The Denver Broncos are set to face the sixth-seeded Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round of the playoffs after the Bills defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-24 in the Wild Card Round.
The Broncos had the coveted first-round bye after securing the No. 1 seed and were able to rest and scout their first playoff opponent. Their game against Buffalo will be played in Denver on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Despite their low seed, the Bills are a tough opponent to match up with for your first, just ask the Jaguars. While rest is a great thing and it allows players to heal, it can also go against you. The Bills are playing with momentum and are in a rhythm, while the Broncos haven’t been in game action for two weeks.
Just last year, the Detroit Lions had the first-round bye and lost 45-31 to the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round, ending their 15-2 season.
Of course, different teams, different seasons. But the point is, the Broncos will need to have their A-game against a tough team with a quarterback that is hungry for his first championship that has long eluded him.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen hasn’t had a better chance to make it to the Super Bowl. The Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes can’t eliminate him this season, so there’s probably a sense of urgency within that locker room to get the job done this year.
Allen is a dynamic, dual-threat quarterback that will burn you through the air and on the ground. Denver has been missing a key run-defender in linebacker Dre Greenlaw, but he will be returning to the lineup in the biggest matchup of the season.
A reporter asked head coach Sean Payton about how big it is to have Greenlaw back, noting that his ability to attack downhill against the opposing team’s running game, and Payton had an interesting response to say the least.
“You want him to attack downhill? Like, what do you know about attacking downhill in the run game? You don’t know. Have him attack downhill. It’s good to have a healthy Dre Greenlaw back in the game, yeah.”
Payton probably didn’t mean to answer this question in a way that would be perceived as rude, but it certainly sounds that way based on his response. He’s a competitor just like his players and is probably on edge because of the stakes.
Expect Payton to have his guys ready for an absolute battle.