Playoff loss to Bills shows Sean Payton’s Broncos far from contention

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Broncos got Buffaloed. In the biggest moment, the outcome still hanging in the balance, the refs screwed Sean Payton again in a playoff game.

That’s what I want to write. There is no way Bills receiver Tyler Johnson had control of the ball with a knee in bounds as he slid across the back of the end zone. There is a better chance Matt Holliday touched home plate.

But the reality is that no replay was necessary to show how far away the Broncos are from contender status. They reached the playoffs, a year ahead of schedule, and the first half showed the selection committee got it right.

So what went wrong? This is a more sobering discussion. While the refusal to reverse the call flipped the game on its head — the Broncos trailed 21-7 instead of 13-7 with the ball late in the third quarter — the biggest issue traces back to where we started the season:

Playmakers. The Broncos need more of them.

They have their franchise quarterback in Bo Nix, and the moment was not too big for him Sunday. But please get him some help. Otherwise, Nix and Courtland Sutton will remain Titanic’s Jack and Rose hanging onto a door, hoping not to sink into the ocean floor.

On a raw, 31-degree afternoon, the offense produced two good drives, their first on a 43-yard Troy Franklin touchdown reception, and the two-minute drill at the end of the first half when Will Lutz clanked a 50-yard field goal.

Two? Two!

“You are constantly evaluating where you are at, where you need to go,” coach Sean Payton said. “My mind is always thinking about what we still need, maybe what’s missing.”

Acknowledging the problem is the first step to fixing it. It starts at tight end. Lucas Krull and Adam Trautman caught two passes for 4 yards. Or about the season average for the position. Whether it is Penn State’s Tyler Warren or Michigan’s Colston Loveland, the Broncos desperately need an upgrade. Tight ends are to quarterbacks what blankets are to Linus, especially on third down — where the Broncos went 2 for 9 on Sunday.