ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — As the crowd sang along to “Shout” each time the Buffalo Bills scored Sunday, the Denver Broncos were left with a clear and painful football message ringing in their collective ears about a season in which an eight-year playoff drought came to an end.
The Bills’ 31-7 win in Sunday’s AFC wild-card game in Highmark Stadium was the last, and perhaps most resounding, statement that though the Broncos were back in the postseason, the gap between them and the AFC’s elite is still fairly wide.
“We weren’t good enough. … We didn’t coach well enough,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “… We didn’t execute well enough and it’s frustrating. … You’re constantly evaluating where you’re at, where you need to go. My mind’s always thinking about what we still need, what’s missing.”…