Neither the Broncos nor the Bills have been able to get their hands on a Lombardi Trophy in recent seasons. Still, they’ll come into the 2025 postseason with vastly different expectations.
Sean Payton’s second season in Denver proved a fruitful endeavor, with the Broncos reaching postseason play for the first time since their 2015 Super Bowl run. Bo Nix was a revelation under center, flirting with Justin Herbert’s rookie touchdown record after a slow start to the campaign. Patrick Surtain II was similarly effective, further cementing his status as one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks — an effort that could very well garner him Defensive Player of the Year honors. The future looks bright in the Mile High City. A playoff appearance is merely the cherry on top.
Buffalo, meanwhile, has dreams of Super Bowl glory. Josh Allen impressed, putting himself into MVP contention with star performances galore, including in wins against the Chiefs and the Lions. James Cook tallied nearly 1,300 yards of total offense while tying for the league lead in rushing TDs (16). And Sean McDermott’s defense shined, collecting more giveaways than any other unit.
The wild-card round will see these two dueling ideologies share the gridiron. Only one can advance. Once kickoff comes, both sides will know what could be ahead of them in the next round.
Here’s what you need to know about the next opponents for either the Broncos or the Bills.
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Who do the Broncos or Bills play next?
The NFL re-seeds its brackets after wild-card weekend, so matchup possibilities for the divisional round are endless (not really).
Broncos potential opponents
- No. 1 Chiefs
As the seventh seed in the AFC, the road to the AFC Championship Game is pretty clear for the Broncos.
If they defeat the Bills in the wild-card round, they’ll head to Kansas City as the lowest-remaining AFC seed.
Denver has already faced off against its AFC West rival twice this year. The first contest came down to the last play, with Sean Payton’s side falling just short of a win after Wil Lutz’s potential game-winning field goal was swatted away. The Broncos punched their ticket to the postseason with a 38-0 win over Kansas City in Week 18, but the Chiefs rested most of their starters, having already locked up the No. 1 seed beforehand.
Bills potential opponents
- No. 3 Ravens
By the time the Bills and Broncos kick off, Buffalo, too, will know who it will face in the divisional round assuming it gets past Denver.
The Ravens’ 28-14 win over the Steelers ensures that if the Bills win, they’ll head to Highmark Stadium for the AFC Divisional round.
MORE 2025 NFL PLAYOFFS:
NFL playoff bracket 2025
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