Buffalo Bills vs Denver Broncos: 2026 AFC Divisional Round Preview
The Buffalo Bills travel to face the Denver Broncos in a crucial AFC Divisional Round matchup at Empower Field at Mile High on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 PM ET.
You can watch the game on CBS or stream it live on Paramount+. The sixth-seeded Bills arrive with momentum after their 27-24 Wild Card victory over Jacksonville.
The top-seeded Broncos enter fresh from their first-round bye and are playing their first home playoff game in over a decade.
How They Got Here
Buffalo finished the regular season with a 12-5 record and had to grind through a tough Wild Card game. Josh Allen led a game-winning drive in the final minutes against the Jaguars. The Bills have won six of their last seven games and feature the NFL's top rushing offense.
Denver secured the AFC's best record at 14-3. The Broncos dominated the Chargers 19-3 in Week 18 to close the regular season. They own an impressive 8-1 home record and boast one of the league's most ferocious pass rushes with 68 sacks this season.
Key Matchups
Josh Allen faces his biggest challenge yet in the Broncos' elite defense. The reigning NFL MVP threw for 273 yards and rushed for two touchdowns in the Wild Card round. Allen must protect the football against a Denver defense that has forced turnovers at a consistent rate all year.
Bo Nix gets his first taste of playoff football as a rookie quarterback. The Broncos' signal caller threw for 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns during the regular season. Nix thrives on short passes and yards after catch. His matchup against Buffalo's secondary will determine Denver's offensive success.
The Bills lost their top running back James Cook to injury concerns after Jacksonville held him to just 46 yards. Buffalo's ground game must bounce back against Denver's stout front seven. The Broncos lost star running back J.K. Dobbins to injured reserve. This creates a major hole in their offensive attack.
What to Watch
Denver linebacker Nik Bonitto leads the team with 14 sacks and will test Buffalo's offensive line all afternoon. The Bills counter with wide receiver Khalil Shakir as Allen's most reliable target. Shakir caught 72 passes for 719 yards during the regular season.
The Broncos hold a 17-5 all-time record in home playoff games. Buffalo is a rare road favorite against the top seed. Oddsmakers installed the Bills as 1.5-point favorites despite Denver's home field advantage.
This marks a rematch from last year's Wild Card round. The Bills dominated the Broncos 31-7 in that meeting. Denver cornerback Pat Surtain II said his team learned from that loss and is ready for redemption.
The winner advances to host the AFC Championship Game with a trip to Super Bowl LX on the line.
