Supporting Airdrieonians and the Denver Broncos isn’t a season-long emotional arc.
Sometimes it’s a single, intense 24-hour stretch that leaves you wired, tired, and wondering why you do this to yourself.
Saturday was one of those days.
Airdrie: penalties by proxy
Airdrie’s Scottish cup 4th round tie (the entrance to the exciting end of the tournament) versus Arbroath, was heading somewhere I didn’t want to miss — just as I had to get in the car.
By the time it went to penalties, I was driving home, which meant the match was relayed second-hand by my wife, repeatedly refreshing her phone and narrating each kick like an air-traffic controller. Miss. Score. Save. Repeat.
It’s a very particular kind of tension — not watching, but knowing exactly what’s happening seconds after it happens. When Airdrie finally got over the line, the relief arrived before the joy. Penalties always do that.
Not a giant-killing. Just a hard-earned win over a side slightly above us in the league. But it mattered. Cup football always does.
Denver: winning late, again
Fast-forward to the evening, and I’m back where most of my Denver support lives — the sofa.
This season, Denver have developed a habit that’s both thrilling and exhausting: winning late. Close games. Fourth-quarter swings. One-score finishes. It’s become their identity.
And once again, against Buffalo, they did it the hard way. Trailed. Scrapped. Stayed alive. Then dragged the game into overtime and found a way to win.
By the time the Broncos sealed it — at around 01:00 GMT — I was fully invested, fully awake, and fully aware that this wasn’t just another game.
Bo Nix: excitement, then the gut-punch
A huge part of why this Denver team has been watchable — genuinely exciting — is Bo Nix.
He’s not a rookie, but he feels new in the way he plays: composed, brave, mobile, and increasingly comfortable late in games. He’s been central to those comebacks all season. You trust him. That’s rare as a Broncos fan.
Which is why the moment landed so hard.
Late in overtime, on a routine run, Nix goes down. Not theatrically. Not immediately obvious. Just… wrong. He stayed on long enough to set up the winning field goal, but the damage was done: a broken ankle, season over.
Denver win their first playoff game in years - get to the AFC Championsip game (think Super Bowl semi -final) - and lose the player who made believing feel reasonable again. (To be fair, they have a great defence too, but….)
The noise around the other quarterback
Throughout all of this, the commentary kept circling Josh Allen — MVP conversations, arm strength, star power — even as turnovers and pressure told a different story on the night.
That’s not a dig at Allen. It’s just the NFL machine doing what it always does: chasing the familiar narrative, even when the game in front of it is more complicated.
Denver didn’t win because Buffalo failed a script. They won because they’ve learned how to hang around and strike late.
Where the day leaves you
So that was yesterday:
• Airdrie surviving penalties via live text updates
• Denver winning in overtime just after midnight
• Elation, relief, then a sharp dose of reality
• And eventually, silence on the sofa at 01:00 GMT
No trophies. No certainty. Just the quiet satisfaction of knowing both teams found a way — and the lingering frustration that nothing ever comes clean.
That’s supporting Airdrie and Denver.
And yes — I’d do it all again today…. (If I ever get out of bed)