Wil Lutz got a do-over and kicked a 36-yard field goal as time expired as the Denver Broncos won their third straight by rallying for a 24-22 victory over the turnover-prone Buffalo Bills on Monday night.
Lutz got a second chance after he missed wide right with four seconds remaining from 41 yards, but the play was negated when Buffalo were flagged for having 12 players on the field.
Lutz also overcame his own struggles in a game he missed an extra point by hitting the left upright, and was unable to get another extra-point attempt off when holder Riley Dixon bobbled the snap.
After Bills quarterback Josh Allen scampered in from six yards to give the Bills their first and only lead, Russell Wilson oversaw a 10-play, 57-yard drive to set up Lutz's field goal.
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The key play of the drive came on third-and-10 from Buffalo's 45 when Wilson - facing an all-out blitz - lobbed a pass deep over the middle intended for Jerry Jeudy, who drew a pass interference penalty against defensive back Taron Johnson to give Denver the ball at the Bills' 17.
The Broncos (4-5) have won three straight and four of six since a 70-20 loss at Miami.
The Bills dropped to 5-5 following an outing in which they turned the ball over four times, with Allen throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble.
The Broncos were coming off their bye week, and carried over the momentum of a 24-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, which ended a 16-game skid against their AFC West rivals.
Bills safety Damar Hamlin played his first defensive snap and made his first tackle, a stop on Adam Trautman in the fourth quarter, since suffering a cardiac arrest during January's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Stats leaders:
Denver Broncos
- Passing: Russell Wilson, 24/29, 193 yards, 2 TD
- Rushing: Javonte Williams, 21 carries, 79 yards
- Receiving: Courtland Sutton, 8 catches, 53 yards, 1 TD
- Adam Thielen, 6 catches, 42 yards
Buffalo Bills
- Passing: Josh Allen, 15/26, 177 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
- Rushing: James Cook, 12 carries, 109 yards
- Receiving: Gabe Davis, 2 catches, 56 yards
Wilson finished 24 of 29 for 193 yards, including a perfectly-placed seven-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton. What initially appeared as if Wilson was simply throwing the ball out of bounds instead landed in Sutton's hands, with the receiver able to get both feet in bounds.
The Bills, meantime, were busy coughing up the ball for most of the outing against a Broncos defense that forced four turnovers two weeks after forcing five against the Chiefs.
Allen has turned the ball over in all but two games and thrown an interception in six straight. He finished 15 of 26 for 177 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown to rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid.
The turnover-fest began on Buffalo's first play from scrimmage when Denver's Ja'Quan McMillan pried the ball out of the hands of running back James Cook to force a fumble.
Allen followed up by ending Buffalo's second drive by having his hard pass over the middle glance off the hands of receiver Gabe Davis, with the ball bouncing directly to Justin Simmons for his 30th career interception.
Allen's second interception came in the final minute of the first half, and on the first play from scrimmage after Lutz hit a 49-yard field goal to put Denver up 12-8.
He fluttered a pass up the left sideline that was easily intercepted by Fabian Moreau, which led to Lutz making a 40-yard field goal to close the half.
Scoring summary
What did they say?
Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson: "We believe in each other. We believe in what we can do. To beat the Chiefs, to beat these guys, it sets a standard of who we should be, who we can be, and who we are going to be."
Bills quarterback Josh Allen: "I'm still confident. But it's no secret. The clock's ticking. Got to have some urgency now."
Broncos kicker Wil Lutz: "Extremely grateful that we get another opportunity, and you don't get that opportunity every day. So, huge win. Just grateful I was able to get another kick there."
Broncos safety Justin Simmons: "It just feels so good to win, man. I'm sitting here thinking about the adversity that we hit, and how everybody kind of answered the bell there. You're always going to face adversity, it's just a matter of how you respond."
What's next?
The Broncos are back in action at home to the Josh Dobbs-led Minnesota Vikings (6-4), while the Bills host their divisional rival New York Jets (4-5).
Week 11 in the NFL kicks off Thursday night when the Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) take on the Baltimore Ravens (7-3) from 1.15am in the early hours of Friday.