Story by
5 takeaways from Broncos' costly playoff win vs. Bills
- Story by
- 5 takeaways from Broncos' costly playoff win vs. Bills
The Denver Broncos defeated the Buffalo Bills , 33-30 , in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs on Saturday. Here are five quick takeaways from the team's overtime victory.
1. Bo Nix injury overshadows victory: The Broncos won, but at what cost? After the game, coach Sean Payton announced that Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury . Nix is now scheduled to undergo surgery on Tuesday . The shock and discouragement from that news instantly overshadowed any celebrations in Broncos Country. Nix, 25, will now prepare for rehab while Denver moves on in the NFL playoffs.
Advertisement
2. Ja'Quan McMillian's interception was the correct call: Bills fans ( and Buffalo coach Sean McDermott ) are convinced that Brandin Cooks should have been awarded a catch on Josh Allen 's overtime interception, but as referee Carl Cheffers explained after the game, it was McMillian who completed the coach . Cooks did not complete the process of a catch, and McMillian was correctly rewarded an interception after completing the play. As for the pass interference penalties on the game-winning drive — the first one was harsh, but Joey Bosa would have been penalized for roughing the passer on the same play, only a two-yard difference than the 17-yard DPI foul. The second penalty was blatant as Tre'Davious White started tackling Marvin Mims before the ball arrived.
3. Safety should have ended the game: None of the penalties mentioned above — or the McMillian interception — would have happened had the officials spotted holding in the end zone and correctly awarded the Broncos a game-winning safety. So while the officiating wasn't perfect, Buffalo wasn't robbed.
4. Takeaways were key: Last week, Denver coach Sean Payton mentioned that the Bills lost the turnover battle in all but one of their losses over the last two seasons. The Broncos knew they needed to force takeaways on Saturday, and they delivered. Nik Bonitto forced two Josh Allen fumbles, P.J. Locke forced a fumble and picked off Allen, Alex Singleton forced a fumble and McMillian had a crucial game-saving interception. Those five takeaways proved to be the difference in the game.
Advertisement
5. Jarrett Stidham 's ready: Payton gave Stidham a strong endorsement after announcing the Nix news. "He's ready," Payton said of Stidham. "I've said this at the beginning of the season, I feel like I have a [No.] 2 [QB] that's capable of starting for a handful of, a number of teams. I know he feels the same way. So watch out. Just watch. He's experienced, he's played in games." Stidham has four career starts on his resume, but he hasn't attempted a pass in a regular season game since 2023. He completed 78.9% of his passes for 376 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in two preseason games in August.
Denver is now scheduled to host the AFC Championship game on Jan. 25. The Broncos will host the winner of the Houston-New England game that's scheduled for later today.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X ! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans .
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: 5 takeaways from costly playoff win vs. Bills
