aturday: The High-Altitude Heartbreaker & The Rain-Soaked Rout (6) Buffalo Bills 30 @ (1) Denver Broncos 33 (OT) This game will be talked about in Denver for a decade, but for all the wrong reasons. The Broncos secured their first playoff win in ten years, but it came at a devastating cost. Bo Nix was …
(6) Buffalo Bills 30 @ (1) Denver Broncos 33 (OT)
This game will be talked about in Denver for a decade, but for all the wrong reasons. The Broncos secured their first playoff win in ten years, but it came at a devastating cost. Bo Nix was a superstar, throwing for 279 yards and three scores, but the air went out of the stadium when it was revealed post-game that he broke his ankle in overtime.
Josh Allen was his usual “all-or-nothing” self, racking up over 300 total yards but turning the ball over five times. The Bills forced OT with a ridiculous hook-and-lateral play, but a Ja’Quan McMillian interception in the extra frame set up Wil Lutz for the winning kick. Denver is moving on, but they’ll have to do it with Jarrett Stidham at the helm. The Bills fired Sean McDermott a few days after the loss. What looked like one of their best chances to win it all turns into major organizational changes.
(6) San Francisco 49ers 6 @ (1) Seattle Seahawks 41
Total. Absolute. Carnage. The Seahawks didn’t just beat the Niners; they erased them. It started 13 seconds in with a 95-yard kickoff return TD by Rashid Shaheed, and it never got better for San Francisco. Seattle’s defence was a brick wall, allowing zero touchdowns and forcing three turnovers. Sam Darnold, playing through an oblique injury, didn’t even have to do much as Kenneth Walker III gashed the SF front for 145 total yards. The 12th Man was so loud they probably heard it in Vancouver. Honestly the 9ers suck. NFC IS LOADED.
(5) Houston Texans 16 @ (2) New England Patriots 28
C.J. Stroud has been a godsend for Houston, but he finally hit the “Foxborough Wall.” The Patriots’ defence baited him into four interceptions in the first half alone—a nightmare scenario for any young QB. Meanwhile, Drake Maye continued his “Chosen One” arc, throwing three touchdowns in the sleet and rain. The highlight? A one-handed, falling-out-of-bounds TD grab by Kayshon Boutte that effectively ended the Texans’ season. New England is back in the AFC Championship for the first time since 2018. The Texans will need to go back to the drawing board after 10 turnovers from CJ this playoffs. Great Defence. Horrid Offence. For New England, could this be one of the easiest paths there is? Now they get to play Broncos backup Jared Stidham after Bo Nix’s ankle injury.
(5) Los Angeles Rams 20 @ (2) Chicago Bears 17 (OT)
If Caleb Williams didn’t have the city of Chicago’s heart before, he does now—even in a loss. Down 17-10 with 18 seconds left, Williams escaped a collapsed pocket and launched a 50-yard “prayer” off his back foot that Cole Kmet somehow snagged in the end zone to force OT.
But the magic ran out in the extra period. Williams threw a costly pick to Kam Curl, and Matthew Stafford (the ultimate “ice man”) marched the Rams down for Harrison Mevis to drill a 42-yarder. The “Thiccer Kicker” sends the Rams to Seattle, and the Bears go home with their heads held high. The Rams didn’t play an elite game and haven’t so far this playoffs. Next week is going to be fun.
We are down to the final four. No more “maybe next year”—it’s win or go home for a trip to New Orleans.
| Matchup | Venue | Opening Line |
| AFC: (2) New England Patriots @ (1) Denver Broncos | Mile High Stadium | NE -2.5 (Nix Injury) |
| NFC: (5) Los Angeles Rams @ (1) Seattle Seahawks | Lumen Field | SEA -4.5 |
