The Denver Broncos have not had a home playoff game since the 2015 AFC Championship, when Tom Brady and the New England Patriots visited Peyton Manning and the Broncos at home. It will have been 10 calendar years since the last time Mile High saw the Broncos at home in the postseason.
Last year, the Broncos got a little taste of the playoffs, but it was clear at the time that Denver was very much playing with house money and clearly not a team ready to contend. Just getting into the playoffs given the circumstances was awesome, but we could all see that the team wasn't yet a finished product.
Here in 2025, however, we've seen Denver ascend to the top of the NFL world, and this team has been one of the three best in the league for multiple months now. Every single player on the roster has also obviously not seen a home playoff game in Denver, but this eight-year veteran has waited longer than most and is now going to be in a position to have his moment.
Courtland Sutton is the Broncos' big-play man on offense and finally gets a home playoff game
Courtland Sutton is who he is at this point - he's been able to consistently perform as mid-lower tier WR1. He's turned 30 years old this season, and there is a clear ceiling with the player. However, Sutton has had two-straight 1,000-yard seasons and is somsone who is very good at his unique skillset, if that makes sense.
But where Sutton can really come in handy for the Broncos in the playoffs is on third down. In 2025, Sutton actually has 406 receiving yards on third down, which is the most in the AFC and second-most in the entire league. His 28th receptions are the fourth-most, and his three touchdowns on third down is the fifth-most.
He's also been among the most efficient in the NFL on fourth downs as well. While Courtland Sutton can sometimes frustrate us by dropping 'easy' passes that he should have caught, he does make up for it with some clutch moments.
The 'money' downs in the NFL are third and fourth down, and Courtland Sutton excels in those situations. The stakes are only heightened in the playoffs, so Sutton's success on third and fourth down is something that could truly ice a victory for Denver.
In his first career home playoff game, Courtland Sutton has to be ready for this big moment.