Broncos had chances but couldn’t capitalize in loss to Bengals

The Denver Broncos fall to 9-7 and need a win in Week 18 to get into the playoffs after a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Denver Broncos have needed one win to get into the playoffs for two weeks now and for two weeks now they have lost close road games. The loss keeps the Cincinnati Bengals season alive heading into the final week. Denver now has to beat the Kansas City Chiefs at home to get in or hope the Bengals lose.

Not an ideal outcome, but the Broncos have had more than enough chances to win each of their last two games and have mostly been beating themselves in key moments. As disappointing as that is, the season has still been wildly successful so far.

First Quarter

The Broncos opened up with a strong commitment to the run game. While Javonte Williams seemed to be having his snap counts reduced in this one, both Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime were heavily featured early with the first drive resulting in a Wil Lutz field goal.

Nik Bonitto and the Broncos defense came up big on the Bengals first possession with a fourth down stop with Cincinnati in field goal range. On the ensuing Broncos drive, they had more solid runs but had to punt it away after a Quinn Meinerz false start penalty set them back.

Broncos 3, Bengals 0. Read full first quarter recap.

Second Quarter

The Bengals ate up half the quarter on a very long drive that got as close as the one yard line, but the Denver defense feasted from there. Cincinnati tried to go for it on fourth and goal, but Jonathon Cooper chased Burrow down for the defenses second fourth down stand in the first half.

Denver had been somewhat lucky up until then by holding the Bengals to zero points despite allowing them into scoring range on every day. That dam finally broke with less than two minutes to go in the half when Burrow his Tee Higgins on a quick slant for a touchdown to put Cincinnati up for the first time.

On their ensuing drive, the Broncos looked like they might get a field goal out of it. Then, of course, back-to-back sacks taken by Bo Nix that gave off severe 2022-23 Russell Wilson vibes. Pretty sure that drive made a lot of us fans feel like the second half was going to be rough…

Bengals 7, Broncos 3. Read full second quarter recap.

Third Quarter

Denver was in danger of going down two scores with the Bengals dinking and dunking down the field. They had multiple opportunities to get it into the end zone after a critical penalty on a third down sack gave Burrow and the Bengals a fresh set of downs. Instead, the Broncos defense stuffed them again and they could only come away with a field goal.

Bo Nix and the Broncos offense needed to wake up, though, and wake up they did behind the legs of Jaleel McLaughlin who had multiple double-digit runs on their next drive. Nix would cap it off with a nice throw to Courtland Sutton in the end zone to tie the game up to cap a 12-play, 70 yard drive.

The Bengals ended the third quarter driving across midfield converting a third and 13 on an unlikely 19 yard scramble into field goal range.

Broncos 10, Bengals 10. Read full third quarter recap.

Fourth Quarter

The decision of the game seemed to come early in the fourth quarter when the Broncos defense finally got a third down stop where it seemed like the Bengals should kick the field goal for the lead, but instead they went for it again on fourth and three despite being 0/2 in the game on fourth downs. Two plays later, Burrow hit Tee Higgins in the back corner of the end zone for the touchdown to put Cincinnati up 17-10.

The Broncos came out running the ball well on their next drive, but from their own 49-yard line Bo Nix then launched a deep ball into the end zone to a wide open Marvin Mims for the biggest play of the game for Denver to tie things right back up.

Denver’s defense came out on the Bengals next drive with a first down sack by Zach Allen. Allen had 2.5 sacks, 4 quarterback hits, and two tackles for a loss in the game up to that point. Burrow would pick up a first down on an incredibly accurate throw between two defenders on third and long, though.

A few plays later, the Bengals looked like they just converted another third down at midfield but Pat Surtain stripped the ball from Higgins at the Broncos 40 yard line. The refs ruled it an incomplete pass, but Sean Payton challenged and won for the game’s first turnover.

It looked like the Broncos would go a quick three and out, but a nifty run on third down by Bo Nix who extended the ball past midfield for the first down. Unfortunately, they’d get themselves into a third and 15 and Nix had his arm hit as he threw and the pass was intercepted.

One play later, a wide open Chase takes a Burrow pass down to the Broncos 20 yard line to bring the game to the two minute warning. The Bengals ran the clock down after Denver’s defense put Cody Barton and P.J. Locke on Chase on third down.

Burrow would score on the drive and that looked like that, except Bo Nix wasn’t done. With time expiring, he made this insane throw to Marvin Mims for the touchdown.

Broncos 24, Bengals 24.

Overtime

The Bengals looked like they were starting to get a drive going, but yet another Zach Allen sack put them into a third and 14. Burrow would get sacked again on the next play and the Broncos defense would force their first punt of the game.

Denver would quickly find themselves in a third and six from their own 14 yard line where Bo Nix would just overthrow Troy Franklin deep who was wide open. A poor punt set the Bengals up near midfield and it wouldn’t take long for them to get into field goal range to put this game away officially.

But because this is the NFL, the chip shot field goal for the win would doink off the uprights to give the Broncos the ball back with under three minutes left.

Needing a first down to secure a likely playoff berth, the Broncos go three and out giving the Bengals one more chance to win it. It seems to be a pattern this season whenever the defense or special teams comes up with a big turnover or stop, the Broncos offense seems allergic to capitalizing.

Bengals 30, Broncos 24.