CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals saved their playoff hopes alive with a 30-24 overtime win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday at Paycor Stadium because the Broncos had been denied a postseason-clinching win for the second consecutive week.
Receiver Tee Higgins caught his third landing move of the sport in additional time to maintain the Bengals alive for the playoffs coming into the ultimate weekend of the season. The Broncos are nonetheless in the perfect place for the AFC’s seventh and ultimate playoff spot, as they solely want a win subsequent week over the Chiefs to qualify. But they had been denied Saturday.
Here are a very powerful issues to know from Saturday evening for each groups:
The streak retains rolling. And the Bengals are nonetheless alive.
In a playoff-like environment, Cincinnati defeated the Broncos to win its fourth straight sport and keep in postseason competition coming into Week 18.
With the win, the Bengals must win in opposition to the Steelers subsequent week and have the Colts and Dolphins every lose not less than certainly one of their final two video games. They additionally want the Broncos to lose to the Chiefs subsequent week.
Cincinnati did its half in a back-and-forth sport on Saturday evening. Higgins caught a 3-yard landing move, his third of the evening, to finish a wild sport wherein he caught 11 passes for 131 yards and three touchdowns
And the Bengals are nonetheless in playoff competition coming into Week 18 after a sport that won’t be forgotten anytime quickly.
Pivotal play: Kicker Cade York had an opportunity to win the sport in regulation and absolve a day of blunders from the workforce. However, a possible 33-yarder that will have received the sport in additional time smacked off the left upright. Instead, they wanted a late rating to get the victory.
Prediction for subsequent week: Devin Cochran will begin at proper deal with. Rookie Amarius Mims tried to play Saturday regardless of struggling a damaged hand six days in the past. Mims made the beginning however was unable to make it previous the halfway level within the second quarter. The proper hand was in a full membership, prefer it had been at observe by the week. That might make it troublesome for him to begin subsequent week in opposition to the Steelers.
QB breakdown: Joe Burrow made his justifiable share of performs in opposition to an excellent Denver entrance that sacked him seven occasions. After throwing for simply 157 yards in 2021 in opposition to the Broncos, Burrow had a a lot larger efficiency in his second profession sport in opposition to Denver. He was 39-of-49 passing for 412 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He additionally had a key 19-yard scramble on third-and-14 on a drive that ended with a landing. Burrow needed to cope with an excellent secondary and move rush and was capable of rise to the event. — Ben Baby
Next sport: at Pittsburgh Steelers (TBD, Sunday, Jan. 5)
The Broncos as soon as once more missed an try to safe their first playoff berth because the 2015 season with a fairly clunky additional time loss to the Bengals.
It accomplished a tough swing, as back-to-back losses to the Chargers and Bengals sandwiched round Christmas have left the Broncos nonetheless thirsting for that long-awaited playoff berth.
The Broncos have now used up their respiratory room — they had been 9-5 after a Dec. 15 win over the Indianapolis Colts — and will need assistance, relying how issues go the remainder of the weekend, to earn the final AFC postseason slot. Coach Sean Payton wrote “get to 10” throughout the highest of his observe sheets this previous week, referring to a tenth win to seal the playoffs, and the Broncos nonetheless aren’t there.
Most stunning efficiency: Maybe it should not be that stunning contemplating that he performs reverse All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II, however there needed to be moments Saturday evening when Riley Moss was a bit weary of all of the motion he was going through. Moss returned to the lineup after lacking three video games with a sprained proper MCL and the Bengals immediately focused receivers he was protecting. Moss had 10 tackles — his most because the season opener — halfway by the third quarter and completed with 14 total.
Troubling pattern: The Broncos have struggled enjoying complementary soccer in latest weeks, particularly when the protection might use a breather. After opening the sport with a field-goal drive, the Broncos’ different first-half possessions went punt, punt and finish of half, together with a crippling three-and-out after the Broncos’ protection had survived a 17-play Bengals drive with out permitting some extent. The Bengals scored their first landing in opposition to a still-winded Broncos protection after the three-and-out.
QB breakdown: Bo Nix has found in latest weeks how completely opposing defenses can regulate to a quarterback in-season. He’s discovered it more and more troublesome to get to the throws in the midst of the sector that he was finishing successfully to begin the season. He did not have a completion longer than 16 yards on Saturday till his 51-yard landing throw to Marvin Mims Jr. with 8:48 to play within the sport. Nix additionally threw an interception to Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt with 2:30 to play, his sixth within the final 4 video games, earlier than responding with a 25-yard game-tying landing move to Mims with eight seconds left in regulation to drive additional time. That gave Nix his third sport this season with three landing passes. — Jeff Legwold
Next sport: vs. Kansas City Chiefs (TBD, Sunday, Jan. 5)
