The Denver Broncos gave their city a long-awaited playoff night to remember — and one to worry about — in a 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round. It was Denver’s first playoff win in a decade and their first home postseason game since 2015. It also came at a cost: rookie quarterback Bo Nix left late with a season-ending broken right ankle, thrusting backup Jarrett Stidham into the AFC Championship spotlight.

On a frigid January evening at Empower Field at Mile High, this was classic playoff theater: big swings, late drama, and a defense that flipped the script at the right time. The Broncos, 15-3 and the AFC’s top seed, now host the conference title game on Jan. 25 (1 p.m. MT on CBS) against the Texans or Patriots.

A Mile High roller coaster: big lead, wild finish

Denver looked in control early, leading 20-10 at halftime and stretching it to 23-10. But Buffalo battled back, setting up a furious final minute. With 55 seconds left in regulation, Nix dropped a 26-yard strike to Marvin Mims Jr., pushing Denver in front 30-27. That should have been the winner — until the Bills answered with a 50-yard field goal with five seconds on the clock to force overtime.

Overtime turned on the kind of play Denver craved all year: a takeaway. Cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian jumped a route for a clutch interception, and the Broncos moved into close range behind a pair of Bills pass interference penalties. Wil Lutz then stepped up and split the uprights with a short kick from inside the 25 — officially listed as a 23- or 24-yarder — to send Denver to the AFC Championship.

“Denver won the night — can they win the week without Nix?”

Bo Nix’s breakout and heartbreak

Before the injury, Nix looked like a seasoned playoff passer. He completed 26 of 46 throws for 279 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, and added 29 rushing yards. He kept finding answers when the Bills rallied, highlighted by the late touchdown to Mims that nearly sealed it in regulation.

The turning point came on a keeper. Nix lost two yards and was tackled by Cole Bishop, and the play left him with a broken right ankle that ends his season. Even through the pain, Nix helped craft one last sequence — drawing a 30-yard pass interference flag on a deep shot before taking a knee to stop the clock. Head coach Sean Payton, who has kept a light touch with his quarterback all year, was somber but resolute afterward. “We celebrate the season for him. And listen, the city’s ready and we’ll be ready for the next challenge.”

Payton has never been shy with a quip — at one point, he even joked to his quarterback, “And I said I didn’t realize that. I said if I had known that I wouldn’t have drafted you.” But on Saturday night, his message was direct: “Stiddy’s ready.” With Nix done, the Broncos will ride with Jarrett Stidham next Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

Defense delivers five takeaways — and the game-winner

What swung the game most? The Broncos defense took the ball away five times, a stunning reversal for a team that finished the regular season at minus-3 in turnover differential. Josh Allen threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles. Edge rusher Nik Bonitto supplied the kind of January play makers crave with a strip-sack. That sheer volume of mistakes gave Denver the extra possessions it needed and saved the day when the offense stalled.

McMillian’s interception in overtime was the headline moment, but the group effort mattered just as much. Each takeaway shortened the field or stole a drive, and that is how close playoff games tilt. It also erased a painful memory: the Broncos had been blown out 31-7 by these Bills in last year’s postseason. Saturday was a loud measure of revenge.

“Five takeaways in January beats any stat from September.”

How overtime was won: composure, flags, and Lutz

When the chance came in OT, Denver’s poise showed. After the McMillian pick, Buffalo’s secondary committed multiple pass interference penalties that moved the ball into easy range. The Broncos offense kept it simple — six plays for about 22 yards — and trusted Lutz to finish. He did, curving home the short kick for a 33-30 win.

It was the type of situational control Sean Payton meant when he said, “We weren’t ready last year. But we were ready today.” The Broncos played mature football in the defining snaps of their season.

Jarrett Stidham’s moment arrives

Stidham now becomes the story. He’ll take first-team reps all week, and Payton made clear the team’s belief: “Stiddy’s ready.” Expect Denver to lean on what traveled well against Buffalo: ball security, field position, and a defense that hunts takeaways. With Mims flashing as a deep threat and Lutz steady, the blueprint is clear — don’t beat yourself, and trust your stars on defense to create short fields.

Stidham doesn’t have to be a hero. He has to be clean. If he makes the right reads and avoids the one big mistake, the Broncos have enough around him to compete for the AFC crown at home.

“If Stidham protects the ball, this defense can carry them.”

What it means for Buffalo and Josh Allen

This one will sting in Western New York. Without Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, or Lamar Jackson in the bracket, the path looked open. Instead, the Bills exit after four turnovers by Allen and a handful of game-changing flags in overtime. Allen, to his credit, took the blame: “I felt like I let my teammates down.”

Buffalo’s defense fought back from a 23-10 hole and forced overtime on the road. But in January, a team that loses the ball five times rarely survives. The Bills will have to reckon with that reality — and with the fact that Denver answered last year’s 31-7 loss with a gritty, complete performance when it mattered most.

What’s next in Denver

The Broncos will host the AFC Championship for the first time since the Super Bowl 50 season. The opponent will be the Texans or Patriots. The kick time is set: 1 p.m. MT on CBS. The plan is set, too. Keep the defense aggressive. Keep the special teams sharp. Put Stidham in comfortable spots and ride the energy of a city that waited 10 years for this kind of night.

It wasn’t perfect. It didn’t need to be. In January, style points don’t count — stops and kicks do. Denver found both in the biggest moments, and now a franchise that rewrote its story in one dramatic night sits 60 minutes from the Super Bowl.