As the AFC top-seeded Denver Broncos prepare for their high-stakes AFC Championship Round showdown against the Buffalo Bills, Randy Moss isn’t mincing words. In a direct warning to Sean Payton’s Broncos, the Hall of Famer highlighted a looming threat that could derail their Super Bowl aspirations: the Bills quarterback. 

Summing up the challenge in four words, Moss remarked, “Josh Allen is him.” 

Moss bluntly highlighted that quarterback Allen is playing at a level where traditional game plans often become irrelevant. Buffalo is carrying the heat of their Wild-Card Round, and the Broncos need to be alert. 

The core of Moss’s message for Payton was about urgency. Top-seeded teams coming off a first-round bye can occasionally start games “flat” or “rusty.” Moss warned the Broncos that such a lapse would be fatal against Buffalo. 

“They cannot afford to come out flat,” said Moss. “The reason why… last year, going against your Detroit Lions, there was another hot, phenomenal quarterback coming in that led the Washington Commanders in Jayden Daniels. I see Josh Allen leading his team, coming in the number one seed. Denver Broncos better come out hot.”

In Moss’s opinion, the strategy of simply “stopping the ball from getting to the outside” might not be enough against Allen. As elite as the defense may be, it needs to elevate to match Allen’s intensity if they have any desire to play in Santa Clara this season. 

Denver’s head coach, too, has the realization of the sturdy challenge of facing the reigning NFL MVP. Recalling his first meeting with Allen, Payton realized why he is so difficult to “bring down,” courtesy of his massive, physical frame. 

He was particularly impressed by what he calls Allen’s “second-act explosives.” Translation? Allen’s ability to navigate within the pocket, climb up or scramble out, and then find an open receiver downfield to create a big play out of nothing. 

“There’s a lot that goes into that, relative to defending him,” he said.

But that doesn’t mean Payton is planning to give up without a fight. Besides his strategy of being “aggressive,” he made an unconventional request to Broncos Country. 

“The noise level needs to be loudest when they enter the huddle,” Payton requested. “Can we do that collectively for half of the snaps in the game? Say 65 snaps for 10 seconds. That’d be a huge advantage.”

The Broncos already have the advantage of their home field (New Mile High Stadium), which already makes it difficult for opposing teams to play due to the thin air. Additionally, Payton is employing a psychological and tactical strategy to neutralize Allen. 

The norm is waiting for the offense to break the huddle before the fans begin ramping up the noise, but Payton wants his supporters to hit their peak while Buffalo is still in the huddle. This will force the Bills to deal with deafening noise before they even reach the line of scrimmage. 

Denver aims to trigger communication errors early. Because if the Bills can’t hear the play call clearly in the huddle, the entire play is compromised before it begins. Perhaps there’s something else favoring Denver. 

Josh Allen set to play through three injuries

Even though the Bills’ signal caller’s status for the Divisional Round was never in question, he was seen on the Injury Report. Apparently, he’s dealing with a trio of injuries: knee, foot, and right finger. His participation was limited on Tuesday and full on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Fortunately, nothing is serious, and Allen has a reputation for durability, which  Denver could use to their advantage. 

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The four-time Pro Bowler is riding the NFL’s longest active streak for a quarterback, having started 137 consecutive games. His foot injury has been lingering since Week 16, and the knee and finger knocks were sustained from the Wild-Card round. 

His teammates call him a “Superman” or “Wolverine” for his ability to play through pain. 

“I’ve seen him take so many crazy hits and bruises and get his knee twisted and hit his finger on a helmet, and that would take most guys out, and he’s dealing with multiple of those things and not even missing a play,” said tight end Dawson Knox. “So, when we say he puts on that cape, it’s got several meanings to it.”

Allen himself confirmed his readiness earlier in the week, saying he felt better than he had in some time. This means all his focus is devoted to facing Denver.