Broncos beat Bills, Seahawks rout 49ers to advance to convention championship video games

The Denver Broncos are heading to the AFC championship sport for the primary time since profitable their final Super Bowl 10 years in the past, however they gained’t have Bo Nix underneath middle after the second-year quarterback broke his proper ankle.

Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks are going to the NFC title sport after dominating the injury-riddled San Francisco 49ers.

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills fell brief once more, with questionable officiating taking part in a task.

Wil Lutz kicked a 23-yard discipline aim in time beyond regulation to raise the Broncos to a 33-30 victory on Saturday, sending Denver to the convention title sport for the twelfth time in franchise historical past. The Broncos are 8-3 in these video games.

The No. 1 seed Broncos (15-3) will host the Texans-Patriots winner on Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. EST. Seattle (15-3) will host the Rams-Bears winner within the Championship Sunday doubleheader.

The Broncos gained’t have Nix, who was injured on Denver’s ultimate collection. Coach Sean Payton stated Nix could have surgical procedure on Tuesday. Jarrett Stidham, who’s 1-3 in seven seasons, will begin the AFC title sport.

“I feel like I have a (No.) 2 (quarterback) that’s capable of starting for a handful of, a number of teams,” Payton stated. “I know he feels the same way. So watch out. Just watch.”

No. 2 seed New England (15-3) hosts No. 5 seed Houston (13-5) on Sunday, with the winner prone to be favored on the street towards the Broncos. In the NFC, No. 2 seed Chicago (12-6) is a house underdog towards No. 5 seed Los Angeles (13-5) within the second sport Sunday.

The Seahawks received a 95-yard kickoff return for a landing from Rashid Shaheed to open the sport and by no means trailed in a 41-6 rout of San Francisco (13-6). Seattle’s stingy protection held Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and the Niners to 236 yards and compelled three turnovers.

“They’re unbelievable,” Darnold stated of the protection. “They’ve stepped up every single game for us. Can’t say enough great things about that defense. It was tough in training camp and OTAs going up against them. But I’m glad they’re on our side.”

It’s be Seattle’s fifth journey to a convention title sport and first in 11 years. The Seahawks are 3-1, shedding their first look after they have been within the AFC.

Denver’s final victory within the AFC championship got here in Peyton Manning’s ultimate season. The Broncos defeated Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 20-18 on Jan. 25, 2016. A stifling protection shut down Cam Newton and led Denver to a 24-10 win within the Super Bowl.

Allen and the Bills (13-6) once more have been denied a chance to win the franchise’s first Lombardi Trophy. Buffalo has been knocked out within the divisional or championship rounds in six straight seasons underneath Allen and coach Sean McDermott.

Allen and Nix traded go-ahead landing passes within the fourth quarter and Buffalo’s Matt Prater kicked a 50-yarder to ship it to time beyond regulation.

After the Broncos punted on the opening drive, Allen threw a deep cross to Brandin Cooks that will have put the Bills in field-goal vary, however Ja’Quan McMillian snatched it away for an interception as each gamers tumbled to the bottom.

Officials shortly reviewed the play and upheld the decision, a call that McDermott criticized after the sport. The Broncos took over at their very own 20.

“It was a rather rapid unfolding of the review, if there was a review, and so I called a timeout to try to slow it down,” McDermott stated. “It would seem logical to me and make a lot of sense that the head official would walk over and want to go and take a look at it. … That’s too big of a play, in my estimation, too big of a play in a play that decided the game, potentially as well, to not even slow it down. … I’m standing up for us. What went on, that is not how it should go down in my estimation. These guys spend three hours out there playing football, pouring their guts out to not even say, ‘Hey, let’s just slow this thing down.’ That’s why I’m bothered.”

Two pass-interference penalties on Buffalo gave the Broncos 47 yards and arrange Lutz’s profitable kick. Tre’davious White, who was referred to as for the second that moved the ball to Buffalo’s 8, threw his helmet down in disgust whereas arguing and received an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty.

Since the NFL expanded the playoff discipline to 14 groups in 2020, just one workforce in every convention will get a bye. Those No. 1 seeds at the moment are 9-3 within the divisional spherical. The 2022 Chiefs are the one No. 1 seed to win the Super Bowl in that span.

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