Broncos take down the Bills in overtime to advance to AFC Championship Game

The Denver Broncos needed to channel the OVERDOG mentality against the Buffalo Bills in this game. It felt like all game it would come down to the final play and the winner potentially being the team that ends up in the Super Bowl. The game went back and forth all game long, but the five turnovers by the Bills would be the difference in the game.

Once again, the Broncos come up big when they need a miracle to survive. They have done it all year long and now they are in the AFC Championship Game.

Broncos vs. Bills final score

First Quarter

Both teams opened up with long opening drives. The Broncos stalled in the red zone on theirs with a crucial end zone drop by Lil’Jordan Humphrey being the difference, while the Bills converted on theirs with a wide open touchdown pass.

Both drives lasted over seven minutes and ate up all but five seconds of the first quarter.

Bills 7, Broncos 3. Full first quarter recap.

Second Quarter

The second quarter was a wild one. The Bills began the quarter looking like they were on the cusp of completely taking control of the game with James Cook gashing the Broncos defense badly, but a critical forced fumble by Alex Singleton shifted momentum back Denver’s way.

The Broncos would capitalize with the first of two touchdowns in the second quarter.

After that turnover, they would drive down the field and cap another long drive with a big man touchdown catch by tackle eligible Frank Crum to take the lead.

Josh Allen and the Bills would charge back as Denver’s defense continued his struggles in run defense. They came up big when it mattered inside the 10-yard line to hold the Bills to a field goal with just over two minutes left in the half.

Against a team like the Bills, you definitely need to score before half if they are getting the ball to start the second half. Bo Nix found a way to convert on third down to keep their drive alive, then from 29-yards out he found Lil’Jordan Humphrey coming open in the end zone. He would throw a bullet across his body where Humphrey would redeem himself for that dropped touchdown in the first quarter to put Denver back up with 22 seconds left in the half.

Crazily enough, Allen and the Bills felt they could get into scoring range with 22 seconds and no timeouts. That led to a game-changing critical mistake by Allen who was scrambling to pick up some yards before halftime. He would fumble where the Broncos would recover with just two seconds left in the half. Wil Lutz would then boot a 50-yard field goal through to put the Broncos up by 10 at halftime.

Broncos 20, Bills 10. Full second quarter recap.

Third Quarter

The third quarter was one for turnovers. The Broncos defense struck first with a Nik Bonitto strip-sack on the second play of the third quarter.

That would lead to a field goal by the Broncos to take a 13-point lead, but Josh Allen and the Bills came back with a furious scoring drive to put up a touchdown and make it a one-score game once more.

Then on the next drive, it looked like the Bills would take over after a critical interception by Bo Nix inside his own territory. However, P.J. Locke was able to close the distance on a deep ball from Allen to intercept it and return it right back to where they had the ball previously.

Denver would not be able to get into scoring range on that drive, so the third quarter would end with the Bills having the ball and looking to retake the lead in the fourth quarter.

Broncos 23, Bills 17. Full third quarter recap.

Fourth Quarter

The fourth quarter would open with a 46-yard catch and run by Khalil Shakir to get the Bills into the red zone. Three plays later, Josh Allen would lob a ball up and over Talanoa Hufanga to Dalton Kincaid for the touchdown and the lead. Despite four turnovers, the Bills were still able to retake the lead early in the fourth quarter.

Predictably, the Broncos offense came out with a quick three-and-out to give the ball right back to Josh Allen. The Bills would chew up half of the quarter on their next drive to drain the clock all the way down to the four minute mark to kick a field goal to extend their lead to four points.

The Broncos season would come down to the next drive by the Broncos. Their four second half drives totaled 2, 5, 22, and 3 total yards and just three points.

On the first play of that next drive, Bo Nix finally got a completion to Courtland Sutton who made a two-tap catch for an 11-yard gain. Three plays later on third and long, Nix found Sutton again on a deep pass over the middle for a 23-yard gain to keep their drive alive.

Nix was immediately pressured by Joey Bosa on the next play to bring up second and 10 where he found Sutton again on a quick slant for a six yard gain. On third and four, Nix had a designed run to get the first down to the Bills 26-yard line.

On the very next play, Bo Nix went deep to Marvin Mims Jr. who hauled in the pass at the goal line for the touchdown and the lead with 55 seconds left in regulation.

The only way the Broncos defense has come up with non-scoring stops is through their four turnovers. It seemed like the final minute of the game would be a good time to give them a stop of any kind in this game.

It’s Josh Allen, so you always knew he was going to find a way to make it happen. The 50-yard field goal by Matt Prater predictably nailed it from that distance to send the game into overtime.

Broncos 30, Bills 30.

Overtime

The Bills won the toss and deferred to the Broncos for overtime.

Nix, on the first play, threaded the needed to Courtland Sutton for a quick first down and an 11-yard gain. Sutton couldn’t hold onto the next pass that would have gone for a short gain. A quick screen pass to Marvin Mims Jr. actually lost a yard. On third and 11, Nix threw one just too low for Sutton for the drive to end.

The Broncos defense should have won the game on this play, but no penalty was called.

Instead, Allen kept making plays on third downs to keep their drive alive. The back-breaker was a third and seven throw behind the line of scrimmage that still somehow gained nine yards. It looked bleak, but then a deep pass from Josh Allen to Brandin Cooks looked like it was completed, but Ja’Quan McMillian ripped the ball out for the game-saving interception.

Two plays later, RJ Harvey made a huge offensive play on a pass outside from Nix and he was able to turn it up field for a 24-yard gain to their own 47-yard line.

An incompletion deep on the next play to Lil’Jordan Humphrey that looked like pass interference, but this officiating crew is known for not calling a lot of penalties. Then an ugly roughing the passer call on Joey Bosa and a defensive pass interference call actually called on Courtland Sutton set the Broncos up in field goal range.

Another defensive pass interference call on a pass to Marvin Mims Jr. made it a chip shot field goal inside the five yard line.

Broncos 33, Bills 30.