• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Bills keep Broncos from clinching

Dec 22, 2008 - 2:05 AM By Tony Desiere PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DENVER (Ticker) -- It's the playoff scenario the Denver Broncos wanted to avoid.

Needing a win to secure the AFC West title, the Broncos were defeated by the Buffalo Bills, 30-23, on Sunday at Invesco Field.

The loss sets up a showdown with San Diego next weekend with the AFC West crown on the line.

"It was very disappointing," Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan said. "Bottom line is we didn't get it done. Now we have to get ready for San Diego in their own backyard."

Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards overcame a slow start to lead Buffalo on two fourth-quarter touchdown drives, finishing with 193 yards and a touchdown. Edwards made his first start in three weeks since suffering a groin injury.

"Obviously he hadn't played for a while," Buffalo head coach Dick Jauron said. "He was a bit rusty at first but he's a very tough guy. He is a perfect leader and plays the position very well. It was great to have him back."

Rian Lindell kicked three field goals for the Bills (7-8), who scored on six straight possessions in erasing an early 13-0 deficit.

Denver quarterback Jay Cutler scored two rushing touchdowns while throwing for 359 yards on 25 completions. However, his fourth-quarter pass into the end zone for Brandon Stokley, with under a minute remaining, was incomplete, sealing the victory for the Bills.

"I hung it out there for him a bit" Cutler said. "He's (Stokley) a little hampered out there. I stretched him out and if he's 100 percent, I think he gets it."

"I got both of my hands on it," Stokley said. "I have to make that catch. That is what they pay me for."

P.J. Pope, the sixth running back to start for Denver (8-7) this season, rushed five times for 42 yards on the Broncos' opening possession. He left the game in the first quarter with a hamstring injury.

Cutler's 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave Denver a 20-16 lead, finishing a drive that saw three pass plays of over 20 yards.

Buffalo took the lead right back when Edwards hit Fred Jackson with a 65-yard pass play that set the Bills up at the Denver 3-yard line. Edwards found Steve Johnson three plays later to give Buffalo a 23-20 lead.

"It was a fade route," Johnson said. "Edwards did a great job of throwing to my back shoulder. We saw that defense all week in practice and Trent read that and did what he needed to do."

"We gave up a lot of big plays," Broncos defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban said. "We did not play well in the red zone."

After Denver tied the score at 23 with a 43-yard field goal by Matt Prater, the Bills used a 30-yard kickoff return by Jackson to start at the Denver 45-yard line. They needed just four plays to take the lead for good when Jackson scored from 8 yards out.