Broncos QB Engineers OT Win, but His Season Is Over

The Denver Broncos wrangled their biggest win in a decade from Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on Saturday but suffered an enormous loss in the process. About an hour after second-year quarterback Bo Nix led the Broncos to a 33-30 win on Wil Lutz's 23-yard field goal in overtime Saturday, Denver coach Sean Payton returned to the postgame lectern to deliver the stunning news: Nix broke his right ankle a few plays before Lutz's kick sent the top-seeded Broncos (15-3) to the AFC championship game against either New England or Houston, per the AP.

Nix will have season-ending surgery Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama. "We celebrate the season for him," Payton said. "And listen, the city's ready and we'll be ready for the next challenge." Backup QB Jarrett Stidham takes over for Nix. He took just one snap this season, a kneel-down in a blowout win over Dallas in Week 8. "Stiddy's ready," Payton declared. "He's ready. I said this at the beginning of the season I've got a 2 that's capable of starting for a number of teams. And I know he feels the same way. So, watch out."

Nix got hurt on a keeper where he lost 2 yards and was tackled by safety Cole Bishop. Nix was limping after the play, but there was no indication that he suffered such a serious injury. On the next play, Nix threw a deep pass to Marvin Mims Jr. that drew a 30-yard pass interference flag and got the Broncos well into field-goal range. Nix then took a knee to center the ball for Lutz's game-ending field goal. In the day's other game, the Seattle Seahawks routed the San Francisco 49ers, 41-6.