Broncos Country Nervously Stare Down Their 2025 Assassins

Denver entered last year’s playoff game as the seventh seed in the AFC. They had just ended their nine-year postseason drought and surprised a lot of people with their success. Bo Nix was a rookie of the year candidate and led the team to double-digit wins for the first time since the 2015 season.

The Cinderella run came to a screeching halt in Highmark Stadium. The Bills that year were second in the AFC, right behind the Kansas City Chiefs, and had won 13 games. It was going to be a tall task for this young Broncos team, and history was not on their side.

The seventh seed, since it was introduced in 2021, is 1-9 in playoff games. The team that usually scratches its way in the playoffs just gets dominated more often than not. That is one piece of it.

The other piece of it is Josh Allen’s dominance in the first round. He has a record of 6-1 with 16 touchdowns and just two interceptions with a passer rating of 113.9.

Given these two statistics, Denver never really stood a chance. They lost 31-7 and were thoroughly outplayed from start to finish. It was a good season, but the team wasn’t ready yet.

Round Two Preview

This year, however, is a different story. The Broncos are the top seed in the AFC with 14 wins and have clinched home-field advantage. This time, Buffalo is the Wild Card team as they finished 12-5. This is no longer a house-money situation for Denver. There are high expectations for them to win.

Apart from the records and their standings, both Buffalo and Denver are distinct teams. The Broncos last year struggled against elite teams and in close games. This year, they have signature wins over teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers, and are a league-best 12-2 in one-score games.

There is a sense of more maturity in this team. For the Bills, they may not be as good as last year. The offensive line is not as good as it was a year ago. In 2024, Allen was sacked just 14 times in 17 games. This year, that number jumped up to 40. He, as a result, didn’t play as well this year as he did last year when he won MVP.

The Broncos’ pass rush was neutralized fairly well last year by that offensive line. It feels like they have a better shot against that group this year. Denver must also take advantage of the poor Bills’ rush defense. They are ranked dead last in that category.

Can the running backs, RJ Harvey and Jaleel Mclaughlin, show up when the team needs them most? Buffalo’s pass defense is ranked number one, so it would be unwise to ask Nix to go and win this game on his own.

Both teams come into this game with advantages. Denver’s advantage is that they are at home and the more rested team. The Bills just finished a dogfight against the Jacksonville Jaguars, where Allen took a couple of hard hits.

Buffalo has the advantage of being the more battle-tested team. They have been in the postseason for six straight years and have won a playoff game in five straight. Oh, and they also have arguably the best player in the tournament.

End Of My Denver Broncos And Buffalo Bills Rant

This is a fork in the road moment for these Broncos. Sean Payton, after last year’s loss, stated that they need to find a way to get a playoff game at home. Well, now they do, and it’s for moments like these.

Broncos-Bills, Allen-Nix, Payton-Sean McDermott. This is what it’s all about. Can Denver rewrite the wrongs from last year, or will Allen and Buffalo continue their quest for the first ever lombardi?

A divisional round showdown in the Rockies! That Mile High Crowd is going to be deafening. Here We Go!