ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — For weeks, Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has been confident that a long connection with receiver Troy Franklin, his college teammate at Oregon, would be made.

It happened on the fifth play of the Broncos’ first playoff game since the franchise’s Super Bowl 50 win to close out the 2015 season. On a second-and-4 from the Bills’ 43-yard line, Nix hit Franklin for a 43-yard touchdown.

The rookie-to-rookie score was Franklin’s longest reception of the season and only his third touchdown of the season. It gave the Broncos an early 7-0 lead in the AFC wild-card game at Highmark Stadium.

Nix was 2-of-2 for 62 yards on the Broncos’ opening drive.

T AS IN TOUCHDOWN.

📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/1UZYcSS7aZ

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) January 12, 2025