The Denver Broncos are back in the AFC Championship Game for the first time since their Super Bowl triumph a decade ago - but they’ll be making the trip without their starting quarterback. Bo Nix, the promising second-year signal-caller, suffered a broken right ankle late in Saturday’s thriller against Buffalo and will miss the rest of the postseason.
It’s a brutal blow for a Broncos team that’s been riding high, but they’re still standing - and advancing - after a gutsy 33-30 overtime win over the Bills. Wil Lutz sealed it with a 23-yard field goal, sending Denver to its 12th conference title game in franchise history. They’re 8-3 in those games, and this time, they’ll host the AFC Championship at home.
The No. 1-seeded Broncos (15-3) now await the winner of Sunday’s Texans-Patriots matchup. That game will decide who heads to Denver for a shot at the Super Bowl.
Regardless of the opponent, it’ll be Jarrett Stidham under center for the Broncos. The veteran backup, who has just one win in seven NFL seasons, now finds himself in the spotlight with the season on the line.
Still, head coach Sean Payton isn’t lacking confidence in his next man up.
“I feel like I have a No. 2 that’s capable of starting for a number of teams,” Payton said. “I know he feels the same way.
So watch out. Just watch.”
Over in the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks punched their ticket to Championship Sunday in emphatic fashion. Sam Darnold and company dismantled a banged-up 49ers squad, 41-6, to earn their first trip to the conference title game in 11 years - and fifth overall. They’ll host the winner of the Rams-Bears game next week.
Seattle wasted no time setting the tone. Rashid Shaheed took the opening kickoff 95 yards to the house, and the Seahawks never looked back.
Their defense was lights-out, holding San Francisco to just 236 total yards and forcing three turnovers. Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey had no answers against a unit that’s been quietly dominant all season.
“They’re unbelievable,” Darnold said of his defense. “They’ve stepped up every single game for us.
Can’t say enough great things about that defense. It was tough in training camp and OTAs going up against them.
But I’m glad they’re on our side.”
For the Broncos, Saturday’s win came with plenty of drama - and a fair share of controversy. Josh Allen and the Bills once again came up short in their quest for a Super Bowl, falling in the divisional or championship round for the sixth straight year under Allen and head coach Sean McDermott.
Allen and Nix traded clutch touchdown passes in a wild fourth quarter, with Buffalo’s Matt Prater drilling a 50-yarder to tie things up and send it to overtime. But in the extra period, the game took a decisive turn.
After Denver punted on the opening possession, Allen launched a deep ball to Brandin Cooks that looked like it might set up a game-winning field goal. But Broncos defensive back Ja’Quan McMillian made a brilliant play, wrestling the ball away for an interception as both players hit the turf. The call stood after a quick review, and the Broncos took over at their own 20.
McDermott was visibly frustrated with how that sequence played out.
“It was a rather rapid unfolding of the review, if there was a review,” McDermott said postgame. “That’s too big of a play, in my estimation, to not even slow it down.
These guys spend three hours out there pouring their guts out. That’s why I’m bothered.”
The Bills’ frustrations didn’t end there. Two pass interference penalties on Buffalo - totaling 47 yards - moved Denver into scoring position.
The second flag, on veteran corner Tre’Davious White, put the ball on the 8-yard line. White, incensed, threw his helmet and drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, setting up Lutz’s game-winning kick.
The loss extends Buffalo’s postseason heartbreak, while Denver keeps its Super Bowl dreams alive - albeit with a different quarterback leading the charge.
Since the NFL expanded the playoffs to 14 teams in 2020, No. 1 seeds have held strong in the divisional round, going 9-3. But only one of those teams - the 2022 Chiefs - has gone on to win it all. The Broncos now have a chance to join that short list.
And while the road just got tougher without Bo Nix, Denver’s defense, playmakers, and coaching experience give them more than just a puncher’s chance. Championship Sunday is set to deliver - and both top seeds are still standing.