The Buffalo Bills will be on the run with former Georgia star James Cook playing a pivotal role in Denver on Saturday.

At least, that’s the hope for Buffalo in its 4:30 p.m. game at Empower Field at Mile High, as an effective run game will likely be needed to keep Josh Allen upright and effective at quarterback.

The Broncos (14-3) are a 1.5-point favorite to win what will be their first home playoff game since hosting the 2015 AFC Championship Game en route to winning Super Bowl LX.

Buffalo eliminated Denver from last year’s playoffs with a 31-7 win at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, in the Wild Card round.

“We know we’re obviously a different team than we were last year and so are they,” Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady said.

“As long as we can stay two-dimensional, we’re going to be at our best.”

That’s where Cook, the NFL’s regular-season rushing champ and Buffalo’s greatest skill position asset, will need to come into play.

Cook had 23 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown in the teams’ last meeting and will be aiming for those sorts of numbers again as Brady noted the need for balance.

Allen has been sacked a career-high 40 times this season, and he’ll be facing a Denver defense that leads the NFL with 68 sacks — 11 more than any other team.

Cook is coming off a relatively quiet rushing performance in Buffalo’s 27-24 win at Jacksonville last Sunday in the NFL Wild Card Round of the playoffs.

Cook had 15 carries for 46 yards and two catches for 5 yards as the Bills scored their first playoff road win since the 1992 AFC Championship Game.

Buffalo leads the NFL with 2,714 rushing yards this season, with Cook accounting for more than half of them.

Denver, however, has the second-best rush defense in the NFL in yards allowed per game (91) and is third in the league allowing 3.9 yards per carry.

Buffalo’s need for rushing success is underscored by an uncharacteristically high number of injuries at the receiver position, with Gabe Davis and Tyrell Shavers suffering season-ending torn ACL injuries in the win over the Jaguars.

“It’s not an ideal situation, but I trust that room completely,” Allen said this week. “This week is going to be very important throughout the practices we have with timing …. Guys have to step up and make plays, but again, I have full confidence in that room.”

Denver coach Sean Payton noted how Buffalo’s most successful performances have come when the offense is balanced.

“They are a number of things they do well together,” Payton said. “Early down efficiency is going to be really important.”

The Bills will be looking for Cook to find those early down yards to stay on schedule with down-and-distance and set up Allen for passing success.

“All (Cook) has done is just showed up to work,” Brady said of Cook, “and absolutely put on an incredible performance this year.”

Buffalo’s playoff future could be riding on Cook coming up with yet another strong performance on Saturday.

San Francisco plays at Seattle in the 8 p.m. NFL playoff game on Saturday, with former Georgia linebacker Robert Beal Jr. the Bulldogs’ sole representative in the contest.