Denver Broncos 20, Cincinnati Bengals 17
The Denver Broncos clinched their 22nd payoff berth in franchise history Monday night with another thrilling victory. It took overtime to beat the Cincinnati Bengals by just three points. Once again it was a tale of two halves, but this time the Broncos started off extremely slow, finding themselves at a 14-point deficit before turning it around.
The Bengals, led by A.J. McCarron, started off with authority, holding onto the ball for 21:14 of the first half. The Broncos top-ranked defense looked unable to stop their balanced attack and couldn’t get off the field. After weeks of minimal and ineffective halftime adjustments, the Broncos finally came to life after the break.
Brock Osweiler commanded the Denver offense from mostly shotgun in the second half and placed the Bengals top-ten defense on their heels. They outscored the Bengals 17-3 in the second half and overtime to comeback in spectacular fashion. Brandon McManus made things interesting after Osweiler guided the Broncos down the field with nearly no time remaining for a 49-yard, game-winning field goal attempt. The ball sailed far left and extra time was needed on a frigid Monday night.
The Broncos had all the momentum despite the missed field goal and they won the coin flip. They used five minutes exactly to again pass their way down the field. This time, McManus nailed his third attempt, this time from 37 yards to reach a score of 20-17.
The Broncos then finished the game in familiar fashion. On just the second play of overtime the Bengals fumbled a snap and Broncos team captain DeMarcus Ware jumped on the ball for the win. It was the eighth victory (out of 11) in which they won by one score and their third overtime victory of the season. Here’s a look at the best-of-the-best from Monday’s win.
