Like a great many Wyoming football fans, I was conflicted while watching the Denver Broncos defeat the Buffalo Bills Saturday in Denver, 33-30.
This was one of the all-time great games, with the lead switching back and forth and momentum constantly changing. And these are my two favorite pro teams.
This game had everything you could ever ask for.
I predicted on Facebook that it would be a 31-30 game. Instead, it ended 30-30 at the end of regulation and finished 33-30 in overtime.
But the biggest post-game news was Denver’s loss of quarterback Bo Nix for the rest of the way because of an ankle fracture – this is horrible new for Bronco fans and for Nix, who was having an amazing season.
Bittersweet for Josh
It was heartbreaking to see Wyoming’s Josh Allen come this close and again not make it to a Super Bowl. He is probably the best pro quarterback of these times, and yet he gets stymied each year.
After beating Denver 31-7 last year, Buffalo was defeated by Kansas City. This year, the Bills trailed 23-10, then rallied and scored 17 straight points to take the lead, 27-23. Then Denver answered with a touchdown to regain the lead, 30-27. Josh led a frantic comeback that saw Buffalo tie the game, 30-30, to force overtime. Kicking that 50-yarder was a 41-year-old former Bronco, Matt Prater.
In overtime, some bad penalties on Buffalo led to that team’s demise when Wil Lutz kicked a short field goal to win it for Denver. Josh is now 0-7 in overtime games in his career—not a great statistic for a quarterback famed for his comebacks.
Next year, Josh will be in his eighth season, will be 30 years old, and will be a dad—and still will not have been to a Super Bowl. I’m not sure Buffalo can get him there. Frankly, this team was not as good as some of his earlier teams. His chances may be dim in Buffalo unless they add a few more key players.
So Sweet for Denver
After years of watching Kansas City bury the Broncos, suddenly Denver is back. They had the best record in the AFC and were the No. 1 seed.
They are the cardiac kids, having won 13 games by a one-score margin—an NFL record.
Coach Sean Payton called a masterful game, and quarterback Bo Nix again demonstrated what a cool customer he is. At critical moments, he came through with clutch plays—both with his legs on surprising runs and with accurate passes into the end zone. Going forward, Nix will be impossible to replace.
In the end, the Denver defense came up big once again. They stopped the unstoppable when they thwarted Josh and his offense at key moments in overtime.
Fans in for a Treat
Sally Ann Shurmur of Glenrock is one of my favorite sports fans. She posted a photo on Facebook of herself wearing a Buffalo shirt while her partner, Owen Frank, was wearing a Denver one.
I was the same. I wore my lucky Broncos Terrell Davis No. 30 jersey while holding a Josh Allen bobblehead doll in my hands. I truly did not have a favorite. I rooted for both teams, and it was a nail-biter.
To me, that was the typical Wyoming dilemma. We have all been Broncos fans forever, but many of us have never forgiven Denver’s John Elway for not drafting Josh years ago. Josh himself was sure he was going to Denver. As a result, many Wyoming fans switched their allegiance to the Buffalo Bills—coincidentally named after Wyoming’s most famous all-time figure, Buffalo Bill Cody.
Big Frank Crum
Laramie’s big Frank Crum was a hero earlier this season when he blocked a field goal to preserve a win. In this game, he caught a pass from Nix for a critical touchdown. Is that amazing or what?
We wanted our Wyoming boy, Josh Allen, to shine—but here was Frank Crum stepping up. Just a wonderful footnote for Wyoming fans when they recall this great game.
Casper native and former Gillette News-Record newspaperman Ron Franscell has a huge following on Facebook. The best-selling author posted this prior to the game:
“Next weekend's playoff game between the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills is causing some anxious moments in a big part of the Broncos Kingdom. Wyoming tends to be Broncos territory, but Bills QB Josh Allen is an extremely popular former University of Wyoming player whose college number was officially retired last year in a huge Laramie celebration. When it comes right down to it, who are my Wyoming friends rooting for?”
Bradley Bush of Jackson said:
“Been a lifelong Broncos fan, but Josh deserves a Super Bowl. I try to be for whoever is on offense and I’ll see how that goes. My heart doesn’t even tell me who it wants.”
Dave King of Lander wrote:
“Josh and the Bills from Buffalo. Josh and the Bills deserve a Super Bowl.”
On to the Super Bowl
With this win, had Denver been able to keep Nix in the line-up, I thought they could go all the way. Not so sure now.
Bill can be reached at bill@cowboystatedaily.com
