The Denver Broncos are back in the playoffs for the first time since their Super Bowl 50 triumph, and their road to postseason glory begins today against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium.
The Bills, making their sixth consecutive playoff appearance, enter as the second seed in the AFC and remain undefeated at home this season.
Led by MVP candidate Josh Allen, Buffalo is set on advancing beyond the divisional round for the first time since 2020.
Allen has been a dual-threat force, throwing for 3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns while adding 531 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper, who returned to practice this week, provides another weapon for the Bills’ high-powered offense.
Denver’s rookie quarterback Bo Nix has been a revelation, throwing for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns this season.
He shined in last week’s blowout win over Kansas City, but today’s matchup in Orchard Park marks his first playoff test.
Nix will rely on Denver’s defense, which has excelled at pressuring opposing quarterbacks, to keep the game within reach.
Kickoff for the AFC Wild Card game is set for 1 p.m. ET on CBS, with Buffalo entering as an 8.5-point favorite.
Denver Broncos – Buffalo Bills Latest LIVE updates
Mitchell Trubisky rush for a loss of 1 yard to the Den13.
Mitchell Trubisky rush for a loss of 1 yard to the Den12.
Mitchell Trubisky rush for a loss of 1 yard to the Den11.
Josh Allen’s day is done
The Bills have turned things over to backup Mitch Trubisky. Next week: Buffalo will host the Baltimore Ravens, with the winner advancing to the AFC title game.
Two Minute Warning.
Ty Johnson rush to the middle for 5 yards to the Den10.
Damar Hamlin thought he had intercepted Bo Nix…
…but a review ruled that Nix’s fourth-down heave was incomplete. Still, what a moment for the Bills safety, who suffered a life-threatening cardiac arrest two years ago.
Ty Johnson rush to the middle for 8 yards to the Den15.
Bo Nix pass intended for Courtland Sutton INTERCEPTED by Damar Hamlin. No return.
Bo Nix sacked at Den23 for a loss of 14 yards.
Bo Nix incomplete pass to the middle intended for Devaughn Vele.
Bo Nix pass to the right to Javonte Williams for 7 yards to the Den37.
Tyler Bass kicks off to the endzone. Touchback.
Tyler Bass 34 yard field goal attempt is GOOD.
Buffalo closing in on 500 yards of offense
The yardage disparity with the Broncos, 459-231, proves how good the Bills have been since that opening touchdown.
Bills timeout.
Ty Johnson rush to the right for 2 yards to the Den16.
Broncos timeout.
Ty Johnson rush to the middle for 5 yards to the Den18.
Josh Allen incomplete pass to the right intended for Mack Hollins.
Penalty: Illegal Shift on Bills -5 yards.
Broncos timeout.
Josh Allen pass to the middle to Mack Hollins for 20 yards to the Den2. Penalty: Taunting on Bills (Mack Hollins) -15 yards.
Bills timeout.
Buffalo ending wild-card matchup in style
It feels like a long time ago when the Broncos led this game, 7-0, after only five plays. The Bills have scored 28 unanswered points are are on the edge of the red zone, looking for more.
Josh Allen incomplete pass to the left intended for Keon Coleman.
James Cook rush to the middle for 4 yards to the Den22.
Bills taking time off the clock
The Buffalo running game has set up explosive plays — such as Allen’s long completion to Dalton Kincaid, which sets up the Bills in Denver territory halfway through the fourth quarter.
Ty Johnson rush to the left for 8 yards to the Den26.
Josh Allen pass to the left to Dalton Kincaid for 35 yards to the Den34.
Josh Allen pass to the left to Khalil Shakir for 7 yards to the Buf31.
Broncos’ inexperience showing
Denver’s first playoff adventure since 2015 is poised to be a short one, as execution miscues have played into Buffalo’s more experienced hands.
Ty Johnson rush to the middle for a loss of 1 yard to the Buf24.
Josh Allen pass to the right to Ty Johnson for 2 yards to the Buf25.
Ty Johnson rush to the left for 5 yards to the Buf23.
Josh Allen rush to the right for 4 yards to the Buf18.
Bo Nix pass to the right to Jaleel McLaughlin for 1 yard to the Buf13.
Bo Nix pass to the right to Courtland Sutton for 11 yards to the Buf14.
Josh Allen’s new record
No Bills quarterback has ever thrown as many postseason TD passes as Allen.
Broncos timeout.
Bo Nix incomplete pass to the right intended for Devaughn Vele.
Bo Nix pass to the left to Marvin Mims Jr. for a loss of 3 yards to the Buf25.
Bills timeout.
Bo Nix rush to the right for 11 yards to the Buf22.
Bo Nix pass to the right to Troy Franklin for 11 yards to the Buf33.
Bo Nix pass to the left to Courtland Sutton for 13 yards to the Buf44.
Bo Nix rush to the middle for 18 yards to the Den43.
Tyler Bass kicks off to the Den9. Tremon Smith return for 16 yards to Den25.
Tyler Bass extra point is GOOD.
Josh Allen pass to the right to Curtis Samuel for 55 yards for a TOUCHDOWN.
A lob by Allen ends up in the waiting arms of Curtis Samuel — who weaves his way to the end zone and, likely, ensures a Ravens-Bills showdown next week.
Josh Allen pass to the right to Amari Cooper for 3 yards to the Buf45.
That’s the end of the third quarter, with Buffalo leading 21-7 and in possession of the football — with a divisional round matchup against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens looming next weekend.
James Cook rush to the left for 1 yard to the Buf42.
Riley Dixon punts for 53 yards to Buf18. Khalil Shakir return for 24 yards to Buf42.
Bo Nix incomplete pass to the middle intended for Marvin Mims Jr..
Penalty: False Start on Broncos (Troy Franklin) -5 yards.
Tyler Badie rush to the middle for 1 yard to the Den34.
Javonte Williams rush to the right for 3 yards to the Den33.
Tyler Bass kicks off to the endzone. Touchback.
Josh Allen 2 pt conversion pass to Keon Coleman is GOOD.
Josh Allen pass to the middle to Ty Johnson for 24 yards for a TOUCHDOWN.
An incredible fourth-down throw by Allen extends Buffalo’s lead in a pivotal moment of this wild card matchup.
Josh Allen pass to the left to Khalil Shakir for 7 yards to the Den24.
James Cook rush to the right for 2 yards to the Den31.
Josh Allen incomplete pass to the right intended for Keon Coleman.
Josh Allen pass to the left to Dawson Knox for 13 yards to the Den33.
James Cook rush to the left for 1 yard to the Den46.
Penalty: Unnecessary Roughness on Broncos (Brandon Jones) 15 yards.
Bills running back Ray Davis, the target of Allen’s pass, is down on the field as we step away for an injury timeout.
Josh Allen rush to the right for 7 yards to the Buf38.
Ray Davis rush to the right for 7 yards to the Buf48.
Josh Allen pass to the left to Khalil Shakir for 13 yards to the Buf41.
James Cook rush to the middle for 1 yard to the Buf28.
Riley Dixon punts for 48 yards to Buf27. No return.
Bo Nix incomplete pass to the middle intended for Troy Franklin.
Javonte Williams rush to the left for 4 yards to the Den25.
Jaleel McLaughlin rush to the right for 1 yard to the Den21.
Tyler Bass kicks off to the endzone. Touchback.
Tyler Bass 27 yard field goal attempt is GOOD.
Josh Allen sacked at Den9 for a loss of 3 yards.
James Cook rush to the left for no gain to the Den6.
James Cook rush to the left for 2 yards to the Den6.
James Cook rush to the right for 19 yards to the Den8.
Josh Allen pass to the left to Dawson Knox for 25 yards to the Den27.
James Cook rush to the left for 6 yards to the Buf48.
James Cook rush to the middle for 7 yards to the Buf43.
Wil Lutz kicks off to the Buf3. Ty Johnson return for 33 yards to Buf36.
Josh Allen closes in on history
With five more rushing yards, Allen will pass Lamar Jackson (who played on Saturday night) for the most rushing yards by a quarerback in NFL playoff history.
First half stats:
Total yards – Buffalo 189, Denver 161
Passing yards – Denver 117, Buffalo 61
Rushing yards – Buffalo 128, Denver 44
Time of possession – Buffalo 19:40, Denver 10:20
Total plays – Buffalo 35, Denver 24
50 yard field goal attempt by Wil Lutz is NO GOOD.
Broncos timeout.
Bo Nix pass to the right to Courtland Sutton for 21 yards to the Buf32.
Bills timeout.
Penalty: Holding on Bills (Christian Benford) 5 yards.
Bo Nix incomplete pass to the right intended for Marvin Mims Jr..
Bo Nix pass to the left to Courtland Sutton for 11 yards to the Den42.
Bo Nix rush to the left for 12 yards to the Den31. Tackled by Rasul Douglas.
Broncos timeout.
Bo Nix rush to the right for 2 yards to the Den19.
Bo Nix pass to the right to Lucas Krull for 2 yards to the Den17.
Bo Nix pass to the left to Javonte Williams for 7 yards to the Den15.
Sam Martin punts for 45 yards to Den15. Marvin Mims Jr. – no return. Penalty: Personal Foul on Broncos (Marvin Mims Jr.) -7 yards.
A MONSTER HIT leads to a fracas between the two teams!
Two Minute Warning.
Josh Allen pass to the middle to Khalil Shakir for 13 yards to the Buf40.
Broncos timeout.
Josh Allen sacked at Buf27 for a loss of 8 yards.
A rare sack of the Bills quarterback by Broncos star Zach Allen, one of the NFL’s best interior defensive linemen.
Penalty: False Start on Bills (Dion Dawkins) -5 yards.
James Cook rush to the middle for 2 yards to the Buf40.
James Cook rush to the left for 7 yards to the Buf38.
Josh Allen pass to the right to Amari Cooper for 5 yards to the Buf31.
Josh Allen rush to the right for 4 yards to the Buf26.
Ray Davis rush to the middle for 3 yards to the Buf22.
Josh Allen pass to the left to Curtis Samuel for 6 yards to the Buf19.
Josh Allen rush to the left for 3 yards to the Buf13.
James Cook rush to the left for no gain to the Buf10.
James Cook rush to the left for 9 yards to the Buf10.
Penalty: False Start on Bills (Spencer Brown) 0 yards.
Riley Dixon punts for 38 yards to Buf1. No return.
Bo Nix incomplete pass to the left intended for Courtland Sutton.
Bo Nix pass to the right to Marvin Mims Jr. for a loss of 1 yard to the Buf37.
Javonte Williams rush to the right for 6 yards to the Buf36.
Riley Dixon pass to the left to Marvin Mims Jr. for 15 yards to the Buf42.
The fake punt works for Denver! The Broncos keep possession thanks to some trickery from head coach Sean Payton.
Bo Nix incomplete pass to the right intended for Courtland Sutton.
Javonte Williams rush to the middle for 2 yards to the Den43.
Bo Nix incomplete pass to the middle intended for Courtland Sutton.
Marvin Mims Jr. rush to the left for 4 yards to the Den41.
Tyler Badie rush to the middle for 7 yards to the Den37.
Tyler Bass kicks off to the endzone. Touchback.
Tyler Bass extra point is GOOD.
A 13-play, 81-yard drive gives Buffalo a second-quarter lead in front of their raucous fans, and the momentum certainly now rests with the home team.
James Cook rush to the left for 5 yards for a TOUCHDOWN.
Josh Allen rush to the left for 9 yards to the Den5.
Bills timeout.
James Cook rush to the right for 2 yards to the Den14.
James Cook rush to the right for 5 yards to the Den16.
Josh Allen pass to the middle to Curtis Samuel for 7 yards to the Den21.
Josh Allen pass to the right to Keon Coleman for 5 yards to the Den28.
Josh Allen incomplete pass to the middle.
Josh Allen rush to the right for 7 yards to the Den33.
Josh Allen rush to the right for 9 yards to the Den40.
Penalty: False Start on Bills (James Cook) -6 yards.
James Cook rush to the right for 3 yards to the Den44.
James Cook rush to the left for 16 yards to the Den47.
Ty Johnson rush to the right for 11 yards to the Buf37.
Josh Allen pass to the middle to Dalton Kincaid for 7 yards to the Buf26.
Riley Dixon punts for 54 yards to Buf12. Khalil Shakir return for 7 yards to Buf19.
Bo Nix sacked at Den34 for a loss of 1 yard.
Javonte Williams rush to the right for 3 yards to the Den35.
Bo Nix pass to the left to Adam Trautman for 2 yards to the Den32.
Tyler Bass kicks off to the endzone. Touchback.
Tyler Bass 26 yard field goal attempt is GOOD.
The Bills won’t be thrilled that this drive ended with three points as opposed to seven, but Buffalo is on the board at Highmark Stadium.
Josh Allen incomplete pass to the left intended for Amari Cooper.
Josh Allen incomplete pass to the right intended for Dawson Knox.
James Cook rush to the left for 3 yards to the Den8.
Josh Allen rush to the left for 3 yards to the Den11.
Ty Johnson rush to the middle for 1 yard to the Den14.
James Cook rush to the left for 3 yards to the Den15.
Josh Allen pass to the right to Dalton Kincaid for 5 yards to the Den18.
Josh Allen pass to the right to Khalil Shakir for 6 yards to the Den23.
James Cook rush to the middle for 7 yards to the Den29.
James Cook rush to the right for 16 yards to the Den36.
Josh Allen pass to the middle to Khalil Shakir for 15 yards to the Buf48.
Wil Lutz kicks off to the Buf7. Ty Johnson return for 26 yards to Buf33.
Wil Lutz extra point is GOOD.
Bo Nix pass to the right to Troy Franklin for 43 yards for a TOUCHDOWN.
Javonte Williams rush to the right for 6 yards to the Buf43.
Bo Nix pass to the middle to Courtland Sutton for 19 yards to the Buf49.
Jaleel McLaughlin rush to the right for a loss of 3 yards to the Den32.
Javonte Williams rush to the middle for 5 yards to the Den35.
Tyler Bass kicks off to the endzone. Touchback.
Broncos Country in the house
Broncos fans are braving the freezing temperatures in Erie County, New York to cheer on their team
The origins of Bills Mafia
A look into one of the NFL’s most iconic fanbases ahead of today’s AFC Wild Card game
Denver Broncos players sitting out today’s game
Buffalo Bills players set to miss Wild Card Weekend
Von Miller’s full-circle moment
The veteran linebacker was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2011 and was named MVP in their Super Bowl 50 win
Could this be the last time he faces the team that made him an NFL star?
Bo Nix vs Josh Allen
Can the rookie quarterback achieve a shocking upset in the AFC Playoffs?
If the Broncos win they will secure a Divisional matchup against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs at Arrowhead next weekend
Josh Allen’s time to shine
The veteran quarterback continues to be among the NFL MVP candidates, but to reaffirm his stance as an elite leader he will have to take the Bills into a deep playoff run, starting with the Broncos.
Mack Hollins arrives at Highmark Stadium in a hilarious costume
The veteran wide receiver is known for his eccentricities among Buffalo Bills players
Bo Nix hits the field for warmups
The Denver Broncos quarterback has excelled in his first year in the NFL.
The 24-year-old rookie had 3,775 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions during the regular season
Where to Watch
The Broncos and Bills kick off Sunday’s NFL Playoffs action at Highmark Stadium at 1 p.m. ET.
Fans can catch the action live on CBS and Paramount+.
Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will be the commentators for the game in New York.
This game features a classic underdog narrative as the 10-7 Broncos look to upset the 13-4 Bills.
Denver’s success has been built on a defense led by standout cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who joked about the stakes of facing former Broncos star Von Miller.
“It’s our time to shine now,” Surtain said.
“Von had his time earlier, but it’s going to be good catching up with him.”
Miller, who won a Super Bowl with Denver, has nothing but admiration for his former team.
However, his competitive edge remains sharp.
“It’s all love,”Miller said.
“But for those 60 minutes, I want to win. I’ve got to go through these guys to get to where I want to go.”
Buffalo’s playoff hopes rest on the shoulders of MVP candidate Josh Allen.
Allen has been a dual-threat force this season, passing for 3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns while adding 531 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground.
Alongside running back James Cook, who eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards this season, the Bills boast a balanced and explosive offense.
For Denver, rookie quarterback Bo Nix has been a revelation, leading the Broncos to the playoffs with 3,775 passing yards and 29 touchdowns.
With Denver’s defense aiming to stifle Buffalo’s high-powered attack, and Allen’s versatility creating headaches for opposing coordinators, today’s matchup promises to be a compelling battle.
NFL fans won’t want to miss this clash of ambition, experience, and execution.
Read the full article here
FINAL: Broncos 7, Bills 31
It looked for a second like a shocking upset was brewing in western New York, but Josh Allen and the Bills ended this game with 31 unanswered points to eliminate the Broncos and advance to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs/
Allen finished 20-of-26 for 272 yards and threw two touchdown passes, but Buffalo’s ground game simply overpowered the Denver defense. James Cook rushed for 120 yards on 23 carries — the Bills as a team racked up 471 yards of offense.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threw a touchdown on the fifth play of the game, but he finished with a modest 144 passing yards as Denver finished with only 18:17 of possession. The Broncos were not expected to make the playoffs in 2024 but will feel emboldened entering 2025.
With this result, the divisional round is set. Next week, the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs will kick off their pursuit of a Super Bowl three-peat with a home game against the Houston Texans, while the Bills will host the Baltimore Ravens in a matchup of MVP candidates Allen and Lamar Jackson.
That’s all for today, thank you for joining us and bye for now!