In an NFL playoff classic, the Denver Broncos have advanced to the AFC Championship Game with a 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills.
The AFC Championship Game will be in Denver next week, with the winner of tomorrow’s Texans-Patriots game facing the Broncos for the right to play in Super Bowl LX.
The NFL playoff overtime rules guarantee each team a possession, and the Bills won the overtime coin toss and chose to kick, thinking it’s better to know what they need on their first possession.
The Broncos picked up one first down before they punted on their first offensive possession, leaving the Bills to take over at their own 7-yard line for their first possession. where Josh Allen took over, driving the Bills down the field.
Eventually, Allen threw a deep ball to Brandin Cooks deep in Broncos territory, Cooks grabbed it, went to the ground with Broncos defensive back Ja’Quan McMillian, and McMillian came up with the ball. The ruling on the field was that McMillian intercepted the pass. The Bills called a timeout, hoping the referee would review the replay and rule it a catch from Cooks, but they never stopped the game for a replay review.
From there, the Broncos’ offense took over, and when Bo Nix threw a deep ball to Courtland Sutton, Bills defensive back Taron Johnson was flagged for pass interference, moving Denver into long field goal range. Then Nix threw another deep ball, and another Bills defensive back, Tre’Davious White, was called for a 30-yard pass interference penalty. White then got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for yelling at the official. That set up the Broncos in easy field goal range.
Wil Lutz kicked the 24-yard game winner, and the Broncos are one win away from the Super Bowl.