Combing through the fine print of Cutler's performance Sunday, though, will reveal shortcomings that cost the Broncos the game and, ultimately, could end the team's hopes for the AFC West Division crown.

Cutler enjoyed his seventh 300-yard passing game of the season and joined Jake Plummer and John Elway as the only Broncos quarterbacks to surpass 4,000 passing yards in a season.

Yet Cutler and the Broncos offense displayed a boggling inability to execute in the red zone, a crucial reason why the Buffalo Bills escaped Invesco Field at Mile High with a 30-23 victory.

"We didn't make good plays," Cutler said. "They kind of zoned us out, but we had a few opportunities. We just didn't make the grab, didn't make the throw."

Cutler went 25-of-45 for 359 yards, to increase his season total to 4,210, eclipsing the 4,030 yards by Elway in 1993 and the previous record of 4,089 set by Plummer in 2004.

But every time Cutler found Brandon Marshall or one of his tight ends for big plays down the middle of the field, the drives invariably stalled, with the Broncos settling for field goals in the first half and failing to execute when they needed a touchdown late in the second half.

After rushing for a touchdown on the opening drive, Cutler led the Broncos to consecutive field goals on their next two possessions, though he went 2-of-5 for 7 yards on the plays leading to those kicks.

It was more of the same late in the fourth quarter when a touchdown could have sent the game into overtime.

After two passes to Marshall gave the Broncos a first down on the 15-yard line, Cutler misfired on his next two attempts before getting intercepted by Kawika Mitchell near the goal line.

The Broncos had one last chance at tying the score but after earning a first down at the 20, Cutler threw incompletions on three of four passes, including the final two attempts to Brandon Stokley in the back of the end zone that sealed the win for Buffalo.

"No one can stop us. The only people that can stop us is ourselves," Marshall said. "We can't get in the red zone and kick field goals or not get any points on the board.

"We're an offense that's dangerous, explosive, but we got to prove it on Sunday."