New York’s Orchard Park. The Buffalo Bills defeated the Denver Broncos 31-7 in a wild-card playoff game on Sunday thanks to a balanced offensive effort, two touchdown throws from Josh Allen, and a 5-yard dash from James Cook, who ended with 120 yards rushing.
In a game where they ended up with a 23-minute advantage in time of possession, the Bills gradually wore down the Broncos by scoring on six of their opening seven drives to take a 31-7 lead.
And when rookie Bo Nixcapped Denver’s five-play game-opening drive with a 43-yard touchdown pass to ex-Oregon teammate Troy Franklin, Buffalo didn’t bat an eye.
During an NFL playoff game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, January 12, 2025, at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, quarterback Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos passes.(Photo by Seth Wenig/AP)
With 3:06 remaining in the third quarter, Allen opened the scoring with a 24-yard touchdown pass to sliding running back Ty Johnson in the back of the end zone, giving Buffalo a 13–7 lead.
The opening snap of the fourth quarter saw Allen complete a 55-yard pass to Curtis Samuel on Buffalo’s subsequent possession.
Next weekend, the third-seeded Baltimore Ravens will take on the five-time defending AFC East champion Bills, who have progressed to the divisional round for the sixth consecutive postseason.
In Week 4 of this season, the Ravens defeated Buffalo 35-10 at Baltimore after defeating Pittsburgh 28-14 on Saturday. Following Buffalo’s 17-3 victory over the Ravens in the 2020 divisional round, this game will be Allen and Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson’s second playoff encounter.
Since Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas’ 158-yard dash in a 1995 wild-card playoff victory over Miami, Cook became Buffalo’s first player to reach 100 yards rushing in a postseason game.
Allen broke the franchise record of 21 passing touchdowns held by Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, finishing 20 of 26 for 272 yards and raising his playoff total to 23.
In their first postseason trip since their 2015 Super Bowl victory, the seventh-seeded Broncos were defeated.
In a game where Denver lost the ball over twice on downs and punted four times, Nix finished 13 of 22 for 144 yards.
— AP Sports Writer John Wawrow
