BY NICK ST. DENIS
The Buffalo Bills' defense kept Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning in check Sunday, but it didn't matter.
Broncos running back C.J. Anderson rushed for three touchdowns, and the Bills' offense got little accomplished for most of the afternoon in a 24-17 loss.
The game wasn't as close as the final score indicates, as the Bills were down 24-3 going into the fourth quarter. With the loss, Buffalo (7-6) is all but mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
The Bills' defense held Manning to 173 yards passing, picking him off twice in the meantime, as his streak of 51 straight games with a touchdown throw came to an end. Corey Graham and Stephon Gilmore each tallied an interception, and Graham added a fumble recovery.
Bills quarterback Kyle Orton was bad for most of the day, though he drove Buffalo on two long fourth-quarter scoring drives in garbage time. He finished with 355 yards through the air, connecting with Chris Hogan on a touchdown and rushing in another on his own.
Orton added a costly interception on the goal line earlier in the game.
Down 24-10, Buffalo opted to punt on fourth-and-2 from its own 16-yard line with less than six minutes to go. Fortunately, the Bills got the ball back via a three-and-out, though their continued comeback effort was all for naught.
Rookie Sammy Watkins ended up with a big stat line, catching seven passes for 127 yards, and tight end Scott Chandler added 81 yards on eight receptions. Running back Fred Jackson led the team with 10 catches.
