Nix and Buffalo counterpart Josh Allen traded fourth-quarter touchdown passes before Bills kicker Matt Prater forced overtime with a 50-yard field goal as time expired. Denver punted on the opening possession of the extra period, then cornerback JaQuan McMillian intercepted Allen while wrestling the ball away from wide receiver Brandin Cooks. Game officials upheld the turnover after a brief review, a decision Bills coach Sean McDermott criticized post-game for what he considered insufficient scrutiny.
Two defensive pass-interference calls on Buffalo moved Denver 47 yards, setting up Lutz’s decisive kick. Cornerback Tredavious White received an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty after slamming his helmet to the turf in protest of the second flag, which placed the ball at the Bills’ 8-yard line.
The win elevates Denver to its 12th conference championship appearance; the club is 8-3 in the previous 11. Since the NFL expanded the postseason field to 14 teams in 2020—granting only one bye per conference—No. 1 seeds are 9-3 in divisional-round play, according to the league’s official season structure (NFL Operations).
Buffalo (13-6) saw its quest for a first Lombardi Trophy stall in the divisional round for a third consecutive year and sixth straight under the Allen-McDermott pairing.
NFC: Seahawks 41, 49ers 6
Earlier in the day at Lumen Field, Rashid Shaheed ignited Seattle with a 95-yard kickoff return touchdown on the game’s opening play, and the Seahawks never trailed en route to a 41-6 rout of the San Francisco 49ers. Quarterback Sam Darnold managed the offense efficiently, while Seattle’s defense limited San Francisco (13-6) to 236 total yards and forced three turnovers.
Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and a 49ers unit depleted by injuries struggled to generate explosive plays against Seattle’s secondary. The Seahawks’ pass rush registered four sacks and repeatedly collapsed the pocket, giving Purdy little time to exploit mismatches.
Seattle (15-3) advances to its fifth conference championship game and first since the 2014 season, when the franchise last appeared in—and won—the Super Bowl. Head coach Pete Carroll will lead his team against either the Los Angeles Rams or Chicago Bears, who meet Sunday. The NFC final will follow the AFC matchup as part of Championship Sunday’s doubleheader.
Key Numbers and Upcoming Schedule
- Broncos: 15-3 overall, 8-3 all-time in AFC title games
- Seahawks: 15-3 overall, 3-1 record in previous conference championships
- Bills: 13-6, eliminated in divisional or conference rounds six straight seasons
- 49ers: 13-6, held to a season-low six points
- Championship Sunday: AFC game kicks off Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. EST in Denver; NFC game follows in Seattle
Denver’s latest trip to the AFC final invokes memories of the franchise’s 2016 run, when a dominant defense carried Peyton Manning to a Super Bowl 50 victory. Payton hopes a similarly stout unit can support Stidham with Nix sidelined. “I feel like I have a No. 2 who’s capable of starting for a number of teams,” the coach said, expressing confidence in the veteran backup.
For Seattle, Saturday’s decisive win underscored the team’s transformation since installing Darnold last offseason and emphasized the defense’s rise to elite form. “They’ve stepped up every single game for us,” Darnold noted, pointing to the group’s consistency from organized team activities through the postseason.
With two home favorites already through and two road underdogs aiming to extend their seasons on Sunday, the final four will be set by nightfall. The winners will clash on Jan. 25 for conference supremacy and the chance to reach Super Bowl 60.
Crédito da imagem: Associated Press
