Bengals Offense Has to Improve in One Key Area to Beat Broncos on Monday Night Football

DENVER — The Bengals play the Broncos on Monday night with the hope of improving to 3-1 on the season for the first time since 2021.

They need running back Chase Brown to have his best game of the season if they're going to accomplish that goal.

Cincinnati's run game has struggled in the first three weeks of the season. They need to get their ground attack going on Monday night.

"It's huge," Bengals quarterback Jake Browning said when asked about the importance of the rushing attack. "The more we can not be one dimensional and the more we can run the ball and have efficient gains in the run game will be really helpful. Just the way the running back gets touches kind of takes some stuff off the quarterback's plate and giving me a couple of breather plays where I'm just handing the ball off and it went for 10 yards. We threw him a swing screen, went for eight. Just plays like that where I can have some pass attempts on second and short or first downs will be big in staying out of second and long, third and long. If you live in that against any team, Denver included, it's gonna be a tough battle."

Brown has rushed for 96 yards total in three games, averaging just 2.0 yards-per-carry. The Broncos have allowed 344 rushing yards in three games at 4.2 yards-per-carry. Brown averaged 4.3 yards-per-carry last season, compiling 990 yards in 16 games (10 starts). He also became a big part of the passing game, finishing with 54 catches for 360 yards.

A lot of confidence. He's always been super explosive," Browning said. "You can just tell he's got confidence in catching the ball, protections, putting his foot in the ground and being decisive. He's one of the better players on our offense."

The Bengals need to get Brown going on Monday night if they're going to beat the Broncos.