Updated NFL Playoff bracket after Bills thrash Broncos in AFC Wild Card Round

Simply put, the Denver Broncos were no match for the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Sean McDermott's team had way more postseason experience on their side of Sean Payton's first-ever playoff team in Denver. Factor in it being a home game for Bills Mafia, and Denver had next to no shot of winning this game anyway. Buffalo came out on top quite easily in its first playoff game of the postseason, 31-7.

With quarterback Josh Allen on the precipice of his first NFL MVP, now is the time for his team and his city to rally around him. Buffalo may only be the No. 2 seed in the deep AFC, but the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs are especially vulnerable. If they were to meet this postseason, it would have to be the so-called Arrowhead Invitational over in Kansas City for the AFC's right to play in the Super Bowl.

Let's be real. Unless the Dallas Cowboys are playing in it as the No. 2 seed, the No. 7 seed has virtually no chance of getting to the divisional round. The odds are stacked against them. In previous playoff iterations, the No. 2 seed would have had a first-round bye and the No. 7 seed would have been at home watching the playoffs unfold from the couch like the rest of us. But today, and never again!

So with Buffalo moving on, let's take a look at how the AFC Wild Card round shook out this weekend.

Updated NFL playoff bracket after Buffalo Bills beat Denver Broncos

Here is what we have seen in the playoffs, one where every AFC Wild Card game has been played.

• Houston Texans 32, Los Angeles Chargers 12
• Baltimore Ravens 28, Pittsburgh Steelers 14
• Buffalo Bills 31, Denver Broncos 7

With the home team winning every AFC Wild Card game, here is what the playoff bracket looks like.

• No. 4 Houston Texans at No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs
• No. 3 Baltimore Ravens at No. 2 Buffalo Bills

With it being chalk, this makes things much clearer on the AFC side of the Super Bowl bracket with all three NFC Wild Card games left to be played. Houston will have to beat top-seeded Kansas City on the road to reach the AFC Championship Game for the first time in franchise history. Once again, the cards are not going to be in the Texans' favors to do that this postseason, so good luck with all that!

As for Buffalo's next opponent, they will host Baltimore in the No. 2 vs. No. 3. The winner of this game will take on the winner of No. 4 Houston at No. 1 Kansas City in the AFC Championship. For the winning team coming out of Orchard Park next weekend, there will be a growing belief they can be the ones to dethrone Kansas City. As for the losing team, the franchise will be ripped to shreds over on X.

Admittedly, it may be more of a fair fight between the Bills and Ravens than we even expected. Conversely, neither Allen or Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson have ever been to a Super Bowl. Outside of Joe Burrow back in 2021, nobody has represented the AFC in the Super Bowl outside of the Chiefs since Tom Brady got the New England Patriots their sixth Lombardi Trophy back in 2018.

Buffalo is one win closer to a Super Bowl appearance, but the Bills will have to get past Baltimore first.