Broncos Look To Make A Huge Statement Against Bengals

The Denver Broncos have struggled through the first three weeks of the season, losing their last two games on game-winning field goals. The defense has been lackluster, and the offense has been slow to start off, but they have a favorable matchup on Monday night. The Cincinnati Bengals will be without Joe Burrow once again and are coming off an absolutely brutal loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Who will come out on top on Monday Night Football?

Broncos Need To Dominate

The Denver Broncos have gotten off to a slow start offensively. Bo Nix hasn’t looked comfortable thus far and missed multiple deep balls last week that would’ve won them the game. The bright side for Denver has been their running game, as JK Dobbins has been one of the best running backs in the entire NFL. He’s had a rushing touchdown in every game and been their most consistent player on offense. The downside has been the play calling. Sean Payton has continued to stick to his conservative approach, failing to get his top playmakers involved. There is no rhythm with this offense, and it just feels like they’re going through the motions. It seems like every week, a new player steps up, but the rest of the offense goes quiet. Sean Payton will be getting back a huge weapon this week, with Evan Engram returning from a calf injury he suffered in week 1 against the Tennessee Titans. Having Engram back should help Payton attack the middle of the field, especially going up against the Bengals defense, which is among the worst in the NFL. There is no reason for the Broncos not to dominate offensively in this game, and if they don’t, there should be serious cause for concern.

Bengals Have A Tough Matchup

The Bengals were blown out in Minnesota in an uncompetitive game from the start. Jake Browning looked awful in his first start of the season, throwing 2 interceptions. Once Cincinnati went down 7-0, they simply never stood a chance in this game. It’ll only get harder this week, going up against Patrick Surtain and a stacked secondary. Last year, PS2 held his own against Ja’Marr Chase, but Tee Higgins was able to expose Riley Moss, leading to an overtime win last season. The Bengals’ offensive line will also have a daunting task ahead of them, which is stopping Nik Bonitto and Zach Allen. Their offensive line has struggled all year, and Denver was able to wreak havoc against Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ offensive line, which is one of the stronger units. The Bengals need to get Chase Brown going if they want to stand a chance in this game. Brown has been terrible to start the season, having 47 carries for just 93 yards. It’s hard to get anything going behind their offensive line, but he has been one of the worst running backs in the entire league this season. The good news for Brown is that Denver has struggled to stop the run this year, giving up 114.7 yards per game on the ground to their opponents this season.

Key Matchups:

Matchup #1: Nik Bonitto vs. Orlando Brown Jr. Bonitto has shown why he’s worth every penny that the Broncos paid him, and has been a destructive force against every team he’s gone against this season. His ability to get off the line quickly and shoot out like a cannon is very similar to Von Miller’s style of play. Last time the Broncos played on Monday Night Football, Bonitto dominated the Cleveland Browns, and we’ll see if he can do it again against the Bengals. Matchup #2: Ja’Marr Chase vs Patrick Surtain. Despite Burrow being out, this will always be a fun matchup to watch for both sides. The Broncos’ secondary has been sharp tomorrow, because Chase and Higgins can make you pay quickly. Matchup #3: Bo Nix vs. Bengals Secondary. Can Bo finally sling it? Nix hasn’t looked great this season, but going up against the Bengals’ defense is exactly what he needed. It would be nice to see Bo have a clean game, where he’s dominating all areas of the field and finding multiple different receivers.