Denver wakes up this week with electricity in the air. For the first time since January 2016, Empower Field at Mile High will host a playoff game. The AFC’s No. 1 seed Denver Broncos welcome the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night in what promises to be one of the loudest, coldest, and most meaningful nights in recent franchise history.
This is the moment Broncos Country has waited a decade for.
The Broncos locked up the top seed with a 14-3 record, earning a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. Sean Payton’s second year in charge delivered the best regular season in Denver since the 2015 Super Bowl team.
Defense Becomes the Identity Again
Denver’s defense terrorized quarterbacks all season, finishing with an NFL-best 68 sacks. That’s the most by any team since the 1989 Vikings and the highest total in the 17-game era.
The mid-season additions of safety Talanoa Hufanga and linebacker Dre Greenlaw proved to be masterstrokes. Hufanga, acquired from San Francisco, brought instant playmaking with 4 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles. Greenlaw added sideline-to-sideline speed that had been missing since the Von Miller era.
Opposing quarterbacks completed just 56.8% of passes against Denver this year, the lowest mark in the league.
Zach Allen led the team with 14.5 sacks. Nik Bonitto added 13.5. Patrick Surtain II shadowed No. 1 receivers into oblivion. The secondary allowed only 12 passing touchdowns all season.
Bo Nix Plays Beyond His Years
The second-year quarterback from Oregon answered every question asked of him. Nix finished the regular season with 4,285 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, and only 9 interceptions while adding 685 rushing yards and 8 rushing scores.
He became the first Broncos quarterback since Peyton Manning to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 600 in the same season.
Saturday will mark Nix’s playoff debut in front of his home crowd.
“I’ve dreamed about this since I was a kid,” Nix said this week. “There’s nothing like running out of that tunnel with 76,000 screaming fans wearing orange. We’re going to feed off that energy.”
Buffalo Battles Through Injuries
The Bills earned their playoff spot the hard way, winning their final four games just to secure a wild-card berth. They upset the Ravens in Baltimore last week despite playing without three starters.
Josh Allen remains the most dangerous quarterback in football when healthy, but he’s clearly battered. The superstar dealt with a shoulder issue late in the season and took a scary hit last week. Receivers Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid are both listed as questionable. Amari Cooper has been playing through a wrist injury for weeks.
Buffalo’s offense scored 17 points or fewer in four of their last seven games.
Key Numbers Heading Into Saturday
| Category | Broncos | Bills |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Season Record | 14-3 | 11-6 |
| Points Per Game | 29.8 | 26.1 |
| Points Allowed | 17.2 | 21.8 |
| Sacks | 68 | 42 |
| Turnover Margin | +14 | +3 |
| Third Down % | 48.2% | 41.1% |
The weather forecast calls for 22 degrees at kickoff with possible snow flurries. Perfect conditions for the Broncos’ style of football.
This One Feels Different
You can feel it walking through Denver this week. Orange and blue everywhere. Old Peyton Manning jerseys mixed with new Bo Nix ones. Kids wearing Von Miller throwbacks standing next to grandparents who remember the Orange Crush defense.
This isn’t just about ending a decade-long home playoff drought.
It’s about validation for Sean Payton. It’s about proving the Bo Nix pick was right. It’s about showing the NFL that Denver is back among the elite, not just visiting but staying.
The last time these two teams met in the playoffs, Buffalo embarrassed Denver 48-19 in 2020. Josh Allen threw for 359 yards and ran for two scores that night.
Saturday offers revenge. Saturday offers legacy.
One team leaves with their season alive. One team starts a long offseason wondering what might have been.
For Broncos fans, Saturday night is appointment television nine years in the making.
The Mile High City is ready. The question is simple.
Are the Buffalo Bills?
Drop your score predictions below and let us know: Can Bo Nix and this Broncos defense finally bring playoff football back to Denver in a big way? Use #BroncosCountry if you’re posting on social media. Let’s get it trending worldwide.
