It is a crisp Saturday afternoon in the Mile High City, and honestly, the tension at Empower Field is thick enough to cut with a knife. You’ve probably been refreshing your phone every thirty seconds looking for the score Denver Broncos game today, but numbers on a screen don't tell the whole story of what’s happening in this AFC Divisional Round.
The Denver Broncos, sitting pretty with a 14-3 regular-season record and that coveted No. 1 seed, are finally back in the postseason driver's seat. It's been a decade. Ten long years since Peyton Manning hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. Now, the torch has passed to Bo Nix, who is looking to prove that Sean Payton’s "process" wasn't just coach-speak.
Today's opponent? The Buffalo Bills. They’re the same team that embarrassed Denver 31-7 in the Wild Card round just last year. But this isn't last year.
The Current State of Play
As of kickoff at 4:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. local Denver time), the atmosphere is electric. CBS is handling the broadcast, and if you're watching, you can see the breath of the players in the thin air. The oddsmakers didn't give much of an edge here, favoring the Broncos by a slim 1.5 points. Basically, it’s a coin flip in the eyes of Vegas.
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Denver is fresh. They had the week off to nurse the typical late-season dings and bruises that come with a 17-game grind. Buffalo, on the other hand, is coming off a gritty, emotional 27-24 win against Jacksonville.
Josh Allen is playing, but he’s basically a walking medical chart right now. Between the foot, the knee, and the throwing hand, he's taped up like a mummy. Does it matter? Probably not. Allen at 70% is still more dangerous than most quarterbacks at 100%, but against this Denver defense, any weakness is a problem.
Why the Score Denver Broncos Game Today Actually Matters
Most people focus on the final digits, but the real story is Denver’s defense. This unit is scary. They led the NFL this season with 68 sacks. Think about that for a second. That is nearly four sacks a game. Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper have been absolute terrors on the edge, and Zach Allen is playing like a man possessed in the middle.
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If Denver wins today, they host the AFC Championship. That’s huge.
Key Factors Impacting the Game
- The Injury Bug: Buffalo’s wide receiver room is a ghost town. With Gabe Davis and Tyrell Shavers on IR with ACL tears, Josh Allen is throwing to Khalil Shakir and a bunch of guys who were on the practice squad a month ago.
- The Nix Factor: Bo Nix isn't throwing for 400 yards, but he isn't turning it over either. He tied the record for most wins in his first two seasons for a reason. He’s efficient.
- The Mile High Edge: Denver is 8-1 at home this year. The altitude is real, and by the fourth quarter, those Buffalo linemen are going to be sucking wind.
What’s at Stake for Sean Payton
Payton came to Denver to fix a broken franchise. He’s already done the hard part by getting them to 14 wins. But in Denver, regular-season wins are just appetizers. People want the main course.
If the Broncos can't protect their home turf today, the "No. 1 seed" title will feel like a fluke. The Bills have won three of the last four against Denver, so there is a mental hurdle here that the Broncos have to clear.
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Looking Ahead
If you’re tracking the score Denver Broncos game today, keep an eye on the turnover margin. That’s usually where these playoff games are won or lost. Denver’s secondary, led by Ja'Quan McMillian, has been opportunistic all year. One tipped pass from a gimpy Josh Allen could be the difference between a trip to the AFC Championship and another "what if" off-season.
Your Game Day Action Plan:
- Check the Live Box Score: Since the game is currently in progress or just starting, keep the CBS Sports or Fox Sports live trackers open for real-time play-by-play.
- Watch the Trench Battle: Specifically, watch Zach Allen versus the Bills' interior line. If Denver collapses the pocket early, it’s going to be a long day for Buffalo.
- Monitor the Weather: Denver weather in mid-January is unpredictable. If the wind picks up, the kicking game (where Wil Lutz has been solid) becomes the most important factor on the field.
- Plan for Next Week: If Denver holds on, they will face the winner of the Patriots-Texans game right back here at Empower Field on January 25th.