Bills vs. Broncos final score, results: Josh Allen leads dominant second half as Buffalo cruises to wild-card win

Daniel Mader

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Bills vs. Broncos final score, results: Josh Allen leads dominant second half as Buffalo cruises to wild-card win image

Josh Allen and the Bills flexed their offensive muscles over wild-card weekend.

Hosting the seventh-seeded Broncos in Sunday's wild-card matchup, Buffalo cruised to a 31-7 win over Denver behind a 21-point second half. With the win, the Bills will host a divisional-round matchup against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens next week in the 2025 NFL playoffs.

Between a masterful performance from Allen (272 passing yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions) and some big runs from James Cook (120 rushing yards, one touchdown), Buffalo got the job done as favorites against the underdog Broncos. But even with the final score, it wasn't all bad for Denver — not only did rookie quarterback Bo Nix have a solid performance, but the Broncos also kept things close in the first half against a Super Bowl contender.

MORE BRONCOS-BILLS:

Getting things started with some fireworks, Nix made things interesting with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Troy Franklin in the first quarter, the first rookie-to-rookie touchdown connection in NFL playoff history. For a moment, it appeared the Broncos were ready to threaten a road upset. But as the game settled in, Allen did what he does best: make superstar plays. 

Buffalo was leading by six late in the third quarter while facing a 4th-and-1. Instead of going for the first down, Allen went for it all, firing a last-second pass to the end zone for Ty Johnson. The running back hauled the pass in with a diving grab, and that was the beginning of a late offensive explosion for the Bills.

A 55-yard touchdown pass from Allen to Curtis Samuel sealed the deal, with Buffalo having no issues moving the ball over the final 30 minutes. Defensively, the Bills only allowed seven points on Denver's opening drive, with Nix and the Broncos struggling from there.

For Denver, a successful season came to a close. Not only did Sean Payton's squad unexpectedly make a playoff push for the first time since 2015, but it got an outstanding season from its rookie quarterback. Despite the early playoff exit, the future looks bright for Nix and the Broncos.

Buffalo will join Kansas City, Houston, and Baltimore as the four AFC teams still alive in the postseason. The Allen vs. Jackson matchup next week, two of the premiere MVP candidates this season, should be a thriller.

The Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights as the Bills took on the Broncos in an AFC wild-card matchup on Sunday afternoon. Here's what you may have missed. 

Bills vs. Broncos score

 

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Bills vs. Broncos highlights from 2025 NFL wild-card playoff game

(All times ET)

Final: Bills 31, Broncos 7

4:00 p.m. — Mitchell Tribusky comes in to take a few knees, and that seals it: Buffalo's massive second half leads to a 31-7 victory over Denver in this wild-card matchup. Nix's opening touchdown pass made things interesting, but Josh Allen and the Bills' run game settled in for a dominant effort. A fascinating matchup now awaits Buffalo: A divisional round game against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. 

3:53 p.m. — Greg Rousseau gets to Nix on third down, the second sack for the Bills, then Damar Hamlin adds another exclamation point for Buffalo with a near interception on fourth down, as the ball hit the ground.

Bills 31, Broncos 7

3:47 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Tyler Bass adds some late points for the Bills. Under five minutes remain until Buffalo's victory over Denver goes final.

3:41 p.m. — Mack Hollins, once again, is causing a little trouble. After a 19-yard catch, Hollins steps over another Broncos player and gets called for taunting, erasing 15 yards. Buffalo is near the goal line again, though.

3:36 p.m. — Josh Allen, even with a big lead, can't stop making huge throws. Dalton Kincaid's longest catch of the season, which may have been overturned if Denver challenged it in time, goes for 35 yards.

3:30 p.m. — The Broncos reach a 4th & 2, and forced to go for it with their deficit, Nix goes to Jaleel McLaughlin with a short pass. The running back is stopped short of the line though, and Denver turns it over on downs. Buffalo's Cam Lewis was injured on the play.

3:25 p.m. — Nix is now up to 43 rushing yards, leading the Broncos toward the red zone.

3:22 p.m. — Nix scrambles for 19 yards to begin Denver's drive. That's the Broncos' first first down of the second half.

Bills 28, Broncos 7

3:18 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Josh Allen is leaving no doubt about the result of this one. He gets the ball to Curtis Samuel in space, and the crafty receiver does the rest, dancing past a few Broncos defenders into the end zone. On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Bills expand their lead. Unless Denver puts together a miraculous run over the coming minutes, Buffalo will advance.

End of third quarter: Bills 21, Broncos 7

3:15 p.m. — The Bills have the ball as the third quarter comes to a close. If they can hold onto a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, they'll host a divisional matchup against the Ravens next week. That would also send the Texans to Kansas City to face the Chiefs.

3:09 p.m. — All momentum has swung in Buffalo's favor, as the Broncos again goes three-and-out. 

Bills 21, Broncos 7

3:03 p.m. TWO-POINT CONVERSION— After the incredible touchdown pass, Buffalo goes for two and converts. Allen goes to Keon Coleman, making it a 21-7 lead for the Bills.

2:59 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Are you kidding me, Josh Allen? Buffalo goes for it on 4th & 1, and instead of sneaking it, Allen steps back to pass. He can't find any receivers initially, scrambles for a while, then takes a shot to the end zone with pressure coming. Ty Johnson is there and makes a diving grab, which stands as a touchdown after a review. 

2:57 p.m. — The Bills' drive continues into the red zone. Josh Allen now has the most playoff rushing yards by a QB in NFL history, although Lamar Jackson isn't far behind and will play in the divisional round.

2:53 p.m. — Ray Davis just took a huge hit while reaching for a pass from Allen. Denver's Brandon Jones is called for unnecessary roughness for the hit, which was in the head/neck area. Davis remained on the field after the play, and is now walking with trainers back to the locker room. 

2:51 p.m. — Josh Allen had a conversation with an official on his own sideline after the Broncos' drive.

2:46 p.m. — The Broncos give the ball back to the Bills, punting after an unsuccessful drive. After five rushing yards and an incompletion from Nix, Buffalo can expand on its one-score advantage.

2:45 p.m. — Cook has played a massive role in Buffalo's offense.

2:43 p.m. — Denver's defense might have gotten away with one.

Bills 13, Broncos 7

2:40 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Once again, Denver's defense holds the Bills to three points. Buffalo got to the red zone, but Zach Allen gets in on a sack vs. Josh Allen to force a short field-goal attempt. Buffalo leads by six.

2:36 p.m. — James Cook is on fire. He's over 100 yards with two more chunk plays to begin the second half, and the Bills are quickly on the verge of more points. Anderson has returned for Buffalo.

2:33 p.m. — Buffalo begins the second half with the ball. 

2:22 p.m. — At half, Nix is 8-for-12 with 102 passing yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Allen is 9-for-12, totaling 69 passing yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. James Cook leads both teams in rushing with 78 yards, while Courtland Sutton's 51 receiving yards also lead both teams.

Halftime: Bills 10, Broncos 7

2:19 p.m. — Wil Lutz's kick is no good as the clock hits zeroes. It hits the right upright, leaving the Broncos with a three-point deficit for the second half.

2:18 p.m. — The Broncos get exactly the big play they need to get in field-goal range, a 21-yard strike from Nix to Sutton. Now, they'll attempt to tie it before the break.

2:16 p.m. — Denver has little time to work with to score before halftime. Nix had an 11-yard pass to Sutton and a nice scramble to get the Broncos' offense moving.

2:15 p.m. — Bills OL Alec Anderson reportedly went to the locker room on the last drive.

2:13 p.m. — Things got a little chippy in Buffalo on the punt. Mims took a huge hit from Mack Hollins, who then stepped over him. 

2:08 p.m. — After the two-minute warning for the first half, Buffalo punts despite an 11-play drive. Denver's special teams unit downing its previous punt at the one-yard line helped, and Allen's sack stopped the Bills' momentum. Nix will get a shot to score before halftime.

2:04 p.m. — Allen is sacked by ... Allen? Broncos DE Zach Allen, who had 8.5 sacks in the regular season, takes down Buffalo's quarterback on second down. That sets up a tough 3rd & 21 for the Bills.

2:00 p.m. — Nine plays into their drive, the Bills are still looking to move into Broncos territory. Allen and the run game are taking their short gains right now, with under four minutes until halftime.

1:56 p.m. — Buffalo is pinned at its own one-yard line to begin this drive after Mims made yet another huge special teams play:

1:53 p.m. — The excitement of the fake punt is taken away a bit, as the Broncos punt (actually this time) just a few plays later. Buffalo's defense has settled in nicely against Nix. 

1:49 p.m. — A playoff fake punt! Denver pulls off the trickery, showing what would have been its second consecutive punt. Instead, Riley Dixon airs out a 15-yard pass to Marvin Mims Jr. on 4th & 8, a play that could have significant implications if the Broncos score here. Sean Payton is showing some aggressiveness with the Broncos being road underdogs.

1:45 p.m. — Two updates on injuries in this matchup: Bills CB Taron Johnson (neck) has returned after being evaluated and clearing concussion protocol. Broncos LB Jonah Elliss is now questionable to return with a shoulder injury.

Bills 10, Broncos 7

1:41 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — There's James Cook. His five-yard run takes him into the end zone, giving the Bills the lead at home. There haven't been many issues for Buffalo's offense so far, as it already has 100 rushing yards.

1:38 p.m. — Per CBS Sports, Nix's touchdown pass to Franklin was the first rookie-to-rookie touchdown connection in NFL playoff history. An impressive feat for Denver's young players.

End of first quarter: Broncos 7, Bills 3

1:35 p.m. — Another third down conversion, this time on Allen's pass to Curtis Samuel, sets the Bills up in the red zone when the second quarter begins. Denver leads after 15 minutes, but the Bills could take the lead with a touchdown.

1:34 p.m. — Johnson is questionable to return for the Bills.

1:33 p.m. — Once again, Buffalo is past midfield as Allen uses his legs to convert on a third and short. 

1:29 p.m. — Denver goes three-and-out on its second drive. A potential injury to watch for the Bills: corner Taron Johnson left the field after helmet-to-helmet contact on a play.

1:24 p.m. — Buffalo's defense will be looking to force a three-and-out from the Broncos after an injury timeout. 

1:20 p.m. — A note on Nix's first playoff touchdown:

Broncos 7, Bills 3

1:18 p.m. FIELD GOAL — The Bills can't quite match Nix's big throw, but after easily driving down the field, they take an early three points. Denver's defense forced a few incompletions from Allen. 

1:15 p.m. — Allen finds no issues converting a sneak on 4th & 1. The Bills are in the red zone with a fresh set of downs. 

1:11 p.m. — Buffalo, looking for a quick answer, is already on the move. Josh Allen's first throw goes to Khalil Shakir for 15 yards, then James Cook picks up 16 yards on the ground. A talented Bills offense is into Denver territory.

Broncos 7, Bills 0

1:07 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — What a start for the rookie quarterback. In his first playoff drive, Nix goes deep for Troy Franklin, who sprinted right past a few Bills defenders for a 43-yard touchdown. Denver grabs the early momentum as road underdogs. 

1:05 p.m. — This matchup is underway in Buffalo. Bo Nix and the Broncos' offense get the ball first.

12:33 p.m. — Looks like there are some Broncos fans in Buffalo this afternoon as their team makes its first playoff appearance since 2015:

12:12 p.m. — Buffalo wide receiver Mack Hollins made quite the entrance at Highmark Stadium today. 

12:11 p.m. — And the Bills' inactives:

12:07 p.m. — Here's a look at the Broncos' inactives for this playoff matchup. The most surprising player listed: RB Audric Estime, who had a role in the backfield in the regular season. After 310 rushing yards and two touchdowns this season, the rookie Estime won't appear vs. the Bills. 

Bills vs. Broncos start time

  • Date: Sunday, Jan. 12
  • Time: 1 p.m. ET

The wild-card matchup between the Bills and Broncos will kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.  Buffalo, the higher seed in this playoff contest, will host it at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.

MORE 2025 NFL PLAYOFF NEWS:

What channel is Bills vs. Broncos on today?

  • TV Channel: CBS
  • Streaming: Paramount+, Fubo (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)

Bills vs. Broncos will be broadcast nationally on CBS. Additionally, the game will be streamed on both Paramount+ and Fubo, which offers a free trial.

NFL playoff schedule 2025

Wild-card round

Saturday, Jan. 11

MatchupTime (ET)TVLive stream
Texans vs. Chargers4:30 p.m.CBSFubo, Paramount+
Ravens vs. Steelers8 p.m.—Amazon Prime Video

Sunday, Jan. 12

MatchupTime (ET)TVLive stream
Bills vs. Broncos1 p.m.CBSFubo, Paramount+
Eagles vs. Packers4:30 p.m.FoxFubo
Buccaneers vs. Commanders8:15 p.m.NBCFubo, Peacock

Monday, Jan. 13

MatchupTime (ET)TVLive stream
Rams vs. Vikings8:15 p.m.ESPN, ABCFubo, ESPN+

Divisional round

Saturday, Jan. 18

MatchupTime (ET)TVLive stream
TBD vs. TBD4:30 p.m.TBDTBD, Fubo
TBD vs. TBD8:15 p.m.TBDTBD, Fubo

Sunday, Jan. 19

MatchupTime (ET)TVLive stream
TBD vs. TBD3 p.m.TBDTBD, Fubo
TBD vs. TBD6:30 p.m.TBDTBD, Fubo

Conference championships

Sunday, Jan. 26

MatchupTime (ET)TVLive stream
NFC championship game3 p.m.FoxFubo
AFC championship game6:30 p.m.CBSFubo, Paramount+

Super Bowl 59

Sunday, Feb. 9

MatchupTime (ET)TVLive stream
TBD vs. TBD6:30 p.m.FoxFubo

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Daniel Mader

Daniel Mader Photo

Daniel Mader joined Sporting News as an editorial intern in 2024 following his graduation from Penn State University. Previously, he covered Penn State, high school and local sports beats for NBC Sports, the Centre Daily Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Daily Collegian and LancasterOnline. He grew up in Lancaster, Penn., with a love for baseball that’ll never fade, but could also talk basketball or football for days.