The Bills secure a commanding playoff victory over the Broncos with Josh Allen at the helm.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, who lost to the Baltimore Ravens, will be hosted by bills in the Divisional Round.

The Bills secure a commanding playoff victory over the Broncos with Josh Allen at the helm.
The Bills secure a commanding playoff victory over the Broncos with Josh Allen at the helm.

On Sunday afternoon, the Buffalo Bills, led by Josh Allen, defeated the Denver Broncos, 31-7, in the wild-card round and advanced to the divisional round.

The Ravens will visit the Bills next week to determine their place in the AFC Championship.

In January football, the Bills were heavily favored to win against rookie quarterback Bo Nix's first playoff game on the road against a veteran Buffalo squad.

Curtis Samuel in the stands
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel celebrates with fans after scoring a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in the wild-card game, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Orchard Park, New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

This game started with Nix trusting his talent and launching a 43-yard strike to his old Oregon teammate Troy Franklin, putting Denver up 7-0.

Despite the "Bills Mafia" not being thrilled with the beginning of the competition, they were confident that their MVP frontrunner, Allen, would not disappoint.

The team's first two offensive drives resulted in a field goal and touchdown, followed by 31 unanswered points by Buffalo.

James Cook, who led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns, scored the first touchdown for the Bills with a five-yard barrel into the end zone, making it 10-7.

Against a Denver defense that has been one of the best in the league all season, Cook finished the game with 120 yards rushing on 23 carries.

The first half ended with the Broncos kicker Wil Lutz missing the goal post with an attempted field goal, leaving them tied at 10 apiece.

Dalton Kincaid pushed out of bounds
Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid is tackled by Denver Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad during the AFC wild-card game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Jan. 12, 2025. (Mark Konezny-Imagn Images)

Buffalo did not score on any second-half drives except for a kneel-down at the end of the game. They had a touchdown pass from Allen to Ty Johnson that was 24 yards out, and Curtis Samuel broke free for a 55-yard score to seal the victory at 28-7 as the fourth quarter began.

Allen was an efficient 20-for-26 for 272 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and also rushed for 46 yards on eight carries.

Samuel had the most yards received among all receivers, thanks to a large gain. He ended up with 68 yards, while Khalil Shakir had six catches for 61 yards.

The Bills were stingy when the Broncos tried to establish a run game, holding the Broncos to a total of 79 yards. Meanwhile, Nix was 13-for-22 for 144 yards with one touchdown, while also rushing for 43 yards.

Josh Allen and Curtis Samuel
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen celebrates with wide receiver Curtis Samuel after he scored a touchdown in the wild-card playoff game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Orchard Park, New York. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

As usual, Denver's top receiver was Courtland Sutton, who caught five passes for 75 yards.

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by Scott Thompson

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