The Denver Broncos squared off against the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round on Saturday. Denver earned a first-round bye after securing the AFC’s No. 1 seed and the extra rest served the team well. Denver’s fearsome defense was at full strength with Dre Greenlaw suiting up despite a hamstring injury.
Unsurprisingly, the Broncos’ 2nd-ranked defense came up with the biggest play of the first half. After taking a 7-3 lead, Buffalo got the ball back and quickly got down the field. A 26-yard Josh Allen run had the Bills set up at the Broncos 32-yard line. But then Denver’s defense stepped up.
Allen pitched the ball to James Cook, who advanced to the 30-yard line when he was met by Alex Singleton and stopped dead in his tracks. The perfect form tackle knocked the ball loose and Denver recovered.
FUMBLE! BRONCOS HAVE IT! pic.twitter.com/QHZlea0isV
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) January 17, 2026
Broncos capitalize on Bills turnovers in divisional round
After the turnover, the Broncos put together an eight-play, 69-yard touchdown drive to take a 10-7 lead midway through the second quarter. Singleton’s hit led to a potential 14-point swing and shifted momentum to Denver.
The Bills were well aware of the Broncos’ imposing defense. But that knowledge didn’t help prevent Buffalo from turning the ball over three times through two and a half quarters. Singleton’s hit on Cook forced the Bills’ first turnover. But Josh Allen would add two more in under one minute of game time.
Singleton underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor this season. And the seventh-year veteran somehow only missed one game. The 32-year-old linebacker led the Broncos with 135 total tackles in his fourth season with Denver.
