In an instant-classic playoff matchup Saturday that left Empower Field ringing and sweating as night fell in Denver, the Broncos outlasted the Bills 33-30 in overtime to advance to the AFC championship game. Here’s The Denver Post’s report card from an unforgettable game in Denver.
OFFENSE — B+
In the story of this 2025 Broncos team, Sean Payton and Bo Nix found a rhythm early, couldn’t finish drives, then could finish drives, then fell out of rhythm again, then found a groove at the game’s tipping point.
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The world was on Nix's shoulders in Denver on Saturday, and the second-year quarterback responded in kind in the first half: 13-of-23 for 150 yards, two touchdowns and 29 yards on the ground. The Broncos' second and third-best receivers, Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant, were out with injury. Payton gave the ball just four times on handoffs to RJ Harvey and Jaleel McLaughlin in the first half. This was a show of faith in Nix more than any other, and for a half, it clicked.
It collapsed in the second half, with Nix left on his backside and shouting up at Payton after another third-down try that didn't hit. After a terrible third-quarter pick by Nix, the Broncos went punt-punt on two subsequent second-half drives as Buffalo mounted a lead.
But with Nix staring down the barrel of a second consecutive loss to Buffalo late in the fourth quarter Saturday, down 27-23 with a minute left from the 26-yard-line, he lofted the throw of his life to Marvin Mims down the left sideline. The 26-yard touchdown catch couldn't have been placed any better -- and it couldn't have been a more perfect call from Payton. In overtime, Nix attacked the Bills' defense enough to put Buffalo in the dirt, with two pass-interference calls setting up a game-winning field goal.
DEFENSE -- B-
Vance Joseph's unit, apparently, completely flips identities come playoff time. Gone was the stingy, red-zone-stopping and low-turnover-generating group that Empower Field had seen all 2025. In its place was a porous mess of defensive miscommunication that still managed to generate enough turnovers to put Denver in a position to win.
How it Happened: Broncos beat Bills in overtime thriller to advance to AFC championship game
The Broncos could hardly stop running back James Cook with a head of steam, as Cook darted up wide-open holes time and again in a 24-carry, 117-yard performance. They could hardly stop Josh Allen from going through his progressions for much of the night. The Bills' MVP quarterback took a chainsaw to butter in the third quarter. But linebacker Alex Singleton swung momentum fully in Denver's direction by knocking the ball out from James Cook in the second quarter, and Nik Bonitto single-handedly gave the Broncos six points with two forced fumbles, and safety P.J. Locke jumped a deep route for a massive third-quarter interception.
Nickel Ja'Quan McMillian provided the topper in overtime, with a literal season-saving play against the Bills' Brandin Cooks -- ripping the ball out of the air to give Denver new life.
Season-long issues covering matchup-threat tight ends bit them squarely in the behind in the second half, as Buffalo's Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox combined for 81 second-half yards.
SPECIAL TEAMS -- A
Devon Key has had more special-teams tackles than any Bronco in franchise history for a reason this season.
"I think there’ll be a lot of former special teamers, former defensive players, that would be like, ‘Wow. That’s something,'" Broncos head coach Sean Payton said a couple of Fridays ago. "There’s a grit to that and a toughness to that."
Key showed it plenty on Saturday. The 2025 All-Pro special teamer knocked the Bills around on a couple of special-teams tackles to stuff Buffalo short of the 30-yard line on two kickoffs. Denver kicker Wil Lutz contributed handily, too, with three field goals, and rookie punter Jeremy Crawshaw dropped in an absolute 55-yard beauty in overtime to pin Buffalo at its own 7-yard line. All-around excellence.
COACHING -- A-
This was an existential moment for the 62-year-old Sean Payton, who promised the world -- really, promised himself -- that he couldn't be conservative as a play-caller heading into Saturday.
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The second half saw Payton ease off the gas pedal. At the same time, coordinator Vance Joseph's defense fell out of sorts with Joseph curiously matching up safety Talanoa Hufanga on Bills star tight end Dalton Kincaid on a red-zone go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter. But when push came to shove, Payton dialed up shot plays in the fourth quarter and overtime to clinch a raucous win in Denver.
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