Two key implications for the Broncos from the Bengals’ big win in Week 16

As if the pressure to clinch an AFC wild card spot hadn’t already increased at 9-6 Denver Broncos after the 9:6 defeat Los Angeles Chargers 34-27, Sunday’s Week 16 results added even more to the overcoming. The Broncos’ opponent in Week 17 – the 7-8 Cincinnati Bengals – extended their three-game winning streak with a 24-6 home win over their AFC North division rivals Cleveland Browns.

When the Broncos take on the Bengals at Paycor Stadium on Saturday, they will take part in one of two AFC games with playoff implications on the day, while the Chargers travel to Foxboro to face the 3-11 team New England Patriots. A win against the Bengals would give the Broncos their first playoff berth since 2015, while Cincinnati must win and Denver must lose to have a shot at the postseason.

Needless to say, the playoff atmosphere will be rocking and rolling in Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon, with massive postseason implications at stake. So what did we learn from the Bengals’ dominant win against a Browns team that set franchise records when hosted by the Broncos in Week 12?

Let’s look at a few cautionary tales from a potentially dangerous Bengals team this coming weekend.

Don’t look now, but Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow appears to be peaking at the right time in the middle of Cincinnati’s playoffs. The 28-year-old former Heisman Trophy winner and Pro Bowler is arguably playing the best football of his career this season: He threw for 1,201 yards and 12 touchdowns and four interceptions in December.

Against the Browns on Sunday, Burrow boasted a 134.3 passer rating, going 22 of 30 for 252 passes and three touchdowns. He also ran twice for 19 yards with a long of 16 in the Bengals’ win over the Browns this season. “Joe-Cool” actually had to shake off four Browns sacks, although that’s hard to believe given the tough, unflappable play of the NFL’s comeback quarterback. Player of the Year 2021 wouldn’t know.

Burrow, the No. 1 overall pick by Cincinnati in 2020, connected with his former LSU teammate and Bengals leader Ja’Marr Chase six times for 97 yards and a touchdown in the team’s seventh win of the season. Additionally, the Bengals’ offense shared the wealth, as receivers Tee Higgins and Andrew Iosivas each recorded a score and over 50 yards against Cleveland.

With the odds stacked against them next Saturday, Burrow will look to lead a hungry and dangerous Bengals offense that will look to pounce on the resurgent Denver defense. On Sunday’s conference call, Broncos head coach Sean Payton said the team “hopefullyReturn No. 2 cornerback Riley Moss to the starting lineup opposite Patrick Surtain II.

Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has been without Moss since he suffered a knee injury in the win against Moss in Week 12 Las Vegas Raiders. Denver’s secondary desperately needs Moss to return.

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Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals’ eighth-year defensive end, was a one-man team as the NFL’s sack leader this season. On Sunday, the 6-foot-1, 270-pound former New Orleans Saints The third-rounder (under Payton from 2017 to 2020) recorded one sack and three tackles against the Browns, bringing his total sacks to 13.5 this season. Hendrickson has recorded at least 0.5 sacks in eight of 14 games this season.

In his fourth season with the Bengals, Hendrickson is the only defensive back with double-digit sacks this year. He also leads a beleaguered Bengals defense that is allowing more than 26 points per game with 14 tackles for a loss and five pass deflections – the most among defensive linemen.

Hendrickson will no doubt demand the full attention and paranoia of the Broncos’ offensive line during film study and practice this week. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has been sacked 22 times in 15 games this season, including twice in last Thursday’s primetime loss to the Chargers.

Denver’s O-line has allowed a total of five games without a sack this season, but has allowed 11 sacks in the last seven games. Meanwhile, Hendrickson has nearly 30 QB hits this season, is also the league’s sack leader and remains an undisputed contender for Defensive Player of the Year, with similar odds to Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto.

If the Broncos have any chance of winning against the Bengals on Saturday, they need to eliminate this red-hot pass rusher’s ability to ruin this game and figure out how to limit Burrow. If not, Denver could be in for a nightmare after Christmas.

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