The Good, Bad & Ugly From Broncos' 33-30 OT Win Over Bills

We sift through the aftermath of the Broncos' impressive playoff win over the Bills.

Jan 17, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) runs during the fourth quarter of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Buffalo Bills at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos have won their first playoff game in a decade, defeating the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in an overtime heart-pounder. The Broncos weren't always consistent, but once again, they made plays in the biggest moments, which has been the script week in and week out.

Sadly, the euphoria was cut short after Sean Payton announced post-game that Broncos quarterback Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle on the second-to-last play of the game, ending his season. Jarrett Stidham will step in as the Broncos' starting quarterback for next week's AFC Championship Game.

Saturday's heavyweight throwdown vs. the Bills left us plenty of good, bad, and downright ugly to analyze, but let’s start with the performance that Denver’s second-year quarterback put on. 

The Good: Nix Proves Himself

In only his second season, Nix has won the AFC West, the No. 1 playoff seed, and now a playoff game against the Bills, the team that bounced the Broncos in the Wildcard Round one year ago.

During the game, the Broncos lost wide receivers Pat Bryant (concussion) and Troy Franklin (hamstring) to injury, and lacked a consistent run game, but Nix hoisted the offense up by completing 26 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns, along with 29 critical yards on the ground.

Nix's touchdown pass to Marvin Mims Jr. with 55 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give the Broncos the lead, and his gutsy drive to put Wil Lutz in position for the game-winning field goal in overtime, will be remembered as stamps of greatness on his career. Nix has proved that he is the man in Denver. 

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The Bad: Defense Bends & Breaks

Jan 17, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian (29) celebrates after intercepting a pass intended for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks (not pictured) during overtime of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Broncos’ defense had an outstanding five-takeaway performance against the Bills, but struggled to stop Josh Allen and James Cook throughout the game. The Broncos allowed 449 total yards, including 183 on the ground, as they got bullied in the run game by the Bills.

Rush linebacker Jonathon Cooper, in particular, has been awful down the stretch of this season, notching just a half-sack since Week 13, and was abysmal against the Bills. With no discipline in the run game and little to no pressure rushing the quarterback, Cooper may be in danger of losing his starting spot to Jonah Elliss if he doesn't turn the ship around.

The Bills dominated time of possession with 40:58 to Denver’s 29:18 (counting overtime), which is a reflection of the Broncos’ inability to get Allen off the field. Denver must play better defensively if it wants to make a push to the Super Bowl, especially with Stidham at quarterback.

The Ugly: Deflating Injuries 

After the game, the deflating Nix injury news sucked the life out of a fan base that just saw him will the Broncos to the AFC Championship Game. Bryant and Franklin were ruled out early in the game with a concussion and hamstring injury, respectively, along with backup center Alex Forsyth going down with an ankle injury.

The Broncos have had some big losses due to injury this season, namely running back J.K. Dobbins, but losing Nix for the season takes the cake. All eyes turn to Stidham, who had a great showing in the preseason, but he's now set to become the first quarterback in NFL history to start in the conference championship game after not throwing a pass in the regular season.