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From the perspective of a Denver Broncos fan, there was good news regarding the squad’s playoff game against the Buffalo Bills on January 17, followed directly by horrible, dreadful, cataclysmic news.
The good news, of course, is that the Broncos, playing their first home postseason game since 2016, managed to eke out a 33-30 overtime victory against the Bills. Practically every pundit with access to a national platform had predicted the Bills would prevail thanks to the brawny majesty of quarterback Josh Allen, whose growing celebrity (commercials in which he hawks New Balance, SoFi and Pepsi aired during the CBS broadcast) rivals that of his spectacular spouse, actor Hailee Steinfeld.
And the horrible, dreadful, cataclysmic news? Shortly after Denver QB Bo Nix delivered typically rah-rah comments about the contest’s outcome to CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson, head coach Sean Payton told the media that Nix had suffered a fractured ankle in the waning moments of the matchup that will require surgery; the procedure will make him unavailable for next week’s AFC championship. And while no one puts Nix and Allen on the same level of NFL supremacy, his importance to the Broncos is undeniable. Making it past either the Houston Texans or the New England Patriots (the opponent will be determined later today, January 18), let alone notching another Super Bowl triumph down the line, will be infinitely more difficult for the Men of Orange without the Boy Named Bo at the helm.
The phrase “what the fuck” hasn’t gotten such a workout in Colorado since the world learned about Alfred Packer’s dining habits.
This crazily sharp turn of events followed enough on-field reversals of fortune to fill a reboot of Succession. The Broncos started off with a seven-and-a-half-minute drive that ended the way doubters thought it might — with a Wil Lutz field goal instead of a touchdown. The situation worsened when Buffalo responded with a march that made Denver’s vaunted defenders look like ushers at an unpopular nightclub willing to let absolutely anyone gain entry. Running back James Cook slashed for a dash of 24 yards on play one, then another ten on the next snap. Allen then drove down the field, finishing with a four-yard strike to an all-too-lonely Mecole Hardman for a TD.
The touchdowns-versus-field-goals equation is tough to overcome, and when the Broncos went three-and-out on their next possession, the die seemed to have been cast. But no: Cook fumbled shortly thereafter — the first of what turned out to be a stunning five Buffalo turnovers — and Denver cashed in by way of a Nix toss to none other than offensive lineman Frank Crum.
After a Bills field goal, Nix and company put the ball in the end zone again, with Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who’d dropped a previous surefire score, redeeming himself shortly before halftime. Allen should have simply taken a knee after the ensuing kickoff, but instead decided to scramble and promptly fumbled, gift-wrapping another Lutz field goal as time expired in the first half.
The Broncos’ sudden 20-10 advantage didn’t last long. Early in the third quarter, fearsome pass rusher Nik Bonitto strip-sacked Allen at the Bills’ fourteen-yard line, and Malcolm Roach fell on the ball. But Denver managed to accrue just two yards on the next three plays, necessitating another Lutz boot. On its turn, Buffalo put up another seven-pointer and, after an exchange of interceptions, took a gut-churning 85-yard promenade to another one, giving Allen and company a 24-23 lead in the final stanza.
Matters grew worse when Denver immediately gave the ball back to the Bills, who swiftly put another three points on the board, after which they responded to a Broncos touchdown (a marvel to Marvin Mims Jr.) by tying the score at thirty and forcing overtime.
Controversy ensued. The Broncos did nothing with their first chance, giving the Bills the opportunity to head in the opposite direction…and they seemed poised to seize the W when Ja’Quan McMillian wrenched the ball away from Brandin Cooks. Denver subsequently gained 75 yards mostly by way of interference penalties that Nix and Payton cannily baited, a strategy that forced the referees to drop flags at a time when they usually keep them pocketed. Bills loyalists were apoplectic watching Lutz put the winner over the goal post, while Broncos Country was spasmodic with joy.
But pleasure turned to pain upon word of Nix’s cracked ankle, and Payton’s reassurance that “Stiddy’s ready” — a reference to stolid but undeniably ordinary backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham — hardly caused the hurt to ebb. But look on the bright side: If Stidham leads the Broncos to the Super Bowl, Disney might make a movie about it.
See our favorite twenty reactions to Nix’s injury below, capped by a hilarious appearance by longtime Broncos nemesis Philip Rivers.
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