The Denver Broncos have returned to the biggest stages. This coming Sunday, January 25, 2026, they will face the surprising and resurgent New England Patriots for the AFC championship.
Although in the divisional round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, had Josh Allen not committed so many mistakes and played with greater precision, the outcome undoubtedly would have been different.
That is now in the past, however, and Denver has this week to continue making defensive adjustments so that against Drake Maye they can deliver a stronger performance and avoid giving him opportunities to generate explosive plays.
Broncos legend Mark Schlereth delivers strong criticism of the defense
With victory comes euphoria and excitement, which is why outside voices often help coaches reinforce certain weaknesses a team may have, allowing them to move forward with a clearer focus and better chances of winning.
This is where the comments, more precisely the harsh criticism from Denver Broncos legend Mark Schlereth, come into play, especially toward a defense that did not perform at the expected level against Josh Allen.
I thought this defense got out-schemed, they got outplayed, they got out-executed, they got out-physicalled, if you will.” …”They didn’t have a plan to stop (James) Cook. The running back just ran roughshod through them at, I don’t know what it was, six, seven yards a carry. They never really adjusted on the pitch play…I thought the Broncos’ defense gave up multiple plays and made multiple mistakes from a communication standpoint that could have been the difference in that game.
Schlereth said on The Rich Eisen Show.
The Denver Broncos’ defense was among the NFL’s best
The criticism may be arriving at a key moment for the organization, just before competing for AFC supremacy and with enough time to correct mistakes and become a much tougher opponent for the Patriots.
It is also worth noting that throughout the 2025 season, the defense performed quite well. They ranked third in points allowed with 18.3 per game. In addition, they finished second in total yards allowed with 278.2 and ranked first in yards per play, allowing just 4.5.
For Schlereth, however, those numbers hold little value, as he focused solely on the performance against the Bills. Buffalo moved the ball with relative ease and totaled 449 yards of offense.
Allen threw for three touchdown passes and 283 yards. James Cook added 117 rushing yards, while Dalton Kincaid contributed 83 receiving yards. With those figures, Denver will need to elevate its play significantly to ensure Maye does not replicate that performance.
I thought Josh Allen played one of his worst football games.” “He missed three or four touchdown passes in that game. That game, they could have hung 50 on Denver’s defense…I thought Josh Allen missed a couple of wide-open touchdown passes, had a couple of balls picked that were to me were bad throws, or at least one was a bad throw. I don’t understand why he was emotional at the podium because he just really played for Josh Allen’s standards a poor football game.
The Broncos legend added that Allen’s struggles also contributed to Buffalo failing to secure the win. Denver still has time to improve defensively if it hopes to reach Super Bowl LX.
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