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The Denver Broncos host the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round Saturday at 4:30pm ET. The Broncos had the week off after going 14-3 and earning a bye week as the AFC’s top seed this season. Buffalo advanced after defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-24 in the wild card round.
Buffalo defeated Denver 31-7 in the wild card round last season. The Broncos went 10-7 last season and made the playoffs for the first time under head coach Sean Payton. In Payton’s third season, Denver is 14-3 and one of the best teams in the league. The Broncos are in a much better position this time around to compete with Josh Allen and the Bills.
Bills vs. The Broncos will be broadcast on CBS and the streams will continue live DIRECTV (Free Trial).
What: NFL Playoffs, AFC Divisional Round
WHO: Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos
When: Saturday, January 17, 2026
Where: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado | Tickets
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Live Streams: DIRECTV (Free Trial), fuboTV (free trial)
Here’s a recent NFL story via the Associated Press:
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos began preparations for their first home playoff game in a decade with a spirited practice Tuesday that included the return of inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who strained his right hamstring in a Dec. 21 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“It’s good to have a healthy Dre Greenlaw back in the game,” coach Sean Payton said.
Help the top-seeded Broncos (14-3) on Saturday when they host Josh Allen and the sixth-ranked Buffalo Bills (13-5) at Empower Field.
Payton said Allen does many things well. “When you see him, the first time I really met him was on a golf course and you realize how big and physical he is. So it’s hard to bring him down. … He was the difference in that close game last weekend (at Jacksonville).
“He’s one of the stars of our league and you’ll see him year after year,” he said.
The Broncos lost 31-7 in the divisional round at Buffalo a year ago when the Bills rushed for 210 yards, including 120 from James Cook, the NFL’s season-winning rusher this season. That debacle led Denver to sign free agents Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufang in the offseason.
“We’ve been trying to improve our team, and man, we knew a year ago that we were playing a really good team. So there were a lot of things that we felt coming out of a game like that, hey, we’re not there yet. But we’ve got to get better,” Payton said. “Sure, it’s the players who help us in that regard.
Hufanga earned second-team All-Pro honors, but Greenlaw had a rough season as he dealt with an early season quadriceps injury and a strained hamstring to end it by missing Denver’s final two games of the regular season.
Payton said he realized during the Broncos’ 31-7 loss in Buffalo last year that “we’ve got to figure out a way to get these games at home.”
They have that chance now that they’ve earned the top seed in the AFC and the conference’s only first-round bye.
“It was the same way I felt the first year in 2006 in New Orleans when we lost in Chicago in the championship game,” Payton said. “How do we get to this game (at home). Now there are a few myths surrounding the playoffs. Home ground is important in terms of crowd noise. But you just look at the weekend we just had.”
Four of the six home teams lost over the weekend with the Patriots and Bears the only teams to win in their stadium.
“So I know our crowd is going to be fantastic,” Payton said. “We have to be ready to play our best game.
Broncos QB Bo Nix said he’s glad he won’t have to rely on quiet numbers in the return game.
“I think it’s a lot better. I think everybody would say they’d rather be at home in this situation,” Nix said. “You know, last year was a tough environment, a tough road experience, it was good for a young guy like me to go get that experience the first year. But of course it’s nice to be home.”
“It’s nice to be on the other side of that challenge and to be able to use the verbal cadence, to be able to speak, to be able to communicate, that’s going to be better for us at home.”
Tight end Lucas Krull (foot) also returned to practice. Asked if S Brandon Jones (torn pectoral muscle) had a chance to return during the playoffs, Payton said: “I don’t think so.
Can I bet on the game?
Yes, you can bet on the game from your phone in New York State, and we’ve rounded up some of the best introductory offers to help you navigate your first bets from BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, Bet365 and others.
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