DENVER (AP) — After the Buffalo Bills ended the Broncos' season with a 31-7 thrashing in the playoffs last year, Sean Payton resolved to return the postseason party to Denver with its mile-high air and thunderous, stadium-rattling crowd.

“We talk about earning seeds and trying to get all edges. It was the same way I felt in that first year in 2006 in New Orleans when we lost in Chicago in the championship game: ‘How do we get this game at home?’" recounted Payton, whose New Orleans Saints did just that three years later on their way to winning the Super Bowl following the 2009 season.

Now in his third season in Denver, Payton is trying to become the first head coach to win Lombardi Trophies with two franchises.

The well-rested Broncos (14-3) earned home-field advantage by securing the AFC's top seed and lone first-round bye. They'll host the banged-up, sixth-seeded Bills (13-5), who are coming off their first road playoff triumph since the 1992 AFC championship game, Saturday at Empower Field at Mile High.

It's the first playoff game in Denver in a decade, since Jan. 24, 2016, when the Broncos beat New England in the 17th and final matchup between superstars Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

The Broncos have won 13 of their past 14 home games and were 8-1 in Denver this season, their only loss coming to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team the Bills eliminated 27-24 last weekend in Josh Allen's first career fourth-quarterback comeback in the playoffs.

With Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson sitting out these playoffs, this might be Allen's best chance to finally win the big one. But he's dealing with ailments to his right foot, left knee and throwing hand, and he was also checked for a concussion last weekend.

“I feel good,” Allen insisted. “I feel good. I feel better than I have in the last few weeks.”

Fourteen other Bills were listed on the injury report this week and Buffalo coach Sean McDermott ruled out safety Jordan Poyer (hamstring) and CB Maxwell Hairston (ankle). Also, WRs Gabe Davis and Tyrell Shavers landed on IR this week because of knee injuries.

Allen hasn't missed a game because of an injury since his rookie season in 2018.

“I don’t know," where that toughness comes from, Allen said, “obviously country boy, out in the middle of nowhere, my worst fear as a kid was missing games. Even when I got in trouble, my parents would threaten missing a game and not playing in it, and I was like, 'Alright, I’ll behave.' So I just love being out there.”

Allen and NFL rushing leader James Cook will face a much improved Denver defense, which looks nothing like the unit they gashed for 210 yards on the ground in last year's playoffs.

The Broncos added safety Talanoa Hufanga and inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw in free agency and they played a big role in Denver's No. 1 ranking in sacks and red zone efficiency.

“They’re built the right way,” McDermott said.

Behind Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, the Broncos led the league with 68 sacks, and sealing the escape route up the middle in Vance Joseph's cage-the-quarterback scheme was All-Pro defensive tackle Zach Allen, who led the league with 47 QB hits.

The Broncos ranked second against the run this season, so the Bills might have to lean on their depleted receiving group Saturday.

“Obviously not an ideal situation,” Josh Allen said. “But I still trust that room completely. Whoever we bring up needs to step up. And we have full confidence that they will.”

Depleted supporting cast, banged-up body, it doesn't matter, Zach Allen said.

“He's a combination of every single great quarterback in this league,” Zach Allen said. "He does what they do best. It's just so rare. He's got the arm, he's got the IQ to make the right decisions with the ball. He's got the size, the running ability and the leadership.

“It's a lethal combination. That's why everyone's calling him Superman.”

Tables turned

Broncos QB Bo Nix, who tied the NFL record with two dozen wins in his first two seasons, said he’s glad it’s Josh Allen who will have to deal with the crowd noise this time around.

“Last year was a tough environment, tough road experience,” Nix said. “It’s obviously nice to be at home. It’s nice for that challenge to be on the other side. Being able to use verbal cadence, being able to talk, being able to communicate is going to better for us at home.”

Boosting Bosa

Bills edge rusher Joey Bosa wasn’t the only one disappointed with his lack of production against Jacksonville. Coordinator Bobby Babich weighed in on the 10th-year player finishing with a stat line that featured just one quarterback hit.

“He knows what we’re expecting and what he needs to do and what his job is,” Babich said. “He knows he needs to play better."

Coleman’s contributions

Buffalo’s injury-depleted receiver position provides Keon Coleman an opportunity. The second-year receiver’s playing time and production have dropped severely since serving a one-game team suspension in Week 11 for being late to a team meeting, his third such infraction.

“I know what I can do. That hasn’t changed,” said Coleman, one of just three healthy receivers on Buffalo's active roster.

Vance Joseph focuses on stopping Josh Allen, not head coaching opportunities

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Vance Joseph interviewed with five teams during the Denver Broncos’ bye week in his quest for a second crack at an NFL head coaching job.

What’s really on the defensive coordinator's mind, though, is getting another shot at Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills this Saturday in the AFC divisional playoffs. He's not even thinking of what may lie ahead.

“The job stuff for me is back burner. Winning is the priority right now, and what happens after happens,” Joseph said. “I can’t control that.”

The 53-year-old Joseph met with the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens. He was Denver’s head coach in 2017 and 2018, going 11-21 in two seasons. Joseph was brought back in 2023 by coach Sean Payton and has turned the defense into one of the best in the league.

Those job interviews were hardly a distraction. All he had to do was remember what happened last season in the playoffs when Allen and the Bills beat Denver 31-7.

“So my focus was the Broncos the entire time," he said.

Joseph's defense allowed just 18.3 points per game this season while recording a franchise-record 68 sacks, topping last year's mark of 63. Led by Zach Allen, Talanoa Hufanga, Nik Bonitto and Pat Surtain II, they kept teams out of the end zone in a franchise-record five games this season. They also buckled down in the red zone, allowing teams to score touchdowns in just 20 out of 47 trips. It was the lowest percentage (42.6) in the league this season.

That sort of production — and his team's 14-3 record — made him a hot head coaching commodity. Joseph has been all over the NFL and served in a variety of roles. He’s also been a defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins and Cardinals, and coached defensive backs for the Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers.

"It’s flattering, but it speaks to the entire program,” Joseph said of all the phone calls. “I think when teams want to hire a coach from a winning program, they want the recipe.”

His defense is trying to find a recipe to stop Allen, who threw for 273 yards and a score and ran for two TDs in a 27-24 win at Jacksonville on wild-card weekend.

“He’s a special player," Joseph said. “Obviously, there are certain guys in this league that can take over games, and he’s one of those guys.”

When Denver lost in Buffalo a year ago, Allen completed 20 of 26 passes for 272 yards and two scores. The Bills dominated time of possession, too, by a 41:43 to 18:17 margin.

"One thing we need to eliminate is his second-chance opportunities,” Surtain said of Allen. “He thrives off that and finding opportunities even if the play is not there. He is a great player, so we have to game plan and eliminate the explosives.”

A difficulty every team encounters is finding a way to mimic in practice what Allen can do on game days.

“His legs are special, he's got that size, he can make every single throw. That's not different for us, but you can't simulate it, obviously. If you could, you would. But you can't," Joseph said. “There’s one Josh Allen and he lives in Buffalo.”

Joseph runs an aggressive style of defense that, as Bonitto explained earlier this season, “puts us in a great position.”

"It’s more of a partnership,” Joseph explained. “When you find a group of guys that you have success with, it’s special. Because every team is going to change each year. So this team will change next year, and that’s sad. It makes me sad, but it will change.”

That's why he's cherishing this playoff run.

“You spend so much time with these guys," Joseph said. "You watch them grow. You watch them get married, have kids. It’s personal. If it’s not personal, you can’t be the best coach you can be, or the best team. It’s always personal with me and my players.”

Versatile Willi Castro and Rockies agree to $12.8 million, 2-year deal, AP source says

DENVER (AP) — Versatile infielder/outfielder Willi Castro and the Colorado Rockies agreed to a $12.8 million, two-year deal Thursday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced.

Castro spent last season with the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs, where he hit a combined .226 with 11 homers and 33 RBIs. He played all three outfield spots last season in addition to seeing time at third and shortstop. He even pitched an inning while with the Twins.

The 28-year-old Castro made his major league debut on Aug. 24, 2019, while with Detroit. He spent four seasons with the Tigers before joining the Twins, where he was an All-Star in 2024. He was traded to the Cubs last July.

Earlier in the day, the Rockies finalized the signing of right-handed starter Michael Lorenzen to an $8 million, one-year contract. The deal includes a $9 million club option for 2027. Right-hander Bradley Blalock was designated for assignment to open a roster spot.

Right-hander Michael Lorenzen and the Colorado Rockies finalize $8 million, 1-year contract

DENVER (AP) — Right-hander Michael Lorenzen and the Colorado Rockies finalized their $8 million, one-year contract on Thursday.

Lorenzen gets a $7.75 million million salary this year, and the deal includes a $9 million club option for 2027 with a $250,000 buyout plus award bonuses.

Right-hander Bradley Blalock was designated for assignment to open a roster spot.

Lorenzen, 34, was 7-11 with a 4.64 ERA in 26 starts and one relief appearance last year for Kansas City, which guaranteed him $7 million in a one-year deal. He earned an additional $1 million in performance bonuses for innings and games pitched.

Lorenzen struck out a career-high 127 in 141 2/3 innings, but also tied for the major league lead with 12 wild pitches.

Colorado has lost 101 or more games in each of the past three years, including a major league-high 119 in 2025. It's last winning record was 91-72 in 2018.

Paul DePodesta was hired as Colorado’s president of baseball operations in November, and Warren Schaeffer was promoted to full-time manager after finishing last season as the interim skipper.

The current nucleus for the rebuilding Rockies includes All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. The team also selected shortstop Ethan Holliday with the No. 4 pick in last year’s amateur draft.

Lorenzen broke into the majors with Cincinnati in 2015. He is 54-55 with a 4.08 ERA in 395 career appearances, also pitching for Texas, Detroit, Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Angels.

Lorenzen was traded from Detroit to Philadelphia on Aug. 1, 2023. He threw a no-hitter in his home debut with the Phillies, striking out five and issuing four walks in a 7-0 victory over Washington.

He would get $100,000 each for winning an MVP award or Cy Young Award and $50,000 for second through fifth in the voting. Lorenzen also would earn $100,000 apiece for BBWAA Reliever of the Year and Rivera/Hoffman Reliever of the Year, and $50,000 for second through fifth in the BBWAA voting and second or third in the Rivera/Hoffman.

He would earn $100,000 for World Series MVP, $75,000 for League Championship Series MVP, $100,000 for Comeback Player of the Year and $25,000 each for All-Star selection and winning a Gold Glove.