DENVER (AP) 鈥� 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.
鈥淲e celebrate the season for him,” Payton said. 鈥淎nd listen, the city’s ready and we’ll be ready for the next challenge.鈥�
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.
鈥淪tiddy鈥檚 ready,鈥� Payton declared. 鈥淗e’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鈥檚 game-ending field goal.
Nix tied Russell Wilson鈥檚 NFL record with two dozen victories in his first two seasons. Saturday鈥檚 victory was his first in the playoffs. The Broncos lost last year at Buffalo but Nix led Denver to the AFC鈥檚 top seed this season.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a tough cookie,鈥� Payton said. 鈥淎nd this team all year has lost key players and will rise up for the next challenge.鈥�
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. 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).
鈥淗e actually had the ball coming down and I had my hand on the ball,鈥� McMillian said. 鈥淚 was able to take it from him. I fell on top of him, just held the ball up, showed the fans some love.鈥�
Cooks said he thought it was a catch.
鈥淚 feel that way,鈥� he said. “But at the end of the day, you don鈥檛, you know, no matter, ultimately this is where we鈥檙e sitting now.鈥�
Referee Carl Cheffers said in a pool report, 鈥淭he 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.鈥�
Cooks said he just has to make sure next time not to leave it in the “officials’ hands.鈥�
Or McMillian’s.
Nix said nothing about being hurt with CBS, and he sounded as if he was looking forward to the next game.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to have home-field advantage in a situation like this. It鈥檚 exciting. This is why you play the game, this is why you compete. You get to playoff football, and good things happen,鈥� 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.
鈥淚 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鈥檛 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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.
鈥淲e weren’t ready last year,鈥� Payton said. 鈥淏ut we were ready today.鈥�
Injuries
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.
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