When the Denver Broncos stepped onto the field for their Divisional Round clash with the Buffalo Bills, they weren’t just playing for a shot at the AFC Championship-they were betting on their preparation. And when it mattered most, that bet paid off.
With under a minute to go in regulation, tied at 27, Denver head coach Sean Payton finally called a play he’d been holding in his back pocket. It wasn’t a lucky guess or a gut feeling. It was a decision rooted in practice-specifically, a moment that had stuck with Payton since a joint session earlier in the season.
The play? A double move route run by rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr.
The defender who got beat on it in practice? None other than Patrick Surtain II-Denver’s All-Pro corner and one of the best in the game.
“You’re beating the number one corner in the world,” Payton told Mims during the team’s final prep meeting. “I don’t care who they put over there in the game tomorrow. We’re running this play.”
That’s not just confidence. That’s conviction backed by reps.
Payton had seen Mims run that route to perfection in practice, and not just against any scout team defender-against the standard of Denver’s defense. That kind of success doesn’t get ignored.
It gets filed away. And with the game on the line, it came off the shelf.
The moment arrived with 55 seconds left in the fourth. Tied game.
The pressure mounting. Bo Nix, the rookie quarterback, took the snap, dropped back, and let it fly deep down the left sideline.
Mims Jr. had already created separation. The ball dropped in.
Touchdown. Broncos up 30-27.
Mile High erupted.
But the Bills weren’t done. Josh Allen led a gutsy drive to tie it up with a field goal and force overtime.
Still, Denver didn’t blink. They stayed composed, leaned on their preparation again, and finished the job in OT, walking away with a 33-30 win and a ticket to the AFC Championship Game.
This wasn’t a fluke. It wasn’t a broken coverage or a lucky bounce.
It was a play that had been rehearsed, refined, and remembered. It was a head coach trusting what he saw in practice, and a rookie wideout delivering when the lights were brightest.
For the Broncos, that moment was bigger than just a touchdown. It was a validation of process.
A reminder that the work you put in on Tuesday can define your season on Sunday. Or in this case, Saturday night in January.
After Marvin Mims beat the “No. 1 corner in the world,” Sean Payton knew he had to run that play in the game. pic.twitter.com/C2k7KPl8Nd
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) January 19, 2026
And now, with the Super Bowl just two wins away, the question becomes: Can Denver keep leaning on that preparation? Because if they do, and if they keep listening to what the film-and the reps-are telling them, they might not be done just yet.