
The NFL playoffs continued on Sunday with Wild Card Weekend delivering an exciting matchup between the Denver Broncos vs Buffalo Bills. It got off to an electrifying start with rookie Bo Nix connecting with fellow rookie Troy Franklin on a 43-yard touchdown. Buffalo answered quickly in a back-and-forth game in the first half. However, James Cook and Josh Allen thumped Denver’s defense in the second half for a convincing victory. Let’s dive into the winners and losers from Sunday’s Wild Card game between the Broncos and Bills.
Winner: James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills

Entering NFL games today, Buffalo Bills running back James Cook averaged just 3.6 yards per carry and 48 rushing yards per game in four playoff appearances. He blew past those playoff averages quickly on Sunday. He opened things up with 23 yards on Buffalo’s first possession of the game, with a 16-yard run setting the tone. It was just the start of an outstanding effort.
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In the first half alone, Cook found the end zone and turned 13 carries into 78 rushing yards (6.0 ypc). The Bills kept feeding the hot hand coming out of halftime, with Cook adding 33 rushing yards on the next drive and finishing with 120 yards (5.2 ypc) before getting pulled with the game decided. He carried Buffalo to an early lead, recording his highest rushing total since Dec. 17, 2023.
Loser: P.J. Locke, S, Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos defense doesn’t have many weaknesses, but P.J. Locke is one of them. He finished the regular season ranked by Pro Football Focus as the 96th-best safety in the NFL and his performance on Sunday backed that up. Josh Allen went after him in coverage repeatedly and Denver never had an answer. A liability both versus the run and in pass coverage, the Broncos need to replace Locke this offseason.
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Winner: Matt Milano, LB, Buffalo Bills

It’s been a while since Matt Milano looked this good. The All-Pro linebacker made his season debut on Dec. 1 after missing most of the season with a bicep tear. Upon his return, he recorded just 1 tackle for loss in four regular-season games. On Sunday, we see how much of an impact he makes for this Buffalo Bills defense when healthy.
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After Denver’s first touchdown drive, it had a third-and-5 and was approaching Bills’ territory. When Bo Nix rolled out of the pocket, Milano chased him down for a sack to force a punt. That stop was followed up by Buffalo’s first touchdown drive. Milano getting his explosiveness back could be huge for the Bills defense in the Divisional Round.
Loser: Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos

Making his first playoff start, Bo Nix got off to an electric start. He completed his first two passes for 62 yards, getting the Denver Broncos out to a 7-0 lead. The production ended there. After starting the game 2-for-2 with a touchdown pass, Nix completed just 11-of-18 passes for 82 yards with 2 sacks taken. This performance should be an afterthought in light of an incredible rookie season that greatly exceeded expectations, but Nix and this Broncos’ offense vanished after the opening drive.
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Winner: Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

The NFL MVP votes came in before the Wild Card Round, but against one of the best pass defenses in the NFL, Josh Allen put up an MVP-caliber performance. He had a relatively quiet first half, with James Cook accounting for the lone touchdown, but he picked Denver’s secondary apart after halftime. Allen walked off the field Sunday with 318 total yards, 2 touchdowns and a 135.4 QB rating. Buffalo will need something close to that in the Divisional Round against the Baltimore Ravens.
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