If you were looking for a calm, predictable evening of football, tonight wasn't it. Honestly, it was pure chaos at Empower Field at Mile High. The score on tonight's nfl game ended in a 33-30 overtime victory for the Denver Broncos over the Buffalo Bills, but those numbers don't even begin to tell the story. It was one of those games where you’re yelling at the screen one minute and staring in stunned silence the next.
Denver moves on. Buffalo goes home.
But the "how" of it all is what’s going to be talked about for weeks. We saw a top-seeded team almost crumble, a superstar quarterback play some of the most erratic football of his career, and a celebration that turned into a funeral in a matter of minutes.
The Wild Finish: Breaking Down the Score on Tonight's NFL Game
Basically, the game was a mess of turnovers and massive momentum shifts.
The Broncos looked like they were in total control during the first half. They went into the locker room up 20-10, mostly thanks to 10 points scored in a crazy 22-second span right before halftime. Buffalo's Josh Allen was struggling—badly. He turned the ball over four times throughout the game, and early on, it felt like the Bills were just handing the keys to Denver.
But then, the fourth quarter happened.
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Allen started doing Josh Allen things. He found Keon Coleman for a 10-yard score and then hit Dalton Kincaid for a 14-yarder. Suddenly, Buffalo was leading 24-23. You could feel the air leave the stadium in Denver. It felt like another Buffalo comeback story was being written.
Denver managed to scratch back, and after a late-game surge by Buffalo that included a 50-yard field goal from Matt Prater (who is still kicking at a high level, somehow), we went to overtime tied at 30.
In the extra period, Denver’s defense stepped up when it mattered most. Ja'Quan McMillian made a leaping interception on a pass intended for Brandin Cooks, and a couple of pass interference penalties later, Wil Lutz drilled a 23-yarder to seal it.
Final: Denver 33, Buffalo 30.
The Cost of Victory: Bo Nix and the Injury That Changed Everything
You'd think the locker room in Denver would be nothing but champagne and shouting. It wasn't.
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About an hour after the score on tonight's nfl game was finalized, Sean Payton walked back to the microphone with a look on his face that told you everything you needed to know. Bo Nix, the second-year quarterback who has been the engine of this Denver revival, is done. He broke his right ankle on a keeper late in the game.
He actually stayed in for a couple of plays after the injury. He even threw the deep ball that drew the pass interference flag to set up the winning kick.
Think about that. The kid was playing on a broken ankle to get his team to the AFC Championship.
Now, the Broncos have to face either the Texans or the Patriots with Jarrett Stidham under center. Stidham hasn't played meaningful snaps all year. Payton says "Stiddy's ready," but let's be real—losing your franchise QB right as you punch your ticket to the title game is a nightmare scenario.
Why Josh Allen and the Bills Fell Short
It’s the same old song for Buffalo, isn't it?
They had 449 yards of offense. They moved the ball at will for large chunks of the game. But five total turnovers is a death sentence in the playoffs. Allen admitted after the game that he "let his teammates down," and it's hard to argue with that when you look at the stat sheet.
- Four turnovers by the QB alone (interceptions and fumbles).
- Two critical penalties in overtime that gave Denver the field position they needed.
- A defense that couldn't get a stop when it was 4th-and-11 in overtime.
The Bills actually out-gained Denver by a significant margin. But Vance Joseph’s "Dark Side" defense in Denver has this weird knack for making the big play exactly when the game is on the line. Nik Bonitto’s strip-sack to start the second half was a massive turning point that lead to three points for Denver. In a three-point game, those are the margins that matter.
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The Other Game: Seahawks Demolish the 49ers
While the AFC was a nail-biter, the NFC game was a straight-up funeral. The Seattle Seahawks absolutely dismantled the San Francisco 49ers 41-6.
It started with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Rashid Shaheed just 13 seconds into the game. San Francisco never recovered. Brock Purdy looked rattled, Sam Darnold (who was playing through an oblique injury) looked like a seasoned vet, and Kenneth Walker III ran for three touchdowns.
The 49ers are heading into a very uncertain offseason with Christian McCaffrey dealing with a stinger and their "unbeatable" aura completely shattered. Seattle, meanwhile, looks like a juggernaut heading into the NFC Championship.
What This Means for Your Bracket
If you had the Broncos winning it all, you’re still alive, but you’re probably sweating. The score on tonight's nfl game proves Denver can win ugly, but doing it without Nix is a different beast entirely.
- Monitor the lines for next week. Denver will likely be home underdogs regardless of who they play because of the Stidham factor.
- Watch the Seattle hype. They looked unstoppable tonight, but the 49ers also looked like they forgot how to play football. The NFC title game will be a much tighter affair.
- Buffalo's window. There are going to be massive questions about the coaching staff and Allen’s decision-making this week.
The NFL playoffs always deliver drama, but tonight felt especially heavy. We saw the highest of highs for Denver fans and the immediate crushing low of the Nix news. Tomorrow we get Texans vs. Patriots and Rams vs. Bears. If they’re half as intense as what we saw tonight, we’re in for a long weekend.
Keep an eye on the injury reports coming out of Denver on Monday morning. The surgery for Nix is scheduled for Tuesday in Birmingham, and once that's done, we’ll probably get a better timeline for his recovery heading into the 2026-2027 season. For now, it's the Stidham show in the Mile High City.