The Cincinnati Bengals fought their way back into the win column on Sunday, as they defeated the Denver Broncos 15-10. This snapped a two-game losing streak for Cincy, which improved to 8-6 to keep pace in the jumbled playoff picture. As for the Broncos, this loss dropped them to 7-7, and put them a bit more behind the eight ball in the competition for picking up a wild card spot.
This was a defensive matchup through the first two quarters, as the two clubs recorded nine total points and nine punts in the first half. Things opened up in the third quarter, as the offenses scored 16 of the 25 total points. Teddy Bridgewater completed 12 of 22 passes for 98 yards, but was carted off the field after taking a scary hit in the third quarter. The Broncos announced that Bridgewater has movement in all extremities and was taken via ambulance to a local hospital as a precaution. Drew Lock replaced him under center, and while he threw a touchdown to grab the lead briefly in the third quarter, he also had a costly fumble in the red zone.
Joe Burrow had a very quiet day, as he completed 15 of 22 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown. Joe Mixon was on and off the field in the final quarter due to injury, but he was bottled up all game. He rushed 17 times for 58 yards. That’s an average of 3.4 yards per carry. Lock had a chance to orchestrate a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter, but Cincy’s defense stood tall to secure the win.
Check back soon, as this article will be turned into a takeaways piece which dives more deeply into what happened in Denver on Sunday.