Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are gearing up for a high-stakes divisional matchup against the AFC’s top-seeded Denver Broncos. The stakes could not be higher with a championship berth on the line. But challenges keep piling up for Allen at every turn.

The grim news comes from head coach Sean McDermott himself. The HC addressed the media on January 15, sharing the latest injury update. Here’s the rundown on the key players:

Curtis Samuel, wide receiver: elbow; fully participated in Thursday’s practice; questionable for the Broncos game.

Damar Hamlin, safety: pectoral; fully participated in Thursday’s practice; also questionable.

Ed Oliver, defensive tackle: bicep; limited practice reps; questionable.

Ty Johnson, running back: ankle; limited practice time; questionable.

Terrel Bernard, linebacker: calf; limited practice time; questionable.

This rash of questionables will hit the Bills hard right before kickoff.

With these players potentially sidelined, Allen will have limited options to run his routes effectively. This adds to the struggles Allen was already dealing with, as wide receivers Gabe Davis and Tyrell Shavers also deal with injuries sustained in Jacksonville.

Instead, the Bills will lean on players like rookie defensive tackle Deone Walker and safety Jordan Poyer to step up, as they did in the Wildcard round. However, now Poyer is unlikely to play due to a hamstring injury, thinning the depth even more.

Allen still led the Bills in the wildcard round, pulling off a thrilling 27-24 win against the Jaguars while dealing with multiple injuries. But the roster woes are not the only headache for Allen. Mother Nature plans to test Buffalo like never before at Denver’s Empower Field.

Josh Allen issues an altitude warning to the Bills’ locker room before the Broncos clash

Denver’s home field sits at a mile high, 5,280 feet above sea level. That altitude gets to visiting players, especially during the chilly postseason. Temperatures will reach a low of 19 degrees Fahrenheit on January 17, with a light breeze of 6-10 kph. And Allen knows it could drain the life out of his team if they’re not ready.

“Physically, it’s going to challenge you,” Allen admitted on January 15. “The best thing we can do is not talk about it, not think about it, and not make it a problem. Just go out there, do our job, and grab some oxygen on the sideline if we need it.”

The quarterback knows the edge it gives Denver all too well from past trips. “I have firsthand experience; it is an advantage,” Allen continued. “But we’ve got to adopt that mindset: ‘It’s going to be tough. We have to fight through it.'”

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The numbers back the Broncos, too. They boast a postseason record of 6-3 at home and went 8-1 there this season, thriving in thin air where others gasp.

However, the Bills’ resilience has been tested time and again this season. Despite the setbacks to their roster, they’ve clawed their way into the postseason. And now, if Allen overcomes all these challenges (injuries, weather, and altitude) to beat the Broncos, the Bills will become the fifth team in league history to defeat the top two rush defenses in a single postseason.