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01/17 22:05 CST Broncos advance to AFC title game, beating Bills 33-30 after
McMillian's INT in overtime
Broncos advance to AFC title game, beating Bills 33-30 after McMillian's INT in
overtime
By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Pro Football Writer
DENVER (AP) --- The Denver Broncos wrangled their biggest win in a decade from
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills but suffered an enormous loss in the process.
About an hour after second-year quarterback Bo Nix led the Broncos to a 33-30
win on Wil Lutz's 23-yard field goal in overtime Saturday, Denver coach Sean
Payton returned to the postgame lectern to deliver the stunning news.
He said Nix broke his right ankle a few plays before Lutz's kick sent the
top-seeded Broncos (15-3) to the AFC championship game against either New
England or Houston.
Nix will have season-ending surgery Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama.
"We celebrate the season for him," Payton said. "And listen, the city's ready
and we'll be ready for the next challenge."
Backup QB Jarrett Stidham takes over for Nix. He took just one snap this
season, a kneel-down in a blowout win over Dallas in Week 8.
"Stiddy's ready," Payton declared. "He's ready. I said this at the beginning of
the season I've got a 2 that's capable of starting for a number of teams. And I
know he feels the same way. So, watch out."
Stidham has appeared in 20 games in six NFL seasons, starting four and winning
one.
Nix got hurt on a keeper where he lost 2 yards and was tackled by safety Cole
Bishop. Nix was limping after the play, but there was no indication that he
suffered such a serious injury.
On the next play, Nix threw a deep pass to Marvin Mims Jr. that drew a 30-yard
pass interference flag and got the Broncos well into field-goal range. Nix then
took a knee to center the ball for Lutz's game-ending field goal.
Nix tied Russell Wilson's NFL record with two dozen victories in his first two
seasons. Saturday's victory was his first in the playoffs. The Broncos lost
last year at Buffalo but Nix led Denver to the AFC's top seed this season.
"He's a tough cookie," Payton said. "And this team all year has lost key
players and will rise up for the next challenge."
Before word of Nix's injury broke, Denver was jubilant over the Broncos' first
playoff victory in a decade.
Denver's game-winning drive came after nickel back Ja'Quan McMillian
intercepted Allen's deep pass in overtime. McMillian's pick was Denver's fifth
takeaway of the game after they were minus-3 in turnover differential during
the season.
McMillian wrested the ball away from Brandin Cooks at the Broncos 20-yard line
when a field goal would have won the game for Buffalo (13-6).
"He actually had the ball coming down and I had my hand on the ball," McMillian
said. "I was able to take it from him. I fell on top of him, just held the ball
up, showed the fans some love."
Cooks said he thought it was a catch.
"I feel that way," he said. "But at the end of the day, you don't, you know, no
matter, ultimately this is where we're sitting now."
Referee Carl Cheffers said in a pool report, "The receiver has to complete the
process of a catch. He was going to the ground as part of the process of the
catch and he lost possession of the ball when he hit the ground. The defender
gained possession of it at that point. The defender is the one that completed
the process of the catch, so the defender was awarded the ball."
Cooks said he just has to make sure next time not to leave it in the
"officials' hands."
Or McMillian's.
Nix said nothing about being hurt during a postgame interview with CBS, and he
sounded as if he was looking forward to the next game.
"It's great to have home-field advantage in a situation like this. It's
exciting. This is why you play the game, this is why you compete. You get to
playoff football, and good things happen," Nix said.
Former Broncos kicker Matt Prater nailed a 50-yard field goal with 5 seconds
left in regulation, knotting it up at 30-all. That came after Nix's 26-yard
touchdown throw to Mims with 55 seconds left had given Denver a 30-27 lead.
Allen, who hadn't turned the ball over in his previous six playoff appearances,
threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles.
"I felt like I let my teammates down," a teary-eyed Allen said.
The Bills failed once again to reach the Super Bowl with Allen under center
even though Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson weren't standing in
his way this time as that trio of franchise quarterbacks all missed the
postseason party.
Coming off the first road playoff win of his career, Allen's first three
turnovers helped Denver built a 23-10 lead before he threw a 10-yard touchdown
pass to Keon Coleman and a 14-yarder to Dalton Kincaid to give Buffalo a 24-23
lead early in the fourth quarter.
Quick strikes The Broncos scored 10 points in the final 22 seconds of the first half to take a 20-10 lead into the locker room, and they got their third takeaway just two plays into the second half on Nik Bonitto's strip-sack of Allen that was recovered by Malcolm Roach at the Bills 17, leading to a field goal. Denver avenged a 31-7 loss at Buffalo in the playoffs last year. "We weren't ready last year," Payton said. "But we were ready today." Injuri es Bills: LB Dorian Williams (neck) got hurt covering the opening kickoff and was taken to a hospital. ... DT Ed Oliver (knee) left in the third quarter. Broncos: WR Pat Bryant sustained a concussion on Denver's initial drive after he caught three passes for 32 yards. ... WR Troy Franklin pulled a hamstring. Up next The Bills are left wondering what it'll take to get to the Super Bowl. The Broncos host their first AFC championship game in a decade. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL |
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