The Denver Broncos advanced to the AFC Championship game following their 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills. It was a game with lots of ups and downs for both teams, but in the end, the Broncos found a way to win. It was a bittersweet victory, as after the game, head coach Sean Payton announced that quarterback Bo Nix suffered a broken bone in his ankle during the second-to-last play before the game-winning field goal (the rushing attempt before the final pass to Mims). Nix will have surgery and miss the remainder of the season.
Regardless of the injury, Bo Nix carried the Broncos despite not having key offensive players such as JK Dobbins, Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant, finishing the game with 279 passing yards, 29 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns, and one interception. He had clutch throws in key moments of the game.
Speaking of Bo Nix, he dominated for most of the game, excluding his interception, and following his performance in the Divisional round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, he joins a franchise historic list with elite company.
Bo Nix ties John Elway and Peyton Manning with the most passing touchdowns in a playoff game in franchise history:
Bo Nix's three passing touchdowns tied Peyton Manning and John Elway for the most TD passes in a playoff game in franchise history. pic.twitter.com/lUt8mqWinD
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) January 18, 2026
In his second career playoff game, the first one at home, Broncos franchise quarterback Bo Nix joined legends John Elway and Peyton Manning with his three touchdown passes. All three are tied at first with the most passing touchdowns in a playoff game by a Denver Broncos quarterback. Nix threw touchdowns to OL Frank Crum and receivers Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Marvin Mims in Saturday's Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills.
The other two quarterbacks Bo joined are Hall of Famers John Elway and Peyton Manning. Elway had three touchdown passes in 3 playoff games. He did it twice against the Cleveland Browns in 1988 and 1990, and once against the Raiders in the 1994 NFL playoffs. Peyton Manning did it once, specifically in his first playoff game as a Bronco against the Baltimore Ravens in 2013.
The interesting thing here is that Nix is the only one of the three who was drafted by the Denver Broncos, specifically at 12th overall in the 2024 Draft. John Elway was selected by the Baltimore Colts and then traded to Denver in 1983. Peyton Manning was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998.
It will be interesting to see Bo Nix bounce back after the season-ending ankle bone fracture, but his performance against the Buffalo Bills in the 2025-26 Divisional round once again showed that he is a franchise quarterback who can shine and dominate in big moments.