SpikedLemonade
Well-known member
I think we blow the Broncos away.
OFFICIAL PLAY OFF GAME DAY THREAD — Denver Broncos @ Buffalo Bills = Sunday January 12th @ 1:00 PM
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Broncos at Bills: How to watch, weather forecast, radio, latest line, everything you need to know
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) stands in the tunnel before the game at Highmark Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Joshua Bessex/Buffalo News)
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix and an attacking defense has the Denver Broncos back in the playoffs for the first time since winning the Super Bowl nine years ago. They'll face playoff-tested Josh Allen and the AFC's second-seeded Buffalo Bills, who are making their sixth straight postseason appearance in a wild-card matchup at Orchard Park on Sunday. The Bills finished 13-4 to clinch their fifth straight AFC East title. The Broncos went 10-7 courtesy of the fast-developing Nix, the sixth quarterback selected in the draft, and a defense that led the NFL with 63 sacks.
Here are the basics:
WHO: Denver Broncos (10-7) at Buffalo Bills0 (13-4)WHEN: 1 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park
WEATHER: 32 degrees at kickoff with wind from the southwest at 9 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
TV: WIVB-TV (Ch. 4 in Buffalo). On the call: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson, Jay Feely
RADIO: Bills Radio Network (WGR-AM, 550 in Buffalo). On the call: Chris Brown, Eric Wood, Sal Capaccio
LINE: Bills by 8½ (Over/Under: 47½)
Other news, notes, keys and information of interest:
• Can Josh Allen will the Bills to Super Bowl? More of what his teammates have seen of their 'amazing' QB• Sean McDermott and the Bills have excelled against rookie QBs like Bo Nix, but they caution: 'He's the real deal'
• Mark Gaughan's PlayAction column: Unlike most rookies, Denver's Bo Nix has excelled at avoiding sacks
• Alan Pergament: Jim Nantz doesn't know how many Bills games he has called. But he's happy he's calling this one
• The Broncos' pass rush – best in the NFL – has exceeded expectations. Can they take down Josh Allen?
• Ryan O'Halloran: The top 12 defining moments from the Buffalo Bills' regular season
• We analyzed every pass Josh Allen threw the past two seasons. Here's proof he got more out of less in 2024
• Take a spin through The Buffalo News’ podcast, PlayAction.
How they got here
The Broncos clinched their playoff spot after dispatching the Kansas City Chiefs 38-0 in the last week of the regular season.The Broncos’ reward? A trip to Buffalo to play the Bills next week in an AFC wild-card round game.
The teams will meet at 1 p.m. Sunday at Highmark Stadium. CBS will broadcast the game.
Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele celebrates after catching a touchdown pass during the first half of Sunday’s game against the Chiefs in Denver.
David Zalubowski, Associated Press
The Bills (13-4) and Broncos (10-7) will meet in the playoffs for the first time since the AFC title game in January 1992, a 10-7 Bills win.
Denver’s win eliminated the Cincinnati Bengals from playoff contention.
Denver rookie quarterback Bo Nix set a franchise record by completing his first 18 passes, also the longest streak within a Broncos game since Brian Griese in 2001. His first incomplete pass wasn’t until 6 seconds remained in the first half.
Nix finished 26 of 29 passing for 321 yards and four touchdowns.
“It’s fun to clinch a playoff spot in the last game of the year against a divisional team,” said Nix, who also set an NFL record with 19 touchdown throws at home in his rookie season. “But now playoff time starts, and our goal wasn’t just to make the playoffs, even though it hadn’t been done in a while.”
The Broncos squandered their first two chances to clinch a playoff berth, losing at the Los Angeles Chargers and Cincinnati in Weeks 16-17, but didn’t mess around against a Chiefs team playing without quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones, among others.
“My hat goes off to Denver. Great opportunity for them to get into the playoffs and did a nice job today,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “Sean (Payton) has done a good job with that group. A positive for us we got to play a lot of young guys. That experience is invaluable, especially against a good football team.”
Carson Wentz started at quarterback for the Chiefs and went 10 of 17 for 98 yards while getting sacked four times.
“We didn’t play great as a team. I didn’t play my best, either,” Wentz said. “Move on from this one pretty quick. It was fun to get out there, give myself and a lot of guys a chance to just go out there and compete. But obviously they were the better team today.”
The Broncos scored touchdowns on their first three possessions – catches by receivers Marvin Mims (32 yards), Courtland Sutton (1 yards) and Devaughn Vele (3 yards). They led 24-0 at halftime, outgaining the Chiefs 313-55.
Denver converted fourth down plays on its second and third possessions. To make it 21-0, Nix’s pass into the end zone was deflected by two Kansas City defenders before Vele made the catch and got one knee in-bounds.
The Broncos made it 31-0 on Mims’ 7-yard touchdown catch with 2:49 left in the third quarter. After the third quarter, the Broncos had outgained Kansas City 399-91 and had 23 first downs to five for the Chiefs.
Issue No. 1 for the Bills’ offense will be the Broncos’ pass rush, which had two first-half sacks to give them a franchise-record 62 for the season. The Bills allowed only 14 sacks in the regular season
Attachments
The Athletic: Broncos at Bills: How to watch, odds, expert picks with Buffalo favored for wild-card game
Broncos at Bills: How to watch, odds, expert picks with Buffalo favored for wild-card game
Undefeated at home during the regular season, Buffalo and MVP candidate Josh Allen are favored by more than a touchdown against Denver.
www.nytimes.com
Hosting a playoff game during wild-card weekend feels like an annual tradition for the Buffalo Bills. Looking to make it five straight wild-card home wins, Buffalo hosts the Denver Broncos. Undefeated at home during the regular season, the Bills and MVP candidate Josh Allen are favored by over a touchdown against Denver.
How to watch Broncos at Bills
- Venue: Highmark Stadium — Orchard Park, N.Y.
- Time: 1 p.m. ET Sunday
- TV: CBS
- Streaming: Fubo (try for free), Paramount+
- Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub.
The Bills spread the ball around in the passing game (sixth in yards per play). Receiver Khalil Shakir became Buffalo’s No. 1 target during a breakout season, while rookie Keon Coleman and trade acquisition Amari Cooper have been dangerous in spurts. Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox remain a steady duo at tight end.
The Broncos bring a top-three run defense to go along with an NFL-high 62 sacks. An aggressive front will hurry Allen in the hopes of avoiding a shootout. There’s added pressure on Denver’s defense to force turnovers, with Buffalo No. 1 in sack avoidance and No. 3 in interception rate. Question marks linger for the Broncos secondary after allowing 412 passing yards to the Bengals in Week 17.
Denver won five of its last seven to earn the AFC’s final playoff spot. Only 1-5 against playoff teams at full strength this season, the Broncos could be forced to trade points if Allen and Buffalo’s offense gets hot. Buffalo’s inconsistent defense is third in takeaways but also engaged in multiple late-season shootouts against the Rams and Lions.
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix helped the Broncos offense manage 32.5 points per game over the last seven contests after a sluggish start to the year. There’s a stark difference in QB rating for Nix between home (102.0) and away (85.8) games, with only 10 of his 29 TD passes coming on the road.
The emergence of shifty wideout Marvin Mims Jr. (four TDs over the last two games) as a credible second weapon behind Courtland Sutton was vital to Nix’s late-season surge. Recently, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime have alternated carries for the inconsistent Broncos running game — which also relies on Nix to scramble for first downs.
Denver Broncos vs. Buffalo Bills odds
Expert picks for Broncos vs. Bills
SpikedLemonade
Well-known member
I have most of the outfit
Buffal0B1LLs_fan
Active member
Well, that was fun. But there's a freight train coming next week. Gotta' figure a way to derail that thing.
Buffal0B1LLs_fan
Active member
3:30 West Coast time. Let's Go Bills!