As the Denver Broncos are back in the spotlight heading into the 2026 season, former quarterback Chris Simms dropped a statement downplaying the Broncos' success. The conversation surrounded Denver’s divisional win over the Buffalo Bills.

"It felt like if James Cook doesn't fumble as they're driving down the field and being unstoppable in the first half, and if Josh Allen didn't fumble trying to do too much on the last play of the first half, 'Oh, the Bills are better. They're going to outplay them. They're going to beat them that day," Chris Simms said during the discussion on the show, Pro Football Talk on Friday, May 15.

The Denver Broncos beat the Buffalo Bills 33–30 in overtime in the AFC Divisional Round after Buffalo’s turnovers swung the game, including a James Cook fumble on a strong drive and a Josh Allen fumble right before halftime that stalled their momentum.

"But we know that the Bills made those mistakes and Denver made a few plays, and they pulled it out,” he added.

Denver advanced to its first AFC Championship appearance since the franchise’s Super Bowl 50-winning 2015 campaign. However, they were forced to continue without starting quarterback Bo Nix, who suffered a broken ankle on the second-to-last play of the game and is out for the rest of the playoffs.

In the discussion, Simms also pointed out that Denver has several close wins during the season. As reported by YahooSports, the Broncos' eight wins in one-score games are the most in the league last season.

This season, they have made certain changes.

Denver Broncos Reshape 2026 Offense

Before the game, Denver head coach Sean Payton acknowledged that Buffalo had one of the NFL’s weakest run defenses, ranking 28th during the regular season. By saying he would “run it” on his playsheet, he meant he wanted to remind himself to consistently attack the Bills on the ground.

However, the Broncos’ running backs carried the ball only nine times through the first three quarters. So, they barely made use of the opportunity.

One of the key shifts this season is the appointment of Davis Webb as the primary play-caller, a shift aimed at getting the offense operating a bit quicker and more direct in execution.

"It's two teams that kind of pride themselves on being physical and going at it and doing all that been, it will see Davis Webb in that element," Simms said. "He's the new play caller for the Denver Broncos."

Given the deal J.K. Dobbins received from the Broncos, he is projected to be the top option in the running back room. The challenge now is finding the right balance for RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman within the rotation.

Will Denver be able to prove itself this season? Share your thoughts.

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Written by

Debanjali Rakshit

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar