ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos will soon play on one of the biggest stages in sports.
And as a slew of Denver's players approach their first career postseason starts, that's exactly how they want it.
For quarterback Bo Nix, this is a moment he's worked toward for the extent of his football career — and beyond.
"This is where I want to be," Nix said. "[These are] the moments that matter. These are the moments that people remember you by. You've just got to go out there and cut it loose and go out there and play and trust your teammates, trust what you've prepared for throughout this entire year and, quite frankly, my career [and] my life. This is just where all that work finally gets to come into play. It's going to be fun."
Nix is part of a star-studded AFC playoff field that includes quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and a slew of other big names.
"Those guys have done a lot of winning in the past, so I've got some catching up to do," Nix said.
Wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who will approach his own first career playoff start by honing in on each element of his preparation, said his confidence in Nix ahead of Sunday's game is born from watching him throughout the regular season.
"His resume speaks for itself," Sutton said. "All he's done is gotten better over the course of the year, and it's been cool to watch his growth, watching him continue to grow and develop. … The dude has this drive in him to want to be better [and] want to get better.
"I would just say the resume of what he's done so far allows us and myself to be able to have confidence that he's going to be prepared for this game."
Tackle Garett Bolles echoed Sutton's sentiment, saying Nix carries himself like a "10-year vet."
And as Head Coach Sean Payton evaluated Nix's readiness for the moment, he pointed to Sunday's win-and-in game against the Chiefs as a similar scenario.
"He's played in a lot of big games," Payton said. "Honestly, last week for him — for many guys — was like a playoff game. He's seasoned, and he's been in big moments, and you know what? He's going to play in bigger games."
On the other side of the ball, standout cornerback Pat Surtain II also has plenty of big-game experience on which to rely.
During Surtain's career at Alabama, he played in four College Football Playoff games and won a national championship to cap his final collegiate season. Surtain said his experience in those games has provided him with a blueprint for how to prepare for the NFL playoffs, as well.
"It's pretty familiar with me, playing on big-time stages like this," Surtain said. "I think what's key is — what I've learned from 'Bama and what could translate here — is just playing our brand of football."
Over the course of the season, the Broncos battled their way to 10 wins and posted the league's third-ranked scoring defense. Against playoff-bound opponents, Denver allowed the second-fewest points and the fewest yards of any team in the NFL while also recording the most sacks per game.
As the Broncos prepare for one of the league's top offenses in Buffalo, they don't plan to alter the process that brought them to this stage.
"Understanding playing our football [and] what got us to this point, what's got us to this level — the urgency, the effort, the dedication towards film study, everything — … I feel like that's a very key component [for] this week, because obviously Buffalo's a good team."
After a highly decorated college career that also included a pair of SEC championships, Surtain will now embrace the opportunity that comes in his first postseason start.
"We've got a great opportunity in our sights," Surtain said, "and we're just going to go out there and play our brand of football."
