Mile High Report
The Denver Broncos got themselves back to .500 on Monday night, ending a two game skid where they lost in walk-off fashion in both. While the Cincinnati Bengals are reeling without Joe Burrow and being exposed badly since he went down, the Broncos winning this game was by no means assured heading in. Denver had its own demons to slay.
And slay they did. After giving up a field goal on the opening drive, the defense completely shut down and shut out the Bengals for the rest of the game. Meanwhile, the Broncos ran up the yardage and the scoreboard on offense to come away with a convincing 28-3 win on prime time.
Here is what we learned from this Week 4 victory:
One common critique Broncos Country has had relative to Head Coach Sean Payton during his tenure with the Broncos is a lack of a consistent running game. Last night, fans finally got to witness a dominating rushing attack by the offense. Sure, it may have been against a low-tier opponent, but nearly 200-yards rushing is still impressive. Whether it was using J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, or even some receivers and fullbacks, the Broncos were able to dictate the pace of the game and wear down the Bengals. It’s not reasonable to expect this sort of dominant performance consistently, but there is no doubt a great running game helps take pressure off both Bo Nix and the defense. Complimentary football rules! – Chris Hart
How many times has Denver walked into a game they SHOULD win and instead play down to the opponent and make pedestrian defense look all world or be a get right game for bad offenses.
The Broncos looked like a playoff team whipping up on a non-playoff team. Which is super encouraging given the team’s record. After this game it helps you look at the 1-2 start differently. Dropping two really close games to hot opponents stings, but looks a lot better when you consider this team could be 4-0 if two moments go a different way.
This isn’t college, it’s the NFL. No game is a gimme, but it’s sure nice to see Denver finally make a team (regardless of how bad Cincinnati ends up) look completely outmatched. And that’s even with losing the turnover and penalty battle. – Jeff Essary
For the first time this season the Broncos played that all-important brand of football that every team looks for. The offense complemented the defense and vice versa. Oh, and special teams finally got right. Was it perfect? Was it against a Super Bowl favorite? No. But it’s about repetition and growing. Denver finally has a game where it played complementary football and it can build on that type of showing. And if they’re like me with cake, they’ll want more of that sweet feeling. *– Ian...
