The Denver Broncos have made a habit of winning close games this year and did it again Saturday, beating the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in overtime in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs at Empower Field at Mile High. Denver will play in its first AFC Championship Game since the 2015 season at 3 p.m. on Jan. 25, hosting the winner of Sunday’s game between the Houston Texans and New England Patriots.
Josh Allen’s two lost fumbles lost and two interceptions, including one on the team’s first possession in overtime, undermined the Bills. Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian’s pick while taking the ball from receiver Brandin Cooks’ hands set up the winning drive in overtime.
Two pass interference calls against the Bills on cornerbacks Taron Johnson and Tre’Davious White set up Wil Lutz for a chip shot to win it.
Bo Nix went 26 of 46 for 279 yards, with 3 TDs and one interception to lead the top-seeded Broncos, who saw a 13-point third-quarter lead evaporate, but rebounded as they have several times this season to get the win in overtime. Nix led the NFL with seven game-winning drives this season and the Broncos were 11-2 this year in one-score games.
The Broncos appeared to take control at the end of the first half with an 11-play, 70-yard drive that culminated in a 29-yard touchdown pass from Nix to Lil’Jordan Humphrey to take a 17-10 lead with 22 seconds left. But the scoring didn’t end there. The Bills tried to be aggressive, but Allen lost a fumble with two seconds remaining, setting up a 50-yard Wil Lutz field goal to give the Broncos a 20-10 halftime lead.
Not only did Allen fumble before the half, but he also lost another one at the start of the second half on a Nik Bonitto strip-sack, leading to another Denver field goal. Allen had gone 427 snaps without a turnover before committing two in three snaps. He also threw a third-quarter interception after Deone Walker got the ball back for Buffalo with a pick. It ended a streak of 200 postseason pass attempts for Allen without an interception.
Running back James Cook lost another fumble in the second quarter with the Bills in field goal range. Meanwhile, the Broncos had a first-half fumble erased by a Bills penalty and recovered another of their own.
But the Bills remained patient with their game plan, continuing to feed Cook, the NFL rushing champ, who finished with 117 yards on 24 carries. Allen and the offense reeled off 17 unanswered points and had a 27-23 lead after a Matt Prater field goal with 4:11 left in regulation.
Nix responded, leading the Broncos back to a three-point lead with 55 seconds left in regulation with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims.
Allen finished 25 for 39 for 283 yards with 3 TDs and two interceptions. After Mims’ touchdown, Allen led the Bills to a 50-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in regulation, which Prater made to send it to overtime.
But it would be Lutz with the final kick of the game, winning it to advance.
The Bills knocked off the Broncos last season 31-7 in Buffalo in then-rookie Nix’s first NFL playoff game. Broncos coach Sean Payton stated after that loss, “We have to find a way to play these (playoff) games at home.” A 14-3 record ensured that home cooking and a bye as the AFC’s No. 1 seed, and the Broncos capitalized on the home-field advantage on Saturday. They’ll try to parlay that advantage again next week.
Payton moves one step closer to being the first coach to win Super Bowls with two different franchises, his first coming with the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV.