DENVER (AP) — After the Buffalo Bills ended the Broncos’ season with a 31-7 thrashing in the playoffs last year, Sean Payton resolved to return the postseason party to Denver with its mile-high air and thunderous, stadium-rattling crowd.
“We talk about earning seeds and trying to get all edges. It was the same way I felt in that first year in 2006 in New Orleans when we lost in Chicago in the championship game: ‘How do we get this game at home?’” recounted Payton, whose New Orleans Saints did just that three years later on their way to winning the Super Bowl following the 2009 season.
Now in his third season in Denver, Payton is trying to become the first head coach to win Lombardi Trophies with two franchises.
The well-rested Broncos (14-3) earned home-field advantage by securing the AFC’s top seed and lone first-round bye. They’ll host the banged-up, sixth-seeded Bills (13-5), who are coming off their first road playoff triumph since the 1992 AFC championship game, Saturday at Empower Field at Mile High.
It’s the first playoff game in Denver in a decade, since Jan. 24, 2016, when the Broncos beat New England in the 17th and final matchup between superstars Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
The Broncos have won 13 of their past 14 home games and were 8-1 in Denver this season, their only loss coming to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team the Bills eliminated 27-24 last weekend in Josh Allen’s first career fourth-quarterback comeback in the playoffs.
With Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson sitting out these playoffs, this might be Allen’s best chance to finally win the big one. But he’s dealing with ailments to his right foot, left knee and throwing hand, and he was also checked for a concussion last weekend.
“I feel good,” Allen insisted. “I feel good. I feel better than I have in the last few weeks.”
Fourteen other Bills were listed on the injury report this week and Buffalo coach Sean McDermott ruled out safety Jordan Poyer (hamstring) and CB Maxwell Hairston (ankle). Also, WRs Gabe Davis and Tyrell Shavers landed on IR this week because of knee injuries.
Allen hasn’t missed a game because of an injury since his rookie season in 2018.
“I don’t know,” where that toughness comes from, Allen said, “obviously country boy, out in the middle of nowhere, my worst fear as a kid was missing games. Even when I got in trouble, my parents would threaten missing a game and not playing in it, and I was like, ‘Alright, I’ll behave.’ So I just love being out there.”
Allen and NFL rushing leader James Cook will face a much improved Denver defense, which looks nothing like the unit they gashed for 210 yards on the ground in last year’s playoffs.
The Broncos added safety Talanoa Hufanga and inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw in free agency and they played a big role in Denver’s No. 1 ranking in sacks and red zone efficiency.
“They’re built the right way,” McDermott said.
Behind Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, the Broncos led the league with 68 sacks, and sealing the escape route up the middle in Vance Joseph’s cage-the-quarterback scheme was All-Pro defensive tackle Zach Allen, who led the league with 47 QB hits.
The Broncos ranked second against the run this season, so the Bills might have to lean on their depleted receiving group Saturday.
“Obviously not an ideal situation,” Josh Allen said. “But I still trust that room completely. Whoever we bring up needs to step up. And we have full confidence that they will.”
Depleted supporting cast, banged-up body, it doesn’t matter, Zach Allen said.
“He’s a combination of every single great quarterback in this league,” Zach Allen said. “He does what they do best. It’s just so rare. He’s got the arm, he’s got the IQ to make the right decisions with the ball. He’s got the size, the running ability and the leadership.
“It’s a lethal combination. That’s why everyone’s calling him Superman.”
Tables turned
Broncos QB Bo Nix, who tied the NFL record with two dozen wins in his first two seasons, said he’s glad it’s Josh Allen who will have to deal with the crowd noise this time around.
“Last year was a tough environment, tough road experience,” Nix said. “It’s obviously nice to be at home. It’s nice for that challenge to be on the other side. Being able to use verbal cadence, being able to talk, being able to communicate is going to better for us at home.”
Boosting Bosa
Bills edge rusher Joey Bosa wasn’t the only one disappointed with his lack of production against Jacksonville. Coordinator Bobby Babich weighed in on the 10th-year player finishing with a stat line that featured just one quarterback hit.
“He knows what we’re expecting and what he needs to do and what his job is,” Babich said. “He knows he needs to play better.”
Coleman’s contributions
Buffalo’s injury-depleted receiver position provides Keon Coleman an opportunity. The second-year receiver’s playing time and production have dropped severely since serving a one-game team suspension in Week 11 for being late to a team meeting, his third such infraction.
“I know what I can do. That hasn’t changed,” said Coleman, one of just three healthy receivers on Buffalo’s active roster.
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AP Sports Writer John Wawrow in Orchard Park, New York, contributed to this report.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
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