Jan 17, 2026, 08:32 PM ET<\/p>\n
DENVER — Ja’Quan McMillian<\/a> intercepted Josh Allen<\/a>‘s deep throw in overtime, and Bo Nix<\/a> led the Broncos into position for Wil Lutz<\/a>‘s 23-yard field goal that sent Denver to the AFC Championship Game with a 33-30 win<\/a> over the Buffalo Bills<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n McMillian’s pick<\/a> was Denver’s fifth takeaway of the game — the Broncos went into the playoffs at minus-3 in turnover differential. McMillian wrested the ball away from Brandin Cooks<\/a> at the Broncos’ 20-yard line when a field goal would have won the game for Buffalo.<\/p>\n The Broncos (15-3) will face either New England or Houston for the AFC title next Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High, where top-seeded Denver has won 14 of its past 15 games.<\/p>\n Editor’s Picks<\/p>\n 2 Related<\/p>\n “We played a really good football team,” Nix said. “They played really well tonight. They gave us a great shot on a short week after a tough game last week, so hat’s off to them. We found a way to win again, and our defense made stops, and I’m just proud of our guys. I’m just proud of this organization. I’m proud of the way we compete, we fight.<\/p>\n “We’re just never out of it, and I think that’s just the character piece. It wasn’t always pretty. We had a good lead, and they came back and it wasn’t looking good, but the fourth quarter and overtime, we just found a way to win.”<\/p>\n Broncos coach Sean Payton lamented Denver’s sputtering offense and 1-for-4 performance in the red zone: “We weren’t good in the red zone. But we were good enough when it mattered.”<\/p>\n The Bills (13-6) were flagged for pass interference twice on Denver’s final drive.<\/p>\n Former Broncos kicker Matt Prater<\/a> nailed a 50-yard field goal with five seconds left in regulation, tying the score at 30-30. That came after Nix’s 26-yard touchdown throw to Marvin Mims Jr<\/a>. with 55 seconds left had given Denver a 30-27 lead.<\/p>\n Allen, who hadn’t turned the ball over in his previous six playoff appearances, threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles. P.J. Locke<\/a> also picked off one of Allen’s passes.<\/p>\n “Extremely difficult,” a teary-eyed Allen said afterward. “I felt like I let my teammates down.”<\/p>\n The Bills failed once again to reach the Super Bowl with Allen under center, even though Patrick Mahomes<\/a>, Joe Burrow<\/a> and Lamar Jackson<\/a> weren’t standing in his way this time, as that trio of franchise quarterbacks all missed the postseason party.<\/p>\n Payton insisted the game should have ended earlier in overtime when a Denver defender was held in the end zone before Allen escaped from the end zone on second-and-9 from his 8.<\/p>\n Coming off the first road playoff win of his career, Allen’s first three turnovers helped Denver build a 23-10 lead before he threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman<\/a> and a 14-yarder to Dalton Kincaid<\/a> to give Buffalo a 24-23 lead early in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n Allen also fumbled the ball at the Denver 23 late in the fourth quarter, but right tackle Spencer Brown<\/a> recovered the loose ball, setting up Prater’s 31-yarder for a 27-23 Buffalo lead.<\/p>\n Also in the second half, Allen threw an interception when Locke cut in front of wide receiver Curtis Samuel<\/a>, who appeared to be wide open for what would have been a 43-yard touchdown.<\/p>\n The Broncos scored 10 points in the final 22 seconds of the first half to take a 20-10 lead into the locker room, and they got their third takeaway just two plays into the second half on Bonitto’s strip-sack of Allen that was recovered by Malcolm Roach<\/a> at the Bills’ 17, leading to Lutz’s short field goal to make it 23-10.<\/p>\n Nix’s 29-yard TD pass to Lil’Jordan Humphrey<\/a> broke a 10-10 tie, and then Bonitto stripped Allen of the ball after a long scramble up the middle. Devon Key<\/a> recovered for Denver with two seconds left before halftime, and Lutz’s 50-yarder as the half expired made it 20-10.<\/p>\n The Broncos’ other touchdown in the first half came from an unlikely source. They went ahead 10-7 when Nix threw to tackle-eligible Frank Crum<\/a>, a second-year pro from Wyoming, Allen’s alma mater. He caught the short pass and tumbled into the end zone for a 7-yard score.<\/p>\n