Dion Dawkins Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bills' Dion Dawkins reveals 'Shaquille O'Neal' game plan for Broncos

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Richie Whitt | Last updated Jan 15, 2026 2:42 PM ET

Give Sean Payton time to game plan, and it's a struggle for the opponent. Give Dion Dawkins and the Buffalo Bills a couple of days to game plan for the Denver Broncos and it's ... simple?

Though their receiving corps is depleted, they're on the road and facing a short week after playing last Sunday afternoon, the Bills are still slightly favored in Saturday's Divisional Round game at the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos' rest and experience would seem to give them a decided edge. During his career with the New Orleans Saints, Payton went 4-0 in Divisional Round games when coming off the Bye. His teams won those games by an average of 14 points.

The Broncos were off last week as a result of earning the AFC's No. 1 seed. They were also 7-1 at Mile High, the only loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Bills clobbered Payton and the Broncos in the playoffs last year, 31-7, in the Wild Card round.

According to Bills' Pro Bowl left tackle Dion Dawkins, however, none of that matters.

"We go into games with game plan," Dawkins said. "If you're playing against Shaquille O'Neal, why are you suddenly gonna play all post work? No. Get out of the post and go outside and see what you can do with the rest of your tools. It just comes down to game-planning. Don't look at it like that. This is playoff ball. You have to run, throw, deep balls, short balls, whatever."

Fortunately the Bills won't be facing Shaq on Saturday when they try to win their first Divisional Round game on the road since beating the Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-3, in the 1992 playoffs.