ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – On Buffalo’s first running play Sunday, James Cook rambled for 16 yards.

It was a sign of things to come.

In the Bills’ 31-7 win over the Broncos in a wild-card playoff game at Highmark Stadium, Cook rushed for 120 yards on 23 carries. With quarterback Josh Allen tacking on 46 yards and Ty Johnson 44, the Bills rushed for 210 yards. The most Denver had given up in a game during the regular season was 149.

“Just not tackling,’’ Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers said of the damage done. “Just some of the yards that came after contact, I’m going to put that on the D-line. We got to get on the ball and make plays. That’s just what it is.”

On offense, the Broncos managed just 79 yards rushing. Throwing out 43 from quarterback Bo Nix, and they got a meager 36 yards from others.

Put those two things together and the Bills had a time of possession advantage of 41:43 to 18:17. That was the lowest time of possession the Broncos have had in a game in more than 40 years.

Head coach Sean Payton said the Broncos “struggled consistently” when “running the football” and “never really had an answer to stop their running game.”

Stopping Cook has been a problem the past two seasons for Denver. Although the Broncos won in an upset 24-22 at Buffalo on Nov. 13, 2023, on Monday Night Football, Cook had 109 yards on 12 carries.

“They got some quality running backs, man,’’ Broncos defensive tackle D.J. Jones said of all the yards the Bills picked up on the ground.

Payton tried to shake up his running game by making rookie Audric Estime inactive and using Tyler Badie, who was activated Saturday off injured reserve following a back injury suffered Sept. 29 at the New York Jets. Badie had just two carries for eight yards, with Denver running backs having just 11 carries in the game.

“Just running style with what we felt like we were going to do running-wise,’’ Payton said of the move. “Now, you wouldn’t know it because I don’t know how many handoffs we even had in the game. But we felt like, for this game, that was something we wanted to do.”

Sources said the initial plan had been for Badie to not be used again this season but that around Thursday night Payton changed his mind because he had liked how Badie had looked in some packages in practice.

Javonte Williams started at running back and had seven carries for 29 yards. Also used was Jaleel McLaughlin, who had two carries for minus-2 yards.

“I feel like we got a little bit off schedule,’’ Williams said about Denver’s running game. “We got behind a little. We got to do better on third downs and things like that, and, yeah, just keep the chains moving.”

Put it all together and the Broncos couldn’t run the ball and couldn’t stop the run.

Jones seeks return

Jones, due to become a free agent in March, hopes to re-sign with the Broncos.

“I’d love to be here,’’ Jones told The Denver Gazette. “But when we cross that road, we’ll cross it.”

Jones had one of Denver’s two sacks Sunday. The other was by defensive end Zach Allen.

In addition to Jones, the Broncos have a number of other players in line to be unrestricted free agents. Among them are Williams, linebacker Cody Barton, quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, linebacker Justin Strnad, wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey, punter Riley Dixon, fullback Michael Burton, tackle Matt Peart and cornerback Tremon Smith.

Williams and Stidham previously have spoken to The Denver Gazette about a desire to return.

Meeting with Miller

Bills edge rusher Von Miller talked plenty before and after Sunday’s game with some former Denver teammates.

Miller, who starred for the Broncos from 2011-21, didn’t do much Sunday in a reserve role. He had no tackles but did have a quarterback hit on Bo Nix.

“He was one of the best vets I’ve had over the span of my career,’’ said cornerback Pat Surtain II, who joined the Broncos in 2021 and spent half his rookie season with Miller. “So, it was good chatting it up with him and good seeing him. Obviously, I wish him nothing but the best and success moving forward.”

Dixon’s fake punt

Before last season, Payton talked about how Dixon was an adept passer and didn’t rule out the Broncos at some point could try a fake punt. It finally happened Sunday.

With Denver trailing 10-7 and facing fourth-and-8 at their 43 early the second quarter, Dixon threw a 15-yard pass to Marvin Mims Jr. for a first down. Dixon eventually punted on fourth-and-7 at the Buffalo 39, but Payton said the fake had proved important in field position since that punt was downed inside the one.

“What that play did is basically put them on the half-yard line,’’ Payton said. “It flips the field.”

The problem after that for the Broncos was that the Bills drove to their 40 before they punted.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t hold them down there,’’ Payton said.

Briefly

The Broncos learned Sunday night that they will pick No. 20 in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft. … In addition to Estime, inactive for the Broncos were Wilson, defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike, running back Blake Watson, linebacker Levelle Bailey and offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo, who was elevated from the practice squad Saturday. The Broncos again sought to reward Gargiulo, who was elevated the maximum allowed three times during the regular season but was inactive each time. … The Broncos lost outside linebacker Jonah Elliss for the game in the second quarter with a shoulder injury. … Rookie Devaughn Vele, who had 41 receptions for 475 yards in the regular season, didn’t have a catch while being targeted twice. … The Bills punted just once and Mims on a second-quarter return was hit hard and held to no gain. Mims, upset by the hit, was then assessed a penalty for unnecessary roughness for shoving a Buffalo player.