'MNF' takeaways: Bo Nix shines as Broncos embarrass Bengals

Nix still missed some throws down the field, but showed some positive signs, even if it was against a Cincinnati team that could do nothing right. He showcased his versatility in the passing attack and on the ground and was not sacked one time, which will continue to be key as Denver looks to overcome its last two defeats by walk-off field goals.

After losing their last two games due to walk-off field goals, the Broncos did what they needed to do and returned to the win column with Nix leading the way.

The Cincinnati Bengals are a mess

After an opening drive that went 62 yards and resulted in a field goal, it appeared the Bengals might be able to hang with the Broncos. That notion was quickly proved false.

The Bengals only had 97 yards the rest of the game and never found their rhythm again. Aside from kneeling to end the first half, Cincinnati punted on each of its remaining possessions, never went more than 30 yards on any other drive and had more penalties (11) than first downs (nine).

Speaking of the penalties, Cincinnati had 11 of them for 65 yards. Six of those were on the offense and five were pre-snap penalties, which speaks to the costly mistakes that forced the Bengals to play from behind all night.

As poor as the offense was, the defense was abysmal as well, allowing 512 yards to a team that had not looked its best to begin the season. Having been outscored 76-13 in the two games without Joe Burrow, the struggle is real for the Bengals.

Courtland Sutton shines on third down

When the Broncos needed someone to rely on to move the chains, Sutton was the go-to option on Monday night. Of his five catches, four were on third down, including this 20-yard TD reception with eight seconds remaining in the opening half.

Although Sutton had been relatively quiet coming into Week 4 with 13 catches for 185 yards and two TDs, his performance under the lights against the Bengals was a reminder of his talent and what he brings to this Broncos offense.

Finally, a 100-yard rusher for the Denver Broncos

With 16 carries for 101 yards, RB J.K. Dobbins became the first 100-yard rusher for the Broncos in the last 38 games with this 16-yard run.

It wasn't just Dobbins, either, as rookie RJ Harvey went for 58 yards on a team that combined for 186 of them on the ground. A lot of the focus was on Nix, but the rushing attack of Denver was on full display and became a problem from the beginning for a struggling Cincinnati defense.