Bills quarterback Josh Allen shares raw emotions after NFL playoff loss
The Buffalo Bills quarterback didn’t hold back in interviews with the media after their overtime loss to the Denver Broncos.
The Denver Broncos defeated the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in the divisional round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs, earning their first playoff victory since Super Bowl 50.
But the victory came at a cost. Bo Nix injured his ankle during the game and will miss the rest of the season.
Here’s what you need to know about the Knicks’ injuries and how the Broncos will move forward with their top quarterback missing.
Broncos manager Sean Payton announced in the postgame press conference that Knicks suffered a season-ending fractured ankle.
“On the penultimate play of overtime, Bo broke his right ankle,” Payton told reporters. “He is scheduled to undergo surgery this Tuesday to miss the remainder of the season.”
Payton later clarified that the play was not the penultimate play of overtime, but was right before Nix’s pass to Marvin Mims Jr. NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero posted video of the play, in which Nix takes a low hit from Buffalo Bills safety Cole Bishop, to social media.
The Knicks were able to finish overtime despite the injury. He completed 26 of 46 passes for 279 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, and led the team with 12 carries and 29 rushing yards.
According to Payton, Nix is scheduled to undergo season-ending ankle surgery in Alabama on Tuesday, which will end his season.
Jarrett Stidham is the Broncos’ backup quarterback and will replace the Knicks. Payton expressed confidence in the veteran, who will make his first start of the season in the AFC Championship Game.
“Steedy’s ready,” Payton said, referring to the backup quarterback by his nickname.
Stidham, 29, is a seven-year veteran who was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He has been with the Broncos since 2023, starting two games for the team that season and going 1-1, completing 60.6% of his passes for 496 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
Stidham hasn’t attempted a regular-season or postseason pass since the 2023 NFL season.
With Nix out for the season, the Broncos only have two healthy quarterbacks left in the organization. They are:
- Jarrett Stidham
- Sam Ehlinger
Ehlinger is in his first season with the Broncos after spending his first four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. The 27-year-old Texas native has not played for the Broncos this season, but was Denver’s emergency third quarterback for Sunday’s game.
Like Stidham, Ehlinger has not played a regular season or postseason NFL snap since the 2023 season. He last attempted a pass in 2022 with the Colts, starting three games and going 0-3, completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 573 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Before the 2025 season began, the Broncos didn’t have the best backup situation in the league. In fact, USA TODAY’s Nate Davis ranked them 25th in passer-in-waiting out of the league’s 32 teams.
“Coaches tend to rave about Jarrett Stidham despite limited regular-season appearances in six NFL seasons. Third-stringer Sam Ehlinger is similarly unproven,” Davis wrote.
The Broncos will likely miss the Knicks and use Stidham as the starter while Ehlinger will step into a backup role.
That being said, Denver could consider adding a third-string quarterback to the organization to ensure depth. Here are some of the potential candidates for the Broncos’ role.
- Buchele’s poem.
- Taylor Heinicke
- Adrian Martinez
- clayton tune
- dorian thompson robinson
Fans weren’t the only ones dazzled by the Knicks’ injuries. Bleacher Report’s James Palmer reported that “the players were unaware” of the second-year quarterback’s injury until Payton announced it on stage during a news conference.
Payton said after the game that Knicks had a bright and positive outlook on the injury because of his Christian faith.
“He’s a tough player,” Payton said.
Despite what Payton recalled in his words, there are several quarterbacks who have led their teams to the conference championship game in their second season. Among active players, that list includes Mahomes, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
(This story will be updated as more information becomes available. )
