DENVER — The playoffs are back in the Mile High City.
The Broncos are set to host a postseason game for the first time in a decade, and they'll battle quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round of the 2025 playoffs.
As Denver looks to earn its first postseason win since Super Bowl 50 and clinch a spot in the AFC Championship Game, the Broncos' mindset is clear. Despite a first-round bye and their first AFC West title since 2015, the Broncos aren't satisfied with what they've accomplished.
"We're excited to be here, obviously, but [we're] expecting a lot more," tackle Mike McGlinchey said this week. "We're ready for the opportunity. Again, you want to beat the best, and that's what the playoffs gives you the opportunity to do, and the Bills are going to be a great one."
For as ready as the Broncos are, Broncos Country must be equally as excited. Denver enters the game with an 8-1 home record this season, and the team has won 13 of its last 14 home games, dating back to last season. In postseason history, the Broncos hold a 17-5 mark at home. The Broncos' home-field advantage doesn't guarantee anything entering Saturday's game, but it should provide an edge.
"I've been saying since I got here that we needed to get a home playoff game back in the city," wide receiver Courtland Sutton said Tuesday. "The way that the fans have been showing up, Broncos Country has been bumping.
"… I can only imagine what it's going to be like, first [postseason] home game since 2015. It's well overdue, and I'm excited to see Broncos Country show up and show out."
The challenge, though, will be far from easy. Led by the 2024 MVP in Allen, the Bills are coming off their first road playoff win in nearly three decades and will look to advance to their third AFC Championship Game since 2020.
"We have to be ready to play our best game," Head Coach Sean Payton said Tuesday.
As the Broncos look to kick off their playoff run with a win, these are the questions that could decide the AFC Divisional Round matchup:
CAN THE BRONCOS THRIVE IN LATE-GAME SCENARIOS?
When high-stakes situations arrive, both the Broncos and Bills seem to be at their best. The Broncos (+64) and Bills (+50) each rank in the top three in the NFL in fourth-quarter point differential, and Saturday's game may be decided by which team can grab the edge in the final frame.
The Broncos' offense has shown its ability to deliver in clutch moments, as the team set an NFL record with 12 comeback wins and quarterback Bo Nix ranks first in the NFL in game-winning drives. In wins over the Eagles, Giants, Texans and Chiefs — to select just a few — Nix and the Broncos' offense mounted critical drives to earn wins. When trailing this season, Nix has thrown 17 touchdowns to just two interceptions while posting a 102.4 quarterback rating, and he's also added another four rushing touchdowns.
"When our backs are against the wall, we know we have a guy back there that steps up in those moments," tight end Evan Engram said.
The Broncos have pointed to their 14-point comeback win against the Eagles as a turning point, and Denver also erased a 19-point fourth-quarter deficit against the Giants.
"I don't think anybody on the offense flinches," wide receiver Courtland Sutton said of the Broncos' two-minute success. "If you look at our demeanor on the sideline, no matter what's going on during the game, I would like to say that the demeanor of our offense is very even-keeled.
"… I think we've proven throughout the course of the regular season that everyone should have that confidence, belief and faith in us that until that game is zeroed out, we have a chance to go win that game."
At home, Nix has been particularly strong. The second-year player has thrown 14 more touchdowns at home than on the road, and the Broncos have averaged nearly six points more at home during his career.
The Denver defense has been equally impressive, coming up with game-winning stops against the Titans, Eagles, Jets, Commanders and Chiefs. The unit will again need to be at its best in key moments against Allen, who has four game-winning drives and fourth-quarter comebacks this season. In the Bills' Wild Card win over the Jaguars, Allen completed a 36-yard pass and converted a fourth-and-1 before eventually powering in with 1:05 to play on Buffalo's game-winning drive.
The Bills were one of three teams to win in the Wild Card Round after trailing at the two-minute warning, and the Broncos paid close attention to the importance of end-of-game scenarios during their bye-week practices.
"These games are going to come down to a two-minute [scenario]," Payton said Jan. 9.
In Saturday's matchup, the Broncos may need to add another victory to their 11 one-score wins this season — and that means thriving in the final moments of the game.
CAN THE BRONCOS WIN IN THE RED ZONE?
Facing a quarterback like Allen, three is a whole lot better than seven.
A year ago, the Broncos held the Bills to field goals on two of their first three red-zone possessions, which kept Denver in the game. Late in the third quarter, the Broncos remained within a score. The Broncos' red-zone defense has been similarly good this year, as Denver ranks No. 1 in the NFL in allowing touchdowns inside the 20-yard line. In a win over the Packers, the Broncos allowed Green Bay to score on each of its four first-half possessions. The caveat? Denver held the Packers to field goals on three of those four drives — including a pair in the red zone. Those stops kept Green Bay within striking distance, and Denver outscored the Packers 20-10 in the second half.
Against the Bills' fourth-ranked scoring offense and third-ranked red-zone offense, the Broncos' ability to hold in those high-leverage situations will again be crucial.
Comparably, the Broncos will need to take advantage of their own red-zone opportunities. From Weeks 13-15, the Broncos scored touchdowns on 9-of-12 red-zone trips, and they'll look to get back to that sort of production after a 2-of-7 performance in the last two games.
The Broncos' third-down performance on each side of the ball was also a focus, and Payton said the team spent time studying the offensive clips of those crucial snaps late in the week of practice.
"When this finishes, I'm going to look at two years of third down in the red zone — like, every third down — because it's such an important down," Payton said during Thursday's media availability.
If Denver can gain an edge against Buffalo inside the 20-yard line, it would help push the Broncos to a win.
CAN THE BRONCOS PREVENT ALLEN FROM MAKING SECOND-ACT PLAYS & FORCE HIM INTO MISTAKES?
A year ago, Allen's fourth-down heroics effectively ended the Broncos' chances of a comeback. The reigning MVP avoided pressure in the pocket and extended the play before finding Ty Johnson for a touchdown that put the Bills up by 14 points.
Those are the sorts of plays the Broncos hope to eliminate on Saturday, and it's also one of the biggest challenges of facing Allen.
"You can't simulate it, obviously," Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph said. "If you could, you would. But you can't. There's one Josh Allen, and he lives in Buffalo. He'll show up Saturday morning, and we've got to get him stopped. [There are] ways to win every game, and we have to practice that way and have a plan that way and adjust quickly and obviously put the fires out when they come. That's our job."
Allen's 26-to-4 postseason touchdown-to-interception ratio is the best in NFL history, and he hasn't thrown an interception in his last 165 pass attempts. Denver — which won the turnover battle in Week 18 for just the second time since the Week 11 bye — may need to snag one to help earn a win. The Broncos will also need their vaunted pass rush, which led the NFL in sacks for the second consecutive year, to keep Allen in the pocket and get him to the ground.
It's a difficult challenge for the Denver defense, but Joseph believes they're ready.
"I'm hoping we play our best football Saturday," Joseph said. "It's time. It's been a long, long, good year for our defense. Some ups and downs, but it's time to play our best ball. That's the expectation."
CAN THE BRONCOS CONTROL THE GROUND GAME?
Allen may be one of the faces of the NFL, but Saturday's game may come down to what happens on the ground.
Buffalo enters the weekend with the league's top-ranked rushing attack, and do-it-all running back James Cook led the NFL with 1,621 rushing yards in 2025. Cook rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown in last year's playoff win over the Broncos, and Denver will look to slow the dynamic player in this year's meeting.
Denver has allowed the third-fewest rushing yards per play, and it will be crucial to prevent Cook from putting Buffalo in favorable down and distances. After Buffalo's wide receiving corps has suffered a slew of injuries, the ability to slow Cook may become even more important.
On the other side of the ball, the Broncos' ability to run may be just as important. Denver has controlled the clock at times this season, posting a series of long drives in road wins over the Raiders and Chiefs. Could there be a similar path to success against Buffalo that would allow the Broncos to keep Allen off the field?
Buffalo enters Saturday's matchup allowing the third-most yards per carry in the NFL, and the Broncos could count on RJ Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie to take advantage.
Denver has prided itself on winning at the line of scrimmage — on both sides of the ball. If the Broncos can do that this weekend, it may help them earn a playoff win.
