A dozen or so years ago, as the Broncos prepared for a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, John Elway had a simple piece of advice for Tim Tebow:

“Pull the trigger.”

In an article that quickly became famous – both because it was Elway’s unique experience and perspective and the fact that it ultimately worked – the Duke told Denver Post columnist Woody Paige what Tebow needed to do in order to beat Pittsburgh.

“That’s human nature, especially when you’re young, to become more cautious,” Elway explained to Paige. “…The key thing for (Tebow) is to go out, put everything behind him, go through his progressions and pull the trigger.”

Hey Bo Nix, hey Sean Payton, you guys ever read Woody Paige?

Is it really that simple?

No, Tebow and Nix are not the same. Then head coach John Fox and Payton aren’t either. Not even close.

Tebow was a bull in a China closet; his will (and will alone) to win was undeniable. His skill as a quarterback, however, was debatable.

Nix, on the other hand, is a tactician. He plays within the game, and perhaps more importantly, within Payton’s gameplan. He’s an excellent runner, but he’s not the bulldozer that defenses saw when Tebow tucked and ran.

Payton has done a lot of great things this season with his young quarterback – most would say he’s brought Nix along perfectly – but nobody would say he’s ever let Nix go out and “pull the trigger.”

Regardless of the players and coaches, or even the era itself, Elway’s warning not to become overly cautious is surely applicable for anyone, anytime. Winners go win, and Elway understood that better than anyone. The Broncos can’t sit back and hope the odds-on favorite to win NFL MVP makes mistakes and wilts under the pressure of Buffalo Bills history. At some point, Denver’s rookie QB might have to do win the damn thing.

Of course, the 13-4 Bills are likely more formidable than the 2011 Steelers. Of course, the game is being played in the unfriendly confines of upstate New York – not the home of Mile High Magic, Tebowmania or Bolieving.

Still, the Broncos can win.

Here’s how our guys think that can happen.

Mark Knudson
Let’s be honest: Things would have to go almost perfectly for the Broncos to beat this Buffalo team on the road.

The Bills have the best turnover ratio in the league. They don’t get a lot of penalties, and they have great balance on offense. And they have an All-Pro QB, too.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is this is a Buffalo franchise and fan base that knows nothing but heartbreak in the postseason. A lot of pressure comes along with that. The Bills have lost their only four Super Bowl appearances and more recently, haven’t been able to get past KC. Postseason failure is in their DNA.

Buffalo’s passionate fan base is a blessing, but if things start to go poorly, that could turn. It’s happened in a lot of similar situations.

So in order for the Broncos to win, they have to play almost flawlessly, and with the pressure on, the Bills need to choke.

Dan Mohrmann
As crazy as it sounds, a Broncos win on Sunday would come from a very simple formula. Vance Joseph should dial up some early blitzes to come after Josh Allen and make him uncomfortable.

The Bills have been good at protecting Allen this year, but if a consistent pass-rush can keep him off balance and even forcing some unnecessary throws, Denver has a shot.

Offensively, Sean Payton has to be patient with his rookie quarterback. He can make the big throws when he needs to, but the Broncos should try and establish a little bit of a run, then mix in some creative looks for Marvin Mims and maybe even Devaughn Vele before trying to hit Courtland Sutton on a big strike.

This could be a blowout in Buffalo, but if the Broncos can establish a tone early and do the things they do well, it should at least be a fun watch on Sunday.

Cody Roark
A Denver win on Sunday looks like a complimentary run game with the offense combined with Bo Nix moving the chains. Denver has emphasized the importance of avoiding having the little things impact their flow and rhythm as a team – like penalties, sacks, etc. Defensively they’ve got to create takeaways and get off the field on third down.

Shawn Drotar
If the Broncos were to shock the NFL world and beat the Bills on Sunday, there’s likely to be a few telltale signs as to why.

First, the best way to keep MVP favorite Josh Allen from doing too much damage is to keep him on the sidelines. The Broncos have gone three-and-out on more than a quarter of their drives this season, which is the third-worst rate in the NFL – and something that can’t happen in Buffalo if they’re going to come out on top. Sustained drives – even ones that end in punts – give the Broncos control of the clock and force the Bills to go the length of the field to score, which limits Allen’s potential impact.

To that end, the Broncos certainly can’t afford to lose the turnover battle; giving Allen, versatile running back James Cook, and the Bills’ offense extra opportunities to score would likely result in disaster for Denver. Allen’s only thrown six interceptions… and the Bills have still won every single game in which he threw one.

Quarterback Bo Nix will likely have to use his legs to keep the Bills’ defense off-balance; he might even have to play a “Josh Allen-lite” type of game for Denver to win. Nix is tied for the Broncos’ lead in rushing touchdowns with four, and he leads the team in 20-plus-yard runs and first downs by a wide margin. Head coach Sean Payton isn’t a fan of grind-it-out football; he’ll put a lot of the game on Nix, and the rookie’s unprecedented amount of collegiate experience will hopefully keep him as poised as he’s been all season, even though the spotlight’s never been bigger.