The Denver Broncos are playing their first home playoff game since the 2015 AFC Championship Game when they hosted Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. The fanbase had to wait 10 years for this moment, and it will come against the supercharged Buffalo Bills offense, led by Josh Allen.
The Broncos' defense is going to be the main unit to watch in this one, as Allen is a known commodity, and we kind of know what to expect with the offense, but if the defense can contain Allen, the entire complexion of the game will change for the better.
Vance Joseph probably isn't going to put forth a heavy pass-rush gameplan. He'll probably work to keep Josh Allen inside the pocket with certain pass rush plays, so he won't likely get sacked a lot. However, there may come a time in this game where the Broncos have to get a huge stop on a later down, and this underrated defender could end up being the key to that.
Ja'Quan McMillian could be a huge reason why the Denver Broncos defeat the Buffalo Bills
Ja'Quan McMillian has honestly fallen under the radar a bit as a piece of the secondary, as much of the chatter has been about Patrick Surtain II, Riley Moss, and the new addition of Talanoa Hufanga. All three players had great seasons this year.
And some of the other talk, perhaps on the flip side, is the lack of an overall impact that Jahdae Barron has made this year. Well, McMillian appeared in all 17 games this year and had two interceptions, nine passes defended, one defensive touchdown, 4 sacks, five tackles for loss, 4 QB hits, and 56 total tackles.
This may have been McMillian's best season, and he came up clutch for the Denver Broncos more times than not. I look back to the Kansas City Chiefs game at home - McMillian had a red zone interception and also had a key third down sack against Patrick Mahomes late in the fourth quarter. He's been a very good player at rushing the passer, and I would expect that Vance Joseph sends him on a DB blitz at least once.
McMillian had a pick-six as well in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Heck, even in 2024, McMillian had a game-sealing pick at home against the Cleveland Browns. What we've seen from Ja'Quan McMillian over the past two seasons has been some high-leverage plays, and he seems to make a key play at the ideal time.
I truly would not be shocked if Vance Joseph had something special brewing for McMillian in the Divisional Round.