Troy Franklin saw the coverage he hoped for and pushed the throttle wide open.

He accelerated with a smoothness that undersold what came next. The wide receiver split Buffalo corner Rasul Douglas to the outside and Taylor Rapp to the inside and glided past both veteran defenders.

Bo Nix dropped a perfect pass over his right shoulder. Touchdown.

Not for the Oregon Ducks, mind you. For the Denver Broncos. In the NFL playoffs. On the road against the No. 2-seeded Buffalo Bills.

The opening-drive lightning bolt gave the underdog Broncos a first-quarter lead and a shot of adrenaline back in January.

When Franklin first hauled in the 43-yard score, he had one simple thought.

“I thought we were about to go stupid and win the game,” Franklin told The Denver Post recently.

What followed prov

See Full Page