The Denver Broncos clinched the number one seed in the AFC and will play against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional round of the playoffs. The Bills are coming off a 27-24 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars and have won six of their last seven games.
The Broncos had a rocky start to their season, with a 1-2 record and losing both games to field goals in the final seconds of the game. Since then, the Broncos won 13 of 14 games, with 10 of those wins being one-possession wins. The team would finish with a 14-3 record, their first winning season since 2016.
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The defense has been the savior for the Broncos. Their total defense ranks second, they allow 18.3 points per game, and they led the league with 68 sacks. Linebacker Nik Bonitto leads the team and was fifth in the league with 14 sacks.
Quarterback Bo Nix has taken full control of the offense. In his second year, Nix has thrown for 3,931 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, which all rank top 10 in the NFL. Wide Receiver Courtland Sutton finished with back-to-back seasons of 1000-plus yards with 1,017 along, with seven touchdowns.
The stingy Broncos defense will have to face a high-powered Bills offense. Quarterback Josh Allen dominated the Jaguars in the Wildcard round with 273 passing yards and three total touchdowns.
During the regular season, the Bills averaged 28.3 points per game, which was fourth in the league. They led the league in rushing yards with 159.6 yards per game thanks to running back James Cook leading the league with 1,621 yards.
The matchup between Cook and the Broncos run defense will be one to watch. Cook had 46 rushing yards against the Jaguars, who were the number one rushing defense in the league. The Broncos rank number two, but have shown inconsistency in the final games of the regular season.
Allen and Cook will have to rely on each other the way they have all season. They are just one win away from another AFC Championship appearance. This time around, there is no Patrick Mahomes standing in the way. If the team were to fall short again, it will be another long offseason of what could have been.
