'MNF' preview: Can the Bills offense find consistency against the Broncos?

The Denver Broncos (3-5) eye their third consecutive win when they visit a struggling Buffalo Bills team (5-4) that hopes to get back into the playoff picture on "Monday Night Football.” Here's what to watch for each team.

When the Bills are on offense

Which iteration of the unit should we expect?: Despite ranking sixth in points per game (26.7), the Bills offense has been inconsistent throughout the season. Buffalo was held to just 18 points in last week's loss to Cincinnati, the fourth time the unit has failed to score 21 points. 

The team hasn't enjoyed a true offensive outburst since Week 4, the last game it scored more than 30 points, a mark it reached eight times in 2022. 

With Buffalo on the outside looking in on the playoffs, there's every reason to panic. However, QB Josh Allen feels a turning point is coming soon.

"The process that we have, it works," Allen told reporters earlier this week. "It's been proven to work. We haven't gotten the results we've wanted to in the last few weeks, obviously. But continuing to stick to that and trust what we're being told and trust what we're doing because [once] we get this thing right, things are going to be just fine." 

TE Dalton Kincaid aims for another strong performance: Star wideout Stefon Diggs (70 receptions, 834 yards and seven touchdowns) remains the focal point of the offense, however, the Bills may have finally found the secondary receiving option that they have long sought. 

Kincaid, Buffalo's 2023 first-round pick, has established himself as a reliable target for Allen over the Bills' last three games, hauling in 23 passes for 221 yards and one touchdown in that time.

Assuming he continues to be targeted at such a high rate, it'll be interesting to see how Kincaid's versatility will present challenges matchup-wise for the Broncos. Even so, Denver did limit Kansas City's Travis Kelce, arguably the greatest tight end of all time, to 58 yards on six catches in its Week 8 win so it could bring an end to Kincaid's impressive run.

A potential solution to the offense's woes: If the Bills want to find a higher level of offensive consistency, they'll have to stop being so one-dimensional. As ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg notes, the Bills are 26th in designed rush percentage (34.4%), which is doing a disservice to their efficient tailback, James Cook. 

HC Sean McDermott has been prone to abandoning the running game when trailing, with last week being yet another instance, as Cook received just six carries. Considering Denver allows the most yards per carry this season, this should be the perfect opportunity to get Cook more involved. 

The Broncos defense is better than the numbers indicate: The Broncos' early season ineptitude, namely their historic 70-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins, has led stats to suggest their defense is still one of the NFL's worst. However, over the last three games, during which it faced Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes twice, Denver has made strides defensively, allowing 15 points per contest, the fewest in the league. 

Additionally, the Broncos racked up seven takeaways during that stretch, including five in their most recent game, potentially posing a problem for the turnover-prone Allen. 

Then the Broncos are on offense

Will the running game continue to mask their quarterback's deficiencies?: While Russell Wilson has been marginally better than last season, he's far from the quarterback he was with the Seahawks. Denver's defense continues to carry it during its turnaround, though Wilson continues to complicate things. For the offense to be effective, it will need to establish the run early and lean heavily on Javonte Williams.

Williams, who suffered a season-ending knee injury a year ago, started 2023 off sluggishly due to quad and hip issues. However, he has started to flourish recently for the Broncos and is averaging 83.5 rushing yards and three receptions over his last two games. 

Buffalo's run defense has fared well as of late but has been vulnerable against aggressive rushing attacks, allowing 114.4 yards on the ground per game. 

Can WR Courtland Sutton extend his touchdown streak?: As much as Wilson has had difficulties in the passing game, he has found success when targeting Sutton, the team's leading receiver (380 yards). 

The 28-year-old wideout scored just four touchdowns from 2020-22 but has become a frequent visitor to the end zone this season. Sutton has scored in each of the last three games and six times this season, tying his career high.

OLB Von Miller’s not-so-revenge-filled game: The eight-time Pro Bowler faces the franchise he set multiple records for and helped win a Super Bowl with for the first time since they traded him to the Rams in 2021. 

Even though the Broncos all-time sack leader said earlier this week that he doesn't consider this matchup a "revenge game," Miller will surely want to deliver a dominant outing. Miller is yet to record a sack in five games after missing Buffalo's first four contests while recovering from last year's season-ending knee injury. 

Injuries keep piling on for the Bills defense: Injuries have decimated Buffalo's defense throughout the season, and the unit has lost two more starters in the secondary and could potentially be without LB Terrel Bernard (concussion) on Monday. 

Safety Micah Hyde (stinger) and CB Christian Benford (hamstring) have been ruled out, whereas Bernard is listed as questionable.

Super Bowl LVI champion Taylor Rapp will start in place of Hyde, while Buffalo's trade deadline acquisition CB Rasul Douglas should see his role expand after making his team debut last week. 

Although a banged-up secondary may seem advantageous for Denver's offense, even with their injuries, the Bills still only allow the second-fewest points per game (17.9).