 overcame their struggling running attack courtesy of Taylor's arm and a stout defense in a game LeSean McCoy was limited to 21 yards on 14 carries. Though he had seven catches for 48 yards, McCoy's latest poor outing came after he was limited to 9 yards rushing in a 9-3 loss at Carolina. The Bills allowed just one touchdown, while Brandon McManus rounded out Denver's scoring with three field goals. Rather than point fingers at the Taylor-led offense following the loss to Carolina, Bills defenders blamed themselves for failing to generate any turnovers. They made up for that against the Broncos on an unseasonably hot afternoon, with temperatures projected to reach the upper 80s, making the on-field conditions even warmer. In falling to 2-1, the Broncos turned the ball over on each of their final four possessions, with Siemian being intercepted by E. J. Gaines and Tre'Davious White. The Broncos also turned the ball over twice on downs. Deon Lacey tackled De'Angelo Henderson for a 1-yard gain when Denver attempted a fake punt on fourth-and-2 at its own 31 early in the fourth quarter. And the Broncos' final drive ended when Siemian underthrew a pass to Emmanuel Sanders with under 2 minutes left. Buffalo went ahead 20-16 on Taylor's 6-yard pass to Clay with 6:20 left in the third quarter, and then put the game out of reach on a pair of field goals by Stephen Hauschka. Hauschka hit a 53-yarder after the Broncos were foiled on their fake punt. Hauschka also hit a 55-yarder in becoming Buffalo's first player to make two field goals 53 yards or longer in the same game. Hauschka then sealed the win with a 37-yard field goal with 3:14 left on a drive following White's interception . Von Miller didn't help the Broncos' cause on that drive. Though he had a sack and was in on six tackles, the star linebacker took a foolish penalty with 6 minutes left. Offering his hand as if to help up Taylor, Miller then pulled it away at the last second right in front of an official, who flagged Miller 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. It was a disappointing performance for Siemian, who entered the game tied for the league lead with six touchdowns passing. Instead, he finished hitting 24 of 40 for 259 and two interceptions. Jamaal Charles scored Denver's lone touchdown on a 12-yard run five minutes into the second quarter. PENALTIESTwo undisciplined penalties against the Bills led to the Broncos' first touchdown. First, safety Micah Hyde was flagged for a late hit on C. J. Anderson, who was well out of bounds following a 32-yard run. On the next play, defensive end Jerry Hughes drew a roughing-the-passer penalty for bowling over Siemian after he threw an incompletion. ANTHEM PROTESTBills RB LeSean McCoy knelt, then sat and stretched during the anthem a day after he caused a stir by tweeting, ''It's really sad man'' and then used an obscenity to describe Trump. Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly joined the team on the field during the anthem and held up his left hand while holding a Bills cap. More than half of the Broncos players - including linebacker Von Miller, safety Aqib Talib and receiver Demaryius Thomas - knelt on their side of the field. Fans began to boo as the Bills players walked in unison onto the field. They stopped booing once the anthem began. INACTIVESBroncos: Rookie starting left tackle Garett Bolles started a week after fearing he tore his left Achilles tendon. Tests, however, revealed he sustained a bruised bone and returned to practice on Thursday. Bills: Starting left tackle Cordy Glenn (right ankle) and Dareus (right ankle) were ruled out after being hurt in a 9-3 loss at Carolina last week. Rookie third-round draft pick Dion Dawkins started in place of Glenn, while Cedric Thornton started for Dareus. UP NEXTBroncos: Host Oakland Raiders on Oct. 1. Bills: At Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 1. ---For more NFL coverage: http://www. pro32. ap. org and http://www. twitter. com/-NFL)
Sep 21, 2017 After a Week 2 stumble, the Buffalo Bills are looking to get their running game going again Sunday in Orchard Park, N. Y. Standing in their way will be the Denver Broncos. Buffalo (1-1) was held without a touchdown last week in a 9-3 loss to Carolina, and the Bills' running game went nowhere. LeSean McCoy went from 110 yards rushing in a season-opening win over the New York Jets to 9 yards on a dozen carries against the Panthers. Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor believes the offensive fix can be quick, though Buffalo will oppose a Denver defense that shut down Ezekiel Elliott in a 42-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys last week. Elliott, last year's NFL rushing champion, gained 8 yards on nine carries vs. the Broncos (2-0). "Last week was just a case where we didn't get the running game going," Taylor said of the Bills' typical potent running attack. "That's not going to be the case every week. " McCoy said the Bills must stay patient with their running game even if they don't have initial success against the Broncos' stout defense. "We need to just stay true to our keys and our identity," McCoy said. "If we get back in points and we're down, just stay with it. The Cowboys kind of went to the passing game so early because they stopped (Elliott) a few times in the running game and they got down on points. "The Broncos are a tough group, they really are. I think you just have to keep being consistent, running your plays, and you have to keep to your identity. You can't change because of how the game's going because they'll make plays. They're a good defense. They're going to make plays, and you just have to keep at it. " Denver coach Vance Joseph said in many ways Buffalo's offense poses similar challenges to the offense the Broncos just faced in the Cowboys, a big, physical group that leans on the run to drive the attack. "It's an offense that's built to run the football, starting with McCoy," Joseph said. "He's a special, special runner with the football. Offensive-line wise, it's a big, big, physical line that's a nasty, aggressive group. "Their quarterback also poses a threat with his legs. He's a passer first, but if the play breaks down, his scrambling ability is a concern. " Safety Darian Stewart said the Broncos' defense isn't fazed by facing two of the NFL's top running backs in consecutive weeks. "That's the life in the league," Stewart said. "You're going to play a high-profile back every week. We're looking forward to the challenge. He's a shifty back, but we look forward to it. " Taylor said of going up against Denver cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Chris Harris: "That's a battle each and every week. You face good corners each and every week. There's going to be one-on-one battles that we have to win. I have confidence in all the guys that line up at wide receiver for us, and we're going to make those one-on-one battles work in our favor. " While the Bills will be looking to rev up their offense, Buffalo's defense figures to have its hands full against a Denver offense that showed both explosiveness and the ability to sustain drives in its beat-down of Dallas. C. J. Anderson has rushed for 199 yards in the first two games to spearhead the league's top rushing attack. Second-year starting quarterback Trevor Siemian is tied for the league lead in touchdown passes with six. "I had the chance to go against Trevor a year ago when I was with the Panthers in the opening game of the year," Bills coach Sean McDermott said. "I was impressed with him then. I continue to be impressed. He knows where to go with the football based on coverage looks. He gets in and out of plays at the line. He's efficient. They're very efficient that way. " Buffalo, meanwhile, could be without defensive end Shaq Lawson (foot) and defensive tackle Marcell Dareus (ankle) this week. Also questionable was offensive tackle Cordy Glenn, who also is dealing with a foot injury. For the Broncos, offensive tackle Garett Bolles is battling a lower leg injury that could prevent him from taking the field Sunday. Wide receiver Bennie Fowler III was in the concussion protocol this week, and his availability also was in question.
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