Josh Allen has another opportunity to win his first-ever Super Bowl this year, and he’s surely playing like he wants it more than anything else in the world. Denver Broncos’ defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is aware of how much the Bills quarterback can hurt his defense, but he also knows this is a challenge his team needs to overcome if they want to make a real run.

“He’s a special player, obviously. It’s certain guys in this league that can take over games, and he’s one of those guys,” Joseph said. “But we knew to win a championship here, it was going to go through Patrick (Mahomes) and Lamar (Jackson) and Josh and Joe Burrow. I mean, that’s the AFC side, unfortunately. That’s where we live. So, we knew we gotta face one of those guys eventually.”

Joseph knows exactly who he’s going up against, and the Broncos’ defense will be focused on limiting Allen. A year ago, the QB completed 20 of 26 passes, with 272 yards and two scores against Denver.

“So, watching Pittsburgh and Baltimore last week, I was cheering for Pittsburgh. Because I knew that Lamar can wreck your dreams and so can Josh, So. that’s part of it, you know, if you’re going to win the AFC side, it’s going through those four guys, and it’s our turn,” the Broncos’ DC added.

The divisional matchup this week between the Broncos and the Bills, may be on it’s way to becoming a classic. Denver has already knocked off Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs and Joe Burrow’s Bengals this season, though neither of those teams ended up in the playoffs. They never had to see Lamar Jackson, who also didn’t make it.

And with Josh Allen lined up next in the matchup, hungrier than ever to win his first Super Bowl, the Bills have the momentum on their side after winning their first road playoff game since 1993 by taking down Jacksonville. The Jaguars came in hot, riding an eight-game winning streak and holding the AFC South crown. It didn’t matter when Josh Allen took over.

Allen clutched up late in the game. He went 28-of-35 for 273 yards and a touchdown, then added 33 yards and two more scores on the ground. No quarterback had ever completed at least 80 percent of his passes while also running for multiple touchdowns in a playoff game.

The second half stayed tight, with both teams trading punches and scoring 17 points apiece. But with just over a minute left, Allen kept the ball himself and powered into the end zone for the go-ahead score. Moments later, Buffalo picked off Trevor Lawrence to put it away. Joseph isn’t wrong; he can take over games.

Sure, the Broncos have the best red-zone defense in the league and one of the best overall defenses, if not the best. But keeping Josh Allen in control is a task like no other. Well, his injury might change that a little.

Josh Allen’s critical injury update

Josh Allen came out of the wild-card win over Jacksonville already dealing with a foot issue, then added a couple more bumps along the way. He banged a finger and tweaked his knee during the game, putting his status for the Broncos game in the air.

The Bills gave him Tuesday off, listing him as a non-participant during what was essentially a walkthrough. And by Wednesday, there was finally a little clarity. Allen was back on the field and listed as a full participant on the injury report.

Buffalo still has one more practice on Thursday, and that’ll be worth watching. But at this point, short of something unexpected popping up, Allen is playing Saturday. Whether he’s at 100 percent is another question. But he’s going to be out there.

And if you’re looking for reasons for optimism, Allen’s history against Denver helps. When the Bills saw the Broncos in last year’s wild-card round, Allen was in complete control. He completed 20 of 26 passes for 272 yards, threw two touchdowns, posted a 135.5 passer rating, and Buffalo cruised to a 31–7 win. This time around won’t be that simple, of course.

Denver’s defense is much better than it was a year ago, and Buffalo isn’t coming in with the same division title confidence either, having lost the AFC East to New England for the first time in five seasons. Still, Allen remains the constant.

He’s thrown for 3,668 yards and 25 touchdowns this season, and over his last seven playoff games, he’s accounted for 19 touchdown passes with just one interception. Banged up or not, Allen is still playing his brand of football. His ability to stress defenses with both his arm and his legs is what makes this matchup so intriguing.