Broncos knock out Josh Allen and Bills, advance to AFC title game but lose Bo Nix to injury

By ROB MAADDI

The Denver Broncos are heading to the AFC championship game for the first time since winning their last Super Bowl 10 years ago, but they won’t have Bo Nix under center after the second-year quarterback broke his right ankle.

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills fell short again, with questionable officiating playing a role.

Wil Lutz kicked a 23-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Broncos to a 33-30 victory on Saturday, sending Denver to the conference title game for the 12th time in franchise history. The Broncos are 8-3 in those games.

The No. 1 seed Broncos (15-3) will host the Texans-Patriots winner on Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. EST. They won’t have Nix, who was injured on Denver’s final series. Coach Sean Payton said Nix will have season-ending surgery on Tuesday. Jarrett Stidham, who is 1-3 in seven seasons, will start the AFC title game.

No. 2 seed New England (15-3) hosts No. 5 seed Houston (13-5) on Sunday, with the winner likely to be favored on the road against the Broncos.

Denver’s last victory in the AFC championship came in Peyton Manning’s final season. The Broncos defeated Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 20-18 on Jan. 25, 2016. A stifling defense shut down Cam Newton and led Denver to a 24-10 win in the Super Bowl.

Allen and the Bills (13-6) again were denied an opportunity to win the franchise’s first Lombardi Trophy. Buffalo has been knocked out in the divisional or championship rounds in six straight seasons under Allen and coach Sean McDermott.

Allen and Nix traded go-ahead touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and Buffalo’s Matt Prater kicked a 50-yarder to send it to overtime.

After the Broncos punted on the opening drive, Allen threw a deep pass to Brandin Cooks that would have put the Bills in field-goal range, but Ja’Quan McMillian snatched it away for an interception as both players tumbled to the ground.

Officials reviewed the play and upheld the call, a decision that McDermott criticized after the game. The Broncos took over at their own 20.

Two pass-interference penalties on Buffalo gave the Broncos 47 yards and set up Lutz’s winning kick. Tre’davious White, who was called for the second one that moved the ball to Buffalo’s 8, threw his helmet down in disgust while arguing and got an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty.

In the NFC, the No. 6 seed San Francisco 49ers (13-5) were taking on the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks (14-3) in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader. The No. 2 seed Chicago Bears (12-6) will host the No. 5 seed Los Angeles Rams (13-5) in the second game Sunday.

Since the NFL expanded the playoff field to 14 teams in 2020, only one team in each conference gets a bye. Those No. 1 seeds are 8-3 in the divisional round, including Denver’s win. The 2022 Chiefs are the only No. 1 seed to win the Super Bowl in that span.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL