused any unusual problems for the Broncos in their recent history. Since the start of the 2011 season, the Broncos are 14-4 in games that begin at 11 a.m. MT.
Ultimately, the time and the trip won't decide the game. What happens on the surface at New Era Field will.
What are the keys to the game?
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- Contain the Bills' pass rush**
There are plenty of ways to do this, starting with the obvious: take care of pass protection up front. If left tackle Garett Bolles cannot play because of the lower-leg contusion he suffered last week, the Broncos will have to adjust their personnel, but the task against a Bills front will remain the same.
Defensive tackle Marcell Dareus will not play because of an ankle injury, but the Bills still pack plenty of punch, with Kyle Williams, Shaq Lawson, Jerry Hughes and Lorenzo Alexander capable of wreaking havoc. Through two games, that quartet has 16 quarterback hurries, according to the numbers compiled by Pro Football Focus.
A strong running game and a quick-timing passing game with screen passes could help neutralize Buffalo's pass rush, giving Trevor Siemian time to operate while allowing Denver's offense to maintain the balance that has kept its opponents off-kilter the last two weeks.
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- Limit the Bills' explosive runs**
No team has ripped off runs of 20 or more yards and 10 or more yards at a higher rate since the start of the 2015 season than the Bills. Running back LeSean McCoy and quarterback Tyrod Taylor have combined for 110 of those runs in that span — 66 for McCoy, 44 for Taylor.
How they accomplish these runs has changed since the Bills hired Rick Dennison as their offensive coordinator after two years in the same position with the Broncos. Buffalo now runs a zone-blocking scheme similar to the one Denver's offense utilized the last two years. Fortunately for the Broncos, their defense can tap into a reservoir of experience from training-camp and OTA practices in 2015 and 2016.
"I think it helps a lot," said inside linebacker Todd Davis. "Not only did I see zone blocking, I saw the exact offensive coordinator, so I think it's going to help us a lot. He might try to throw some different things at us, but I think we're ready."
The biggest key to defending the zone-blocking scheme? Discipline. "Overpursuing the ball and going out of your position, trying to do too much. I think if you play your position, and everybody plays their position, one way or another, it will all come back to you," Davis said. "So you just need to get in your gap, play your gap and play from there."
3. Continue the third-down success
The Broncos sit atop the league in third-down conversion percentage on both offense (57 percent) and defense (23 percent). Buffalo sits in the middle third of the league in both statistics.
But Buffalo offers a stern test, particularly on offense. The Bills have the league's fifth-best defense on first down through two weeks, allowing just 4.1 yards per play. Their second-down defense leads the league, permitting just 3.3 yards per snap.
To set up success on third down, the Broncos will have to find success where the Jets and Panthers could not on first and second downs in Weeks 1 and 2, allowing them to keep third downs in the "third-and-makeable" range.
Von Miller vs. rookie tackle Dion Dawkins is just one matchup to watch when the Broncos battle the Bills on Sunday.
Chris Harris Jr. picked off his first pass of the season in Week 2 vs. the Cowboys, and he'll look to add to his collection against the Bills. This week's target of the dangerous "No-Fly Zone"? Jordan Matthews, who came to Buffalo in the offseason to provide Taylor with a deep threat. He's already recorded a 47-yard reception in the early stages of this season, and he is likely to be the Bills' first option on the outside. Matthews has hauled in five passes for 91 yards so far, but if Harris and Aqib Talib can slow him down, the Bills' passing attack will be hard-pressed to find any sustainable success against the Broncos.
In his third career game, rookie tackle Dion Dawkins will face perhaps the best edge rusher he'll see all season. Filling in for Cordy Glenn, Dawkins will find himself battling Von Miller, who recorded two sacks last week against Dallas. Miller could be in for another big day if Dawkins — with help — can't slow him down. Should Miller burst past Dawkins on several occasions to take down Tyrod Taylor, the Broncos' defense will almost certainly turn in a big performance, and Miller will be back on pace for 20-plus sacks.
Along a dangerous Buffalo front seven, linebacker Lorenzo Alexander may pose the biggest threat. Even without Marcell Dareus up front to help clear lanes, Alexander is still capable of rushing through nearly any gap, and he had more than a little success in 2016. After a 12.5-sack season, Alexander was selected to the second Pro Bowl of his career at the age of 33. He'll look to continue that success in his second season in Buffalo, and it will be up to players like Ron Leary to stop him. Leary, a free-agent pickup from Dallas, has proved to be a great addition along the Broncos' offensive line. A dynamic run blocker, Leary will also be challenged to help deal with a dangerous Alexander, who will be looking to get to Trevor Siemian.
Plenty has been made this week about LeSean McCoy's prowess as a runner — and for good reason. In Week 1, McCoy rushed for 110 yards on 22 carries as he got off to another great start. Though he was bottled up by the Panthers and only turned in 12 carries for 9 yards, there's no doubting his ability. The five-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro has been among the best at his position for years. Still, he poses just as much of a challenge out of the backfield as a receiver. He's averaged nearly 8 yards per reception over the course of his career, and that could be a dangerous option for the Bills. Linebackers Todd Davis and Brandon Marshall must find a way to cover the dangerous McCoy, or the Broncos could find themselves in a repeat situation of last year's game against the Falcons, in which Tevin Coleman tore up the interior of the defense.
Through two weeks, Virgil Green has reeled in three catches for 55 yards, including a 44-yard fourth-quarter reception against the Chargers in Week 1. In all, the Broncos' tight ends have been a pleasant surprise in Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy's system, and the team will look for that trend to continue in Buffalo. This week, Green will find himself matched up against fifth-year safety Jordan Poyer, an Oregon State product with 14 tackles on the season. Poyer has also broken up five passes in the early season and recorded an interception. The Bills' free safety is also dangerous in the backfield — he has two sacks this season — but his real work Sunday will come against Green.
