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Why Josh Allen vs. the Denver Broncos could turn into a penalty-fest

Story byDrake BentleyFri, January 16, 2026 at 5:32 AM UTC·1 min readWhy Josh Allen vs. the Denver Broncos could turn into a penalty-fest originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Denver Broncos enter the postseason as the most penalized team in the NFL, while Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has been the league’s most effective player at turning penalties into points. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs a result, Saturday afternoon’s divisional round matchup at Mile High carries the risk of being defined by officiating rather than play on the field. Denver has been flagged for an NFL-high 1,149 penalty yards in 2025, with a significant portion coming from a league-worst 350 yards on defensive pass interference calls. MORE: Broncos May Have a ‘Joker’ Up Their Sleeve Against the BillsCornerback Riley Moss, in particular, has drawn the attention of officials, accounting for a league-high 203 penalty yards on 10 DPI flags alone. On the other side, Allen led all quarterbacks this season with a +5.6 expected points added (EPA) generated from penalties, underscoring how costly flags against Buffalo opponents can be. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMORE: Why Broncos, five other teams passed on Josh Allen in the 2018 NFL DraftThe game will be overseen by veteran referee Carl Cheffers and his crew.

Why Josh Allen vs. the Denver Broncos could turn into a penalty-fest

Credit: Yahoo

Key Highlights

  • Cheffers is the most senior official assigned to a divisional round matchup and is known for a higher-than-average number of penalty calls.
  • According to Pro Football Reference, his crew averaged nearly two more penalties per game than other NFL officiating crews this season. There is a slight silver lining for Denver: home teams won at a marginally higher rate in games officiated by Cheffers’ crew in 2025.
  • That trend could work in favor of the Broncos, who enter the matchup as the AFC’s No.
  • 1 seed. More Broncos news:White cornerbacks in the NFL: Cooper DeJean, Riley Moss call back to Jason SehornSean Payton coaching timeline: Revisiting Saints record and more, from 'BountyGate' to Super Bowl 44Vance Joseph on Josh Allen: 'That's where we live' in the AFCJosh Allen's wife Hailee Steinfeld used to be a Broncos fan as old tweet surfaces before Bills game.
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Sources

  1. Why Josh Allen vs. the Denver Broncos could turn into a penalty-fest

This quick summary is automatically generated using AI based on reports from multiple news sources. The content has not been reviewed or verified by humans. For complete details, accuracy, and context, please refer to the original published articles.

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