The Buffalo Bills are no strangers to adversity in the postseason - and this year, the road to Super Bowl LX is paved with nothing but away games. That’s a tough ask for any team, especially one carrying a 33-year drought without a road playoff win.
But last week, they took their first step in the right direction, knocking off the Jacksonville Jaguars in their own backyard. Now, the challenge only gets steeper.
Next stop: Denver. And if history’s any indication, it’s not a friendly place for visiting teams in January. The Broncos boast an 18-5 all-time home playoff record, and much of that success stems from the unique environment at Empower Field at Mile High - where the altitude tests your lungs and the crowd tests your nerves.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton knows exactly how valuable that home-field edge can be, and he’s not shy about asking for a little extra help from the folks in the stands. This week, he made a direct appeal to Broncos fans, urging them to crank up the noise - not just when the Bills break the huddle, but the moment they enter it.
“I just need it for half the snaps,” Payton said. “Say, 65 snaps, 10 seconds. That’s a huge advantage.”
He’s not wrong. Disrupting timing, communication, and cadence can throw even the most elite quarterbacks off their rhythm.
But here’s the thing: Josh Allen isn’t just any quarterback. He’s one of the most dynamic weapons in the league, and last week in Jacksonville, he showed exactly why.
Allen was unfazed by the Wild Card atmosphere. If anything, he thrived in it.
He delivered another signature postseason performance, commanding the offense with poise and precision. And he didn’t do it alone - his receivers stepped up in a big way.
Khalil Shakir was as reliable as they come, catching all 12 of his targets and giving Allen a consistent outlet all game long. Brandin Cooks added a deep-ball threat that stretched the Jaguars’ defense and kept them honest. With Josh Palmer and Gabe Davis sidelined for the rest of the postseason, Shakir and Cooks - along with rookie Keon Coleman - will be counted on once again to shoulder the load in the passing game.
But this week, they’ll be facing a different beast. Denver’s defense isn’t just good - it’s elite.
The Broncos closed out the regular season ranked second in total yards allowed, third in points surrendered, and led the NFL in sacks, finishing with 11 more than the next closest team. That’s not just dominance - that’s disruption at every level of the field.
Add in 70,000 roaring fans at altitude, and you’ve got a recipe for chaos - the kind that can derail even the most finely tuned offenses. That’s exactly what Payton is banking on.
Of course, the Bills know what’s coming. When a coach makes a public plea for crowd noise, you can bet the opposing sideline takes notice. Expect Allen and offensive coordinator Joe Brady to have a plan in place - silent counts, quick snaps, and maybe a few tricks to keep the Denver defense guessing.
This matchup has all the ingredients for a classic postseason showdown: a red-hot quarterback, a battle-tested defense, and one of the most hostile environments in football. The Bills are still climbing that hill toward Super Bowl LX, and this weekend in Denver, they’ll be facing one of their steepest inclines yet.