DENVER — The Denver Broncos have their flaws. But they know how to win close games, so Josh Allen’s first Super Bowl trip will have to wait.
The Broncos shook off giving up a game-tying drive to Allen in the final minute of regulation, which came after Denver had taken a lead with 55 seconds left. In overtime, Denver forced Allen’s fourth turnover of the game on an interception, and two big pass interference calls on the Bills put Denver in position to get a game-winning field goal for a dramatic 33-30 win.
Denver had 11 wins in games decided by eight or fewer points in the regular season. And they’re 1-for-1 doing it in the playoffs.
Advertisement
The Broncos are going back to the AFC championship for the first time since Peyton Manning was their quarterback, and they went on to win Super Bowl 50. They’ll host the winner of Sunday’s game between the Houston Texans and New England Patriots.
However, they’ll play that conference title game without starting quarterback Bo Nix, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury near the end of overtime. Head coach Sean Payton announced the stunning news at the postgame news conference.
The news altered the odds of the Broncos winning the Super Bowl, going from +325 to +900, according to BetMGM.
On Saturday, Denver’s offense, as usual, wasn’t consistently good. But when it absolutely needed a couple of drives to pull out a win, it happened. And the defense made sure Allen didn’t write a storybook ending in overtime when he had the chance.
Advertisement
Denver has early miscues
It had been almost 10 full years since Denver got a home playoff game. Peyton Manning led Denver to a win in the AFC championship game over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots the last time the Broncos hosted a playoff game. It had been a while.
Maybe there were some nerves early on. Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin lost a fumble on the first drive, though a Bills offsides penalty wiped out that mistake. But later in the drive receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey dropped a sure touchdown right in his hands. Humphrey was in for extra snaps because Pat Bryant (who caught three passes on the opening drive but was ruled out during the first quarter) and Marvin Mims Jr. were being evaluated for concussions, and his error cost Denver points. The Broncos settled for a field goal. The Broncos fell behind 7-3 when Mecole Hardman scored a touchdown, his first catch for Buffalo, on nearly the exact same play the Chiefs drew up for him in overtime to win Super Bowl LVIII.
A big hit by linebacker Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton forced a fumble on James Cook, and after that the Broncos went on a drive that ended with a touchdown pass to offensive lineman Frank Crum. It was the first catch of Crum’s career, and he was the first lineman to score a playoff touchdown since Nick Allegretti scored for the Chiefs four years ago.
Humphrey atoned for his mistake from earlier in the game right before halftime. Nix rolled to his left, planted and found Humphrey open in the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown. That gave Denver a 17-10 lead.
Advertisement
Given the early mistakes, being up a touchdown at halftime would have been a great result for Denver. Then it got better right before the half ended.
Allen was running with the ball after finding nothing downfield, and he was careless holding the ball. It was knocked loose, went backward and the Broncos ended up recovering and being tackled with two seconds on the clock. Wil Lutz came on for a gift 50-yard field goal as the half expired to give Denver a 20-10 lead.
The Broncos couldn’t have expected a gift like that from one of the best players in the NFL. By the time the fourth quarter ended, each team would regret giving away some points in the first half.
Bills take fourth quarter lead
The Broncos’ defense kept the momentum going into the third quarter. Nik Bonitto had a strip-sack on Buffalo’s first drive of the second half, though Denver’s offense could only get a field goal out of it. Bo Nix later threw a bad interception to defensive tackle Deone Walker at the line, but Denver’s defense got it back two plays after when safety P.J. Locke made a nice play downfield to intercept Allen.
Advertisement
Even with the help, the Broncos’ offense couldn’t put the Bills in an insurmountable hole. Denver had just one first down and 34 yards of offense in the third quarter. Keon Coleman scored a touchdown in the third quarter and Dalton Kincaid had a great touchdown grab in the end zone early in the fourth quarter, and Buffalo led 24-23.
The Broncos had created four turnovers and still trailed a couple of minutes into the fourth quarter. According to CBS, before Saturday’s game, road teams in NFL playoff history were 1-85 when they had a -3 turnover differential.
After a Broncos three-and-out and a long Bills drive that ended in a field goal, Buffalo led 27-23. That forced a Broncos offense that hadn’t done much in the second half to come up with a touchdown drive in the final minutes. They came through.
Advertisement
Nix made a few nice plays and lofted a 26-yard pass to Mims, who made a great catch in the end zone to give Denver the lead with 55 seconds left. That was enough time for Allen to drive the Bills down to tie it.
A hook-and-ladder play ended up with Ray Davis gaining 24 yards to Denver’s 32-yard line. Allen missed Dawson Knox downfield on third down, and it might have been a touchdown had he hit him. That set up a field goal attempt by Matt Prater, and he hit it with five seconds left to put the game into overtime.
There has been plenty of debate on the correct strategy for the team that wins the coin toss in a playoff game, with the new rules allowing each team a possession. The Bills won the toss and elected to kick off. The Broncos punted, then on a deep third-down pass by Allen, Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian wrested it away from Brandin Cooks for an interception. Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey had some nice moves for a 24-yard gain. A huge pass interference penalty gave Denver 17 yards and got them into Bills territory. Another pass interference penalty inside the 10-yard line made the field goal almost automatic. Lutz hit the 24-yard field goal, ending Buffalo’s dreams of making its first Super Bowl in the Allen era.
Advertisement
The Broncos didn’t play a clean game, especially on offense, but they rarely do. But it has been enough for 15 wins already. One more home win and they’ll be riding that formula to a Super Bowl.
Live coverage is over56 updates
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 5:17 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
With a Wil Lutz 23-yard field goal, the Broncos have their first playoff win since Super Bowl 50.
Denver is headed to the AFC championship, where it will play the winner of tomorrow’s divisional-round matchup between the Houston Texans and New England Patriots.
Meanwhile, the Bills have once again fallen short of their Super Bowl dreams.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 5:14 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
A pair of defensive pass interference penalties — the first on nickel Taron Johnson and the second on cornerback Tre’Davious White — have spelled doom for the Bills.
The first vaulted the Broncos to the Buffalo 36-yard line. The next put them at the 8-yard line.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 5:10 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
Bo Nix zipped a pass to rookie running back RJ Harvey in the flat.
Then Harvey went to work, making defenders miss and galloping forward for a gain of 24 yards.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 5:06 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
What looked like a Brandin Cooks catch turned into a Ja’Quan McMillian interception.
Cooks didn’t have possession before McMillian ripped the ball from him for the pick.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 5:03 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
Bills running back Ray Davis slipped out of the backfield, and Josh Allen found him.
Davis turned the short reception into a nine-yard gain with a dash for the first-down marker.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 4:58 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
Facing a third-and-5, Josh Allen delivered a 13-yard toss to tight end Dalton Kincaid, who secured a catch for a key first down.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 4:55 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
The Bills won the toss, elected to kick and then forced a Broncos punt in just four plays.
Courtland Sutton just missed out on a pair of catches, going low for both and coming up empty.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 4:50 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
Here’s a rules refresher:
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 4:45 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
Matt Prater’s still got it. The 41-year-old kicker, who spent 2007-14 with the Broncos, just extended the Bills’ season with a game-tying 50-yard field goal with only five seconds left in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 4:41 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
A bit of trickery has catapulted the Bills into field-goal range.
Buffalo turned to a hook-and-ladder play that saw wide receiver Khalil Shakir flip the ball to running back Ray Davis, who hustled all the way to the Denver 32-yard line.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 4:39 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
Trying to orchestrate a game-winning drive in Denver, Josh Allen is leaving everything out on the field, even the most unconventional of throws.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 4:36 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
Bo Nix lofted a 26-yard pass to wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. for a go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute remaining.
The Broncos targeted cornerback Dane Jackson, who was in for the injured Tre’Davious White.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 4:32 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
On a got-to-have-it drive, Bo Nix is showcasing his best in the clutch.
He patiently waited for an opening on the right side of the field and then scurried for a gain of six, converting a third-and-4 for a critical first down.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 4:27 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
Courtland Sutton didn’t have a catch through the first three quarters and change.
The veteran wideout is now coming to life when the Broncos need him most.
He just brought in a 25-yard pass from Bo Nix on third-and-11.
Before that, he made a sideline catch for a drive-opening first down.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 4:23 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
It appeared as if Khalil Shakir might have had a catch-and-run touchdown for the Bills, but, turns out, the pass he reeled in actually hit the ground.
Instead, Buffalo collected three points on a 31-yard Matt Prater field goal.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 4:20 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
With the Bills facing another third down, the legs of Josh Allen once again came in handy.
He veered right on a quarterback power and followed a big block from tackle Spencer Brown.
Buffalo has rushed for 176 yards, the most Denver has given up all season.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 4:14 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
Josh Allen is like a battering ram in short-yardage situations.
He converted another tush push on the Bills’ latest drive, which is chewing significant clock in the fourth quarter.
His 3-yard pickup gave Buffalo a first down at the Denver 28-yard line with less than eight minutes left.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 4:07 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
Denver just punted for the second straight drive. The drive before that, it turned the ball over when Bo Nix was picked off.
The Broncos have totaled a mere 30 yards across their past three series.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 4:03 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
Just like that, the Bills are back in front.
After giving up 13 straight points, between the end of the second quarter and the start of the third, Buffalo has stormed back.
Josh Allen wrapped a nine-play, 85-yard drive with a 14-yard strike to tight end Dalton Kincaid, who made the scoring grab over Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga.
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 3:58 PM PST
Andy Backstrom
Bills wideout Khalil Shakir turned a quick pass from Josh Allen into a 46-yard gain.
He split a pair of Broncos defenders and sprinted downfield before ultimately being wrangled.