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Coming into Saturday’s playoff matchup, the Denver Broncos led the NFL in penalty yards, yet discipline was not an issue for Denver. Instead, penalties proved costly for Buffalo.
The Broncos edged the Bills 33–30 in overtime in the divisional round at Mile High, and flags played a decisive role on the final drive.
On the possession that set up Wil Lutz’s game-winning field goal, Buffalo was twice called for defensive pass interference. The Bills surrendered 47 penalty yards on that drive alone, allowing Denver to move comfortably down the field for the final points of the game.
MORE: Writing Broncos were disciplined after leading the league in penalties entering the game
Taron Johnson was first flagged for defensive pass interference after tightly covering Courtland Sutton on an incompletion, taking him to the ground as the ball arrived. Whether the call was justified or not, Joey Bosa’s penalty would have given Denver yardage regardless, as the Broncos picked up 17 yards on the play.
The decisive moment for Buffalo came two plays later. Facing 2nd & 12 and already within long field-goal range, Nix threw deep to Marvin Mims, who was covered by Tre’Davious White. This DPI was more apparent, as White began tackling Mims before the ball arrived.
Entering the game, referee Carl Cheffers and his crew were known for calling a higher-than-average number of penalties. Additionally, Denver had been the most penalized team in the league—particularly for defensive pass interference—while Josh Allen had drawn the most penalties that resulted in points. Despite those trends, the Broncos’ secondary remained disciplined, as Denver was flagged just three times for 20 yards in the entire game.
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