Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) looks at how players are lined up during the first half of the Buffalo Bills wild card game against the Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 12, 2025. Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Buffalo Bills Divisional Round playoff opponent has been decided

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI | By Alex Brasky | Last updated Jan 11, 2026 11:03 PM ET

Josh Allen powered the No. 6 Buffalo Bills to a Wild Card win over the No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon, using a superhuman effort to will his team to victory.

And now, the Bills know who they will face in the Divisional Round next weekend.

Following a win for the No. 2 New England Patriots over the No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night, the Bills will officially head for the mountain states, Denver to be exact.

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

The matchup

That’s right, Buffalo will be matched up with the AFC’s top seed, the Denver Broncos, in the second round of the playoffs. The time and date of the game have yet to be determined.

The game is a rematch of a 2024 Wild Card round meeting between the two teams, won by the Bills in blowout fashion, 31-7 at Highmark Stadium. This time, things will be different, as Buffalo will enter what is sure to be a raucous atmosphere inside Empower Field at Mile High, a stadium equipped with one of the league’s most established home-field advantages.

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

Breaking it down

The Broncos, who earned a bye in Round 1, finished the regular season tied for the AFC’s best record with the Patriots at 14-3, earning them their first West Division title since 2015 and the No. 1 seed.

Denver is propelled by a stingy defense that allowed the third-fewest points per game (18.3) and second-fewest yards per game (278.2) in the NFL this year. Offensively, second-year quarterback Bo Nix has started to come into his own, finishing the regular season inside the top 10 in both yards passing (3,931-8th) and touchdowns passing (25-tied 9th). Broncos head coach Sean Payton previously won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints and is 32-19 in three seasons with Denver.

Josh Allen and company have had a flare for the dramatic throughout the season. We'll see if they have some magic left in a matchup against the conference's top team.

This article first appeared on Buffalo Bills on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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