The Denver Broncos outlasted the Buffalo Bills in a tightly-contested AFC Divisional Round contest on Saturday. The 33-30 overtime win sends Sean Peyton and Bo Nix to their first AFC Championship Game.
It was a bit of dogfight as the Broncos forced five turnovers and sacked Josh Allen three times. Nix threw three touchdowns and led his team with 29 yards rushing. For a first playoff win, the quarterback found the plays Denver needed. He'll need to do it again in the AFC title game while hoping for similar results from his defense.
Broncos playoff schedule: Texans or Patriots stand between Denver and a Super Bowl appearance
The Broncos' next game will be at Mile High against the winner of the other AFC Divisional Round matchup between the Houston Texans and New England Patriots.
Broncos next game:
- AFC Championship Game: Sunday, Jan 25 at 3:00 p.m. ET on CBS
Denver doesn't know who they will play yet, but they know the time and place. They'll host the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 2015 — the same year they last won the Super Bowl.
Houston and New England play on Sunday at Gillette Stadium to determine who gets to advance for a date with the Broncos.
Who should the Broncos want to face: Texans or Patriots?
What paint do you want on your walls, eggshell white or alabaster? The Texans and Patriots are both excellent teams with exciting young quarterbacks and elite defenses. It's tough to separate them. but we have to.
So let's go to the most basic matchup question: Which quarterback would you rather face? The answer is CJ Stroud.
Stroud had a shaky outing as the Texans beat the Steelers. He turned the ball over three times. He fumbled more than that too. During the regular season, the Texans offense was uninspiring and so far in the playoffs they haven't been much better. Don't be fooled by their 30 points against Pittsburgh, which were amplified by two defensive scores
Meanwhile, the Patriots have a formidable defense and a quarterback who has played well all season. Maye's playoff debut was positive enough. He threw an INT and lost a fumble, but he took off for 66 yards on the ground. The Patriots settled for field goals too often though, so their offense still has a lot to prove.
Verdict: Broncos want Texans
Full NFL playoff schedule
The NFL playoffs will conclude on Feb. 8 with Super Bowl XL. First, Super Bowl hopefuls need to make it through the remaining divisional games and then the two conference championship games on Jan. 25.
NFL Playoff Round | Dates |
|---|---|
Wild Card Round | Sat. Jan. 10, Sun. Jan. 11, or Mon. Jan. 12 |
Divisional Round | Sat. Jan. 17 or Sun. Jan. 18 |
Conference Championships | Sunday, Jan. 25 |
Super Bowl LX | Sunday, Feb. 8 |