On a bittersweet day, the Denver Broncos of the National Football League reached the AFC Championship Game for the first time in a decade, but lost Bo Nix.
In the 33:30 overtime loss in the playoff quarterfinals against the Buffalo Bills, the quarterback was seriously injured shortly before the end and can no longer play this season. In the NFC, meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks dismantled the San Francisco 49ers 41:6.
“We celebrate this season for him,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said after the diagnosis that Nix suffered a broken ankle. The team is close together, says Payton: “Let’s go.” Jarrett Stidham will replace Nix in the fight for a place in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots or Houston Texans next weekend.
Tears from NFL superstar
In overtime, kicker Will Lutz fired the Broncos to victory with a 23-yard field goal. The last time Denver got this far was in the 2015/16 season, after which they triumphed in Super Bowl 50.
The Bills have to continue to wait for their first title around star quarterback Josh Allen, who had tears in his eyes after another failure. “I feel like I let my teammates down,” said Allen, who had two interceptions.
Nix completed 26 of 46 throws for 279 yards and, like Allen, had three touchdown passes. Now the key player can only keep his fingers crossed that he will undergo surgery on Tuesday.
The fans in Seattle saw a one-sided duel, the Seahawks gave the 49ers no chance and confirmed their role as favorites. However, San Francisco was missing three stars in George Kittle, Fred Warner and Nick Bosa.
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Darnold celebrates first playoff win of his career
The game couldn’t have started better for the number one team in the NFC. Rashid Shaheed carried the ball back all over the field after the 49ers’ kickoff and scored the first touchdown. 13 seconds were played.
Running back Kenneth Walker III ran into the end zone three times and quarterback Sam Darnold, who had been questionable due to abdominal muscle problems, celebrated the first playoff win of his career.
“I’m really proud to be a part of this team and this organization,” Darnold said. The Seahawks, Super Bowl champions in 2014, will now face the Chicago Bears or the Los Angeles Rams.
