Denver Broncos vs Buffalo Bills Match Player Stats: AFC Divisional Playoff Full Breakdown

Full Denver Broncos vs Buffalo Bills match player stats from the 2026 AFC Divisional playoff game on January 17, 2026. Denver won 33–30 in overtime. Scoring plays, team stats, and key performance highlights.

Few playoff games deliver the kind of back-and-forth drama this one produced. The Denver Broncos survived a ferocious fourth-quarter comeback by the Buffalo Bills to win 33–30 in overtime in the 2026 AFC Divisional round on January 17, 2026, at Empower Field. Bo Nix threw three touchdown passes including a 26-yard strike to Marvin Mims Jr. with just over a minute remaining to give Denver a 30–27 lead. Matt Prater matched it from 50 yards with 10 seconds left to force overtime. Wil Lutz ended it with a 23-yard field goal in OT to send the Broncos to the AFC Championship. Buffalo’s 5 turnovers — including 3 lost fumbles — were ultimately the difference in a game they controlled in yardage and possession time but could not win.

Final Score

Scoring Plays

Q1 — 7:33 Wil Lutz 28-yard field goal. (DEN 3 – BUF 0)

Q1 — 0:10 Josh Allen pass short right complete. Catch made by Mecole Hardman for 4 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Prater PAT good. (DEN 3 – BUF 7)

Q2 — 9:39 Bo Nix pass short right complete. Catch made by F. Crum for 7 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Lutz PAT good. (DEN 10 – BUF 7)

Q2 — 2:17 Matt Prater 33-yard field goal. (DEN 10 – BUF 10)

Q2 — 0:29 Bo Nix pass deep left complete (tipped by G. Rousseau). Catch made by Lil’Jordan Humphrey for 29 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Lutz PAT good. (DEN 17 – BUF 10)

Q2 — 0:02 Wil Lutz 50-yard field goal. (DEN 20 – BUF 10)

Q3 — 11:39 Wil Lutz 33-yard field goal. (DEN 23 – BUF 10)

Q3 — 6:55 Josh Allen pass short left complete. Catch made by K. Coleman for 10 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Prater PAT good. (DEN 23 – BUF 17)

Q4 — 13:29 Josh Allen pass short left complete. Catch made by Dalton Kincaid for 14 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Prater PAT good. (DEN 23 – BUF 24)

Q4 — 4:14 Matt Prater 31-yard field goal. (DEN 23 – BUF 27)

Q4 — 1:01 Bo Nix pass deep left complete. Catch made by Marvin Mims Jr. for 26 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Lutz PAT good. (DEN 30 – BUF 27)

Q4 — 0:10 Matt Prater 50-yard field goal. (DEN 30 – BUF 30)

OT Wil Lutz 23-yard field goal. (DEN 33 – BUF 30) — FINAL

Team Stats Comparison

Denver Broncos Offensive Stats

Passing

Bo Nix completed 26 of 46 passes for 279 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception, finishing with an 87.1 passer rating. He took zero sacks — remarkable given Buffalo’s pass rush attempts — and delivered the two biggest throws of the game: a 29-yard touchdown to Lil’Jordan Humphrey in the final seconds of the first half that gave Denver a 17–10 lead at the break, and a 26-yard touchdown to Marvin Mims Jr. with 61 seconds left in the fourth quarter to briefly put Denver ahead 30–27. The interception was costly in the moment but Denver’s defense recovered both times turnovers were exchanged.

• Completions/Attempts: 26/46
• Completion %: 56.5%
• Yards: 279
• Touchdowns: 3
• Interceptions: 1
• Passer Rating: 87.1
• Sacks Taken: 0
• Longest Pass: 29 yards (TD — Humphrey)
• Hurries Faced: 11
• Poor Throws: 8

Rushing

Denver ran 22 times for 70 yards and 0 touchdowns — a modest ground game that did not threaten Buffalo’s run defense. The Broncos averaged just 3.182 yards per carry and had 8 red zone rushing attempts without converting any of them on the ground. Denver’s offense leaned heavily on Nix’s arm throughout the game, particularly in the critical fourth-quarter drives.

• Attempts: 22
• Yards: 70
• Avg Per Carry: 3.182
• Touchdowns: 0
• Longest Run: 13 yards
• Redzone Attempts: 8

Special Teams

Wil Lutz was Denver’s unsung hero — a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals including a 50-yarder late in the second quarter and the game-winning 23-yarder in overtime. His 4 field goals accounted for 12 of Denver’s 33 points. Every Denver scoring drive that stalled converted into 3 points rather than a turnover on downs — a critical difference in a 3-point game.

• Field Goals: 4/4 (28, 50, 33, 23 OT yards — all made)
• Extra Points: 3/3

Buffalo Bills Offensive Stats

Passing

Josh Allen completed 25 of 39 passes for 283 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, finishing with a 90.0 passer rating. He was sacked 3 times for 17 yards and threw 8 poor passes on the night, but his fourth-quarter performance was exceptional — he brought Buffalo from 23–10 down to 24–23 ahead on back-to-back touchdown drives. Matt Prater’s equalizing 50-yard field goal with 10 seconds left denied Allen what would have been a signature playoff comeback win.

• Completions/Attempts: 25/39
• Completion %: 64.1%
• Yards: 283
• Touchdowns: 3
• Interceptions: 2
• Passer Rating: 90.0
• Sacks Taken: 3 (17 yards)
• Longest Pass: 46 yards
• Redzone Attempts: 10

Rushing

Buffalo ran 36 times for 183 yards and 0 touchdowns — an impressive ground performance that dominated Denver’s run defense. The Bills averaged 5.083 yards per carry with a long of 26 and had 8 red zone rushing attempts, but like Denver, converted none of them on the ground. Buffalo’s inability to punch it in on the ground in scoring position forced them to rely on Allen’s arm in the critical moments.

• Attempts: 36
• Yards: 183
• Avg Per Carry: 5.083
• Touchdowns: 0
• Longest Run: 26 yards
• Redzone Attempts: 8

Receiving

Buffalo’s receivers caught 25 of 39 targets for 283 yards and 3 touchdowns. Receivers gained 188 yards after the catch — the highest of any unit in the game — reflecting how often Allen was hitting quick, short throws that became bigger plays after the catch. Dalton Kincaid’s 14-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter gave Buffalo their first lead at 24–23. Mecole Hardman opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown catch in the final seconds of the first quarter.

• Targets: 39
• Receptions: 25
• Yards: 283
• Avg Per Reception: 11.3
• Touchdowns: 3
• Yards After Catch: 188
• Longest Reception: 46 yards
• Dropped Passes: 4

Turnovers — The Decisive Factor

Buffalo’s 5 turnovers were the difference in this game. Three lost fumbles and 2 interceptions gave Denver multiple second chances that they converted into points each time. The Bills generated more total yards (449 to 349), more first downs (28 to 22), and controlled the ball for over 11 more minutes — but in a 3-point overtime loss, the 5 turnovers were simply too many to overcome.

• Fumbles: 5 total, 3 lost
• Interceptions thrown: 2
• Total turnovers: 5
• Denver points off turnovers: Not directly scored, but each turnover disrupted momentum and led to subsequent scoring drives

Denver Broncos Defensive Stats

Denver’s defense forced 5 turnovers — 2 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles recovered, and 4 total forced fumbles — while recording 3 sacks and 10 QB hits. The defensive performance in the fourth quarter, when Buffalo had momentum and a lead, was the most impressive stretch. Forcing fumbles on back-to-back drives in the final minutes gave the Broncos offense the field position needed for Nix’s game-changing throw to Mims.

• Total Tackles: 48 solo, 25 assists (73 combined)
• Sacks: 3 (for 17 yards)
• QB Hits: 10
• Tackles for Loss: 4 (for 8 yards)
• Interceptions: 2 (30 return yards)
• Forced Fumbles: 4
• Fumble Recoveries: 3
• Passes Defended: 2
• Missed Tackles: 5

Buffalo Bills Defensive Stats

Buffalo’s defense held Denver to 349 total yards and zero sacks allowed by their own offensive line, but could not generate the stops needed when the game was on the line. The unit recorded 1 interception, 3 sacks, and 5 tackles for loss but missed 10 tackles — a number that contributed to several Denver plays extending beyond what they should have been.

• Total Tackles: 31 solo, 22 assists (53 combined)
• Sacks: 0
• QB Hits: 3
• Tackles for Loss: 5 (for 8 yards)
• Interceptions: 1 (3 return yards)
• Passes Defended: 7
• Missed Tackles: 10
• Three-and-Outs Forced: 2

Key Takeaways

• Denver Broncos defeated the Buffalo Bills 33–30 in overtime in the 2026 AFC Divisional playoff, with Wil Lutz’s 23-yard field goal in overtime ending one of the most dramatic playoff games of the season.
• Bo Nix delivered in the clutch — his 26-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims Jr. with 61 seconds left gave Denver a 30–27 lead, and his 29-yard touchdown to Lil’Jordan Humphrey with 29 seconds left in the first half changed the momentum heading into halftime.
• Matt Prater’s 50-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter is the play that will be remembered longest — tying the game at 30–30 and forcing overtime after Denver had just taken a 30–27 lead.
• Buffalo’s 5 turnovers — 3 lost fumbles and 2 interceptions — were the decisive margin in a game the Bills dominated statistically (449 yards, 28 first downs, 40:58 time of possession vs Denver’s 349, 22, and 29:18).
• Josh Allen was brilliant in the fourth quarter, erasing a 13-point deficit with back-to-back touchdown drives, but the turnovers throughout the game cost his team the ultimate outcome.
• Wil Lutz went a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals — 28, 50, 33, and 23 yards — accounting for 12 of Denver’s 33 points in a game that was decided by exactly 3.
• Denver’s defense forced 4 fumbles and recovered 3, while intercepting Allen twice — the 5 turnovers they generated compared to the 1 they gave up is the single most important statistical difference of the game.
• Buffalo did not punt a single time — a testament to their offensive efficiency — yet still lost by 3 in overtime, entirely because of the turnovers.
• Bo Nix was not sacked despite facing 11 hurries, completing passes under pressure throughout and finishing the game without a sack allowed — his quick release was critical in a matchup where Buffalo brought heavy blitz pressure.
• Denver advanced to the AFC Championship game where they would face the New England Patriots, while Buffalo’s 2025 season ended in one of the most painful playoff exits in their recent history.