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The first half has reached the two-minute warning with the Bills’ drive stalling in their own Denver territory.
The home team looked to be on course for another scoring drive after getting the ball at their own one-yard line, but that momentum was halted when Broncos’ Zach Allen brought down Josh Allen for the game’s first sack.
The game will resume with a Bills fourth-and-eight from their own half and as they punt the ball away, giving Denver a chance to score before halftime.
Score: Broncos 7, Bills 10
After their second drive ended on a punt, and with their third looking like it was going that way too, the pressure was building on the Broncos.
But they produced an incredible fake punt, with punter Riley Dixon finding Marvin Mims for 15 yards and keep their drive alive.
However, they weren’t able to maintain that momentum and the Bills forcing a punt just a few plays later, with Mims stopping the ball impressively on Buffalo’s one-yard line to give the Bills terrible field position.
Score: Broncos 7, Bills 10
After going to the blue tent and being evaluated for a concussion, Taron Johnson is back in the game.
The cornerback had been questionable to return with a neck injury but the Bills’ key defensive player is back to make an impact.
Score: Broncos 7, Bills 10
Having had to settle for a field goal on their first drive, the Bills finally are able to get into the end zone on their second drive to take the lead.
After another balanced drive with a mix of throwing and running – including some timely runs from Josh Allen – Buffalo was able to batter their way across the goal line.
On first down, running back James Cook was able to break a tackle and rumble in for a touchdown with Tyler Bass successfully adding on the extra point.
While there was delight for Cook, it came at a price for Bills tight end Dawson Knox as his four-game run of scoring Buffalo’s opening touchdown in the wild card round comes to an end. Per the Bills, Knox is the only player in NFL history to score the first TD for a team in four consecutive wild-card games.
It’s the 17th rushing TD for Cook for the campaign. He was tied with Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens and Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions for most rushing TDs in the regular season (16). Cook is now one behind Henry for the season combined after Henry had 2 yesterday.
Score: Broncos 7, Bills 10
Despite being heavy underdogs, it is the Denver Broncos who lead after the first quarter.
Bo Nix’s long touchdown pass to Troy Franklin gave them the advantage and, while the Bills have had the ball twice, they’ve only been able to come up with one field goal so far.
Buffalo ends the quarter midway into Denver territory on another promising drive.
Score: Broncos 7, Bills 3
CNN’s Coy Wire is now a ball of energy on screen, but from 2002-07, he was a beast in the defensive backfield for the Buffalo Bills.
His thoughts as the Bills take the field for their second offensive drive of the game:
LET’S GO BUFFALO! The most balanced team in the league. First team in NFL history to score 30+ rushing touchdowns AND 30+ passing touchdowns in a season.
Coy Wire
Score: Broncos 7, Bills 3
As the Broncos’ second drive begins, there looks to be a worrying injury to Bills starting cornerback Taron Johnson.
Replays showed Johnson’s helmet making contact with the knee of a Denver player, with Johnson lying face down on the ground afterward.
Johnson was quickly attended to by the medical personnel before walking to the blue tent to be evaluated. The Bills later announced he had cleared concussion protocol and is listed as questionable to return.
CBS’s Tony Romo called the loss of Johnson “so pivotal.”
The Broncos are forced to punt after the Bills’ defense forced a three-and-out.
Score: Broncos 7, Bills 3
Both defenses appear to be still settling into the game with the ball moving with ease on offense.
Having fallen behind early, Buffalo surgically moved down the field with a mix of runs and passes, including a big fourth down conversion through Josh Allen’s legs.
But the impressive drive stalled near the Broncos’ end zone so the Bills had to settle for a Tyler Bass field goal from 26-yards out to get on the board.
The Broncos defense has been stout in the red zone this year – they were third-best in the league in red zone touchdowns allowed this year.
Score: Broncos 7, Bills 3
What a start for Denver!
After picking up a first down, Bo Nix unfurls a perfect deep pass to his former Oregon teammate Troy Franklin to open the scoring for the Broncos as they take a surprise lead on the road.
Score: Broncos 7, Bills 0
After deferring possession after winning the coin toss, Bills kicker Tyler Bass kicks the ball away and the game is underway at Highmark Stadium.
Score: Broncos 0, Bills 0
The quarterback position has completely changed in the NFL and no one quite embodies that like Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen.
Allen’s dynamism with his legs and accuracy throwing the ball has become a key reason the Bills are playing like one of the best teams in the NFL.
Along with the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, the two showcase the change the quarterback position has undergone in recent years, with the ability to run being required to have success at the highest level.
There were 18 quarterbacks this season who played in at least half their team’s games and picked up at least 15 yards per game. That’s tied for the all-time record with the 2020 season. In fact, all five top seasons for rushing average per game have occurred in the last five seasons.
Put another way, this year is no fluke. It’s part of a longer-term trend towards the NFL prioritizing quarterbacks who can use their legs as well as their arm to move the ball down the field.
Read more about the evolution of the quarterback position here.
Away from the playoffs, the New England Patriots have made the first head coach hire of the 2025 cycle, appointing their former player, Mike Vrabel to the position.
Vrabel replaces Jerod Mayo – another former Patriots player – who was fired shortly after the Patriots’ Week 18 game last Sunday.
He becomes the 16th head coach in the franchise’s history.
The former linebacker played for New England for eight years between 2001 and 2008, winning the Super Bowl three times and being named a First-Team All-Pro.
Vrabel was named into the organization’s Ring of Honor in 2023 and now returns to Massachusetts to help turn around a team which finished with a 4-13 record last season.
Despite the lowly record, there are still signs of hope for New England, in particular in the form of quarterback Drake Maye who shone in his rookie season and cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
Sunday’s first game of playoff football comes from a frigid Highmark Stadium as the Buffalo Bills host the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos booked their spot in the postseason at the last minute with a dominant victory over a Kansas City Chiefs team that was resting lots of starters, ending the hopes of the Cincinnati Bengals and their late season charge.
Powered by rookie quarterback Bo Nix and veteran head coach Sean Payton, Denver has surprised many by earning 10 wins and reaching the playoffs.
They will face a stiff test when they travel to upstate New York to play the Bills, however. Buffalo finished as the joint-second best scoring offense in the NFL during the regular season and, in quarterback Josh Allen, they have an MVP contender who can hurt defenses in a number of different ways.
Whether it be his big arm or his running ability, Allen is playing at the peak of his powers. After years of postseason misery, could this be the season that he helps the Bills transform their playoff pain into a Super Bowl title?
There are three games to look forward to today, and here is where to watch them as you follow along with CNN’s live coverage.
- Denver Broncos vs. Buffalo Bills – 1 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
- Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles – 4:30 p.m. ET (Fox)
- Washington Commanders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 8 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
We are two games into the NFL postseason already and, so far, the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens have advanced from this wild-card weekend.
The Houston Texans overcame a slow start and early mistakes to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers 32-12 in a chaotic AFC wild-card playoff matchup at NRG Stadium.
Though the Texans’ offense struggled at the start, their defense intercepted Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert a career-high four times, keeping them in check until their own offense came to life at the end of the first half.
Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens, and their star duo of Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, staked their Super Bowl credentials with a 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Henry and Jackson highlighted a Baltimore running attack that went for a team postseason record of 299 yards. Henry ran for 186 yards on 26 tough carries, punishing the Steeler defense repeatedly with tough runs right into the teeth of the defensive line. He found the right seams, breaking for a long touchdown run and a shorter bruiser for his two scores.
Jackson meanwhile was electric as only he can be. He rushed 15 times for 81 yards while also completing 16 of 21 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns. The rowdy 70,000 fans at M&T Bank Stadium routinely serenaded their star with chants of “M-V-P!” and it’s hard to make the case that anyone else is truly better than the dual-threat quarterback when he’s on top of his game.
