The Denver Broncos host their first home playoff game in a decade, and many of the current players on the team were only in middle or high school the last time Denver had a postseason game at home.
Fortunately, the Broncos are a better team and should win this one - they have won all but three home games in the Bo Nix era and have truly turned into a dominant team in front of the Mile High crowd. If Denver hopes to win, there are a few key players who have to play well.
Let's talk about the most crucial players for the Divisional Round.
These three Denver Broncos are key to beating the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round
Bo Nix
This isn't a surprise, but if the Denver Broncos hope to win, Bo Nix has to be efficient in whatever he is asked to do. We have seen Nix perform well in different circumstances. He's had to will the team to victory in the second half at times, and he's also been asked to carry a huge load in the passing game.
But we've also seen the passing offense take a step back and make way for the run game. Whatever game plan the offense has will have to have an efficient Nix as a part of the equation. He doesn't necessarily have to outplay Josh Allen, as he's going against the Bills' defense, but efficiency overall is a must.
RJ Harvey
RJ Harvey has to have a big game, as the Buffalo Bills struggle to stop the run, and that was the case in the Wild Card Round. Ideally, the Denver Broncos shorten the game with extended drives and have notable success on the ground. In order for that to happen, though, RJ Harvey has to get going, as he's likely going to get most of the carries. Harvey has not been consistent down-to-down this year, but the Divisional Round would be a great time for that consistency to develop.
Ja'Quan Millian
As I had recently talked about, I truly believe Ja'Quan McMillian could be key in the Denver Broncos beating the Buffalo Bills, as he's made a ton of high-leverage plays for this team and kind of flies under the radar due to the secondary having a ton of other talent.
McMillian has four sacks and two interceptions this year, so he's been making some huge plays for this team. His third down sack on Patrick Mahomes earlier this year was massive, and he also had a red zone interception earlier in that game. There may come a time where the defense is in a 'gotta have it' type of series. I could see Vance Joseph doing something clever using Ja'Quan McMillian in that scenario.