Bills vs Broncos Divisional Playoff Preview: Buffalo Seeks Revenge Against Denver's Historic Defense

Bills Face Historic Broncos Defense in AFC Divisional Showdown

DENVER — The Buffalo Bills return to the scene of last year's playoff dominance Saturday, but this time the Denver Broncos hold home-field advantage and a defense making NFL history.

The sixth-seeded Bills (13-5) visit the top-seeded Broncos (14-3) at 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS, marking Denver's first playoff game since hosting the 2015 AFC Championship Game before winning Super Bowl 50.

Buffalo enters with momentum after defeating Jacksonville 27-24 in the Wild Card round, securing the franchise's first road playoff victory since the 1992 AFC Championship Game in Miami. The Bills dominated these same Broncos 31-7 in last season's Wild Card round in Buffalo, and history favors the visitors in this matchup — Buffalo owns a 2-0 playoff record against Denver, including the 1991 AFC Championship Game.

But this year's Broncos present a different challenge. Denver's defense led the NFL with 68 sacks during the regular season while ranking second in total defense (278.2 yards allowed per game) and rushing defense (91.1 yards per game). The unit also finished third in scoring defense, allowing just 18.3 points per game.

The Broncos' most remarkable achievement is a plus-45 sack differential — the highest single-season mark in NFL history, surpassing the 1977 New England Patriots' plus-44. Denver tied the Los Angeles Rams by allowing a league-low 23 sacks while terrorizing opposing quarterbacks.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen brings an impressive playoff résumé to Mile High Stadium. He owns the most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL postseason history with 701 yards and ranks second with nine rushing touchdowns. Among quarterbacks with at least 10 playoff starts, Allen's 309.5 combined passing and rushing yards per playoff game leads all players in league history.

Both franchises have reached 10 AFC Championship Games, tying them for prominence in conference playoff history. Saturday's winner moves one step closer to adding an 11th appearance.

Denver hasn't hosted playoff football in a decade, but the franchise hopes 2026 mirrors 2015 — when the Broncos earned the top seed, won at home in the playoffs, and captured a Super Bowl championship at Levi's Stadium, coincidentally the site of this year's Super Bowl LX.

The game kicks off an NFL Divisional round featuring unprecedented parity. For the first time in 16 seasons, four different teams will host Divisional playoff games than the previous year. Seven of the eight remaining starting quarterbacks are under 30 years old, with only Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford bringing Super Bowl-winning experience to the field.