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Quite crazy to think that the last time the Denver Broncos played a play-off game Peyton Manning was the quarterback as they won Super Bowl 50 in February 2016.

Those eight seasons missing the play-offs was the biggest drought for a Super Bowl winner in NFL history, and now rookie Bo Nix is stepping into those huge shoes.

And he's started pretty well....

Field goal - Billspublished at 18:18 Greenwich Mean Time 12 January

18:18 GMT 12 January

Denver Broncos 7-3 Buffalo Bills

Tyler Bass knocks over a chip shot from 26 yards, but those three points will disappoint Buffalo who moved the ball with ease until they got around the 10 yard line, when Denver's rearguard stepped up with the stop.

Promising start on both sides of the ball from the Broncos.

Great stop from the Denver defence - they've been hot on red zone defence all season and they force Buffalo to go for the field goal. That's a massive win.

Josh Allen never backs away from a challenge and he's marching this impressive Buffalo offence down the field and into the red zone.

They face a fourth-and-1 and go for their version of Philly's 'tush push' - and there's no stopping the strapping Allen when he only needs a yard.

Jason Bell
Former NFL cornerback on Sky Sports

The thing I like about Bo Nix is he's a timing and rhythm thrower. He's got great footwork, a great base. When he's in rhythm like that he can deliver and you can get big time strikes.

Ndamukong Suh
Former NFL defensive tackle and 2021 Super Bowl winner on Sky Sports

Bo Nix is not scared by any means. He's coming out and slinging that gun and he is excited to be able to be out there. There's no stage bigger than this and he's living up to it.

Josh Allen in the play-offs is just a machine...

The Broncos led the NFL with 63 sacks and were third in scoring defense with 18.3 points a game allowed.

The Bills allowed the fewest sacks (14) and were second scoring 30.9 points per game.

Tonight is just the seventh play-off game since the 1970 merger and second since 2000 that teams with a most sacks and the team allowing the fewest sacks have met - and now Buffalo are playing from behind, can Denver pounce?

Uber impressive third down conversion from Bo Nix and he hits Cortland Sutton over the m iddle bang on midfield to move the sticks - that's despite a massive noise generate from the Bills Mafia in the crowd.

Some play by the rookie.

Phoebe Schecter
BBC Sport NFL columnist

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I'm really excited for this match-up, I think it'll be electric. Who doesn't want to see Bo Nix and Josh Allen?

The Denver defence led the NFL for most sacks (63) and (cornerback) Patrick Surtain is the potential Defensive Player of the Year, but Buffalo's not an easy place to go.

The Bills have been playing 'Mr Brightside' at every home game and I don't know if you've seen any of the videos but the whole crowd, the players, everybody is singing. It's such a great atmosphere.

When Chiefs fans were flying in for their game in November, the Bills song 'Shout' was being played at the airport. I'm sure they will have something planned for the Broncos and, for me, it's a Bills win.

Read the rest of Phoebe's predictions

And we're off! Denver receive the ball first in Buffalo as the first of three games begins on an epic night. Enjoy everyone!

Josh Allen really does pull out all the stops in the play-offs - he'd like a few more wins though...

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Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and Denver's Bo Nix are making their play-off debuts in tough road games tonight.

Only three rookie quarterbacks have ever won their first career play-off start on the road, how about these names?

• Joe Flacco (2008 wildcard Baltimore at Miami)
• Mark Sanchez (2009 wildcard New York Jets at Cincinnati)
• Russell Wilson (2012 wildcard Seattle at Washington)

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Broncos head coach Sean Payton has worked wonders, his team's defence has been fearsome, and rookie quarterback Bo Nix has improved all season to lead Denver to the play-offs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 nine years ago.

Josh Allen has been unstoppable at times though and the Bills were unbeatable at home in the regular season. They were the second top scorers and behind Allen's brilliance they avoided the mistakes that dogged them in recent years - in fact, they are the only team in Super Bowl times to allow an average of fewer than one sack and one turnover a game.

Full preview here

The Houston Texans defence really stuck it to Justin Herbert and the Chargers last night - watch the best of the action.

The fact we can put rookie Bo Nix in a graphic against seminal Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen shows what an impressive season the Broncos quarterback had.

The sixth quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, he has been a surprise success in Denver, throwing 29 touchdown passes and rushing for four more.

OK, so Allen's status as arguably the NFL's best dual-threat quarterback puts him in a different stratosphere but Nix has been effective and proved many people wrong in leading the Broncos to the post-season.

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Standing in Josh Allen's way is one of the stingiest defences in the NFL.

The Broncos registered the most sacks in the league this season (63) and average only 18.3 points allowed

They also boast the most defensive touchdowns this year, taking three pick-sixs over the regular season.

Not only that but in cornerback Patrick Surtain, they have a strong candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.

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The departure of Buffalo Bills' leading receiver Stefon Diggs last summer deprived Josh Allen of his main target. It left many wondering if they could be the same threat.

Sealing the number-two seed in the AFC Conference shows just how extraordinary Allen has been.

He has thrown to any and everyone, provided his usual dynamism on the ground and put himself in the conversation for the NFL's Most Valuable Player.

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The Denver Broncos and the Buffalo Bills are the only teams to beat two-time Super Bowl winners Kansas City Chiefs (15-2) this season.

The difference?

That 38-0 Broncos win last weekend meant very little given the Chiefs rested all their starters. A 30-21 loss in a raucous Buffalo back in November was considerably more important.

Josh Allen has beaten Patrick Mahomes four times in the regular season but the Chiefs quarterback has him on toast in the play-offs with a 3-0 record. They cannot meet until the Championship Game in two weeks' time - but don't bet against it.