Oregon duo Bo Nix, Troy Franklin ignite Denver's Wild Card appearance with big-play TD
Oregon duo Bo Nix and Troy Franklin are once again teammates, this time in the NFL for the Denver Broncos.
The duo are doing what they can to lead the Broncos to an upset win over the Buffalo Bills in the opening round of the NFL Playoffs. Just 3 minutes into the game, Nix found Franklin down the field for a 43-yard score to put the Broncos up 7-0.
It was the longest connection of the season between the duo and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
BO NIX THROWS A 43-YARD BOMB TO TROY FRANKLIN FOR A TOUCHDOWN.
Beautiful throw.
Sean Payton masterclass of a play call.
pic.twitter.com/hSU2RzLgAg— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 12, 2025
The score was just Franklin’s 3rd of the season and it was Nix’s 30th passing TD. During the regular season, Nix threw for 3,775 yards with 29 TDs and 12 INTs. Franklin, meanwhile, caught 28 passes for 263 yards and 2 TDs.
The rookie duo and former Oregon stars helped lead the Broncos to a 10-7 record and their first playoff appearance since 2015. However, the Wild Card matchup for the Broncos is against the Bills, and Buffalo is one of the toughest places to play in the winter.
After 1 quarter, the Franklin score was still the only TD of the game for either team. The Broncos scored first but Buffalo has since charged back with 10 straight points.
So far in this matchup, Nix has completed 3 of 3 passes for 64 yards and 1 TD. Franklin enters the 2nd quarter as the leading receiver for either team. If the Broncos can hang on for the upset win, it would be their first playoff win in almost a decade.