Within the second of two Week 4 “Monday Evening Soccer” video games, the Denver Broncos play host to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Denver is coming off its second consecutive loss after starting the season 1-0, dropping a heartbreaking sport to the division rival Chargers final week. It was the Broncos’ second consecutive one-score loss after they blew a double-digit lead in opposition to the Colts the week earlier than.
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In its first full sport with out Joe Burrow, Cincinnati was blown off the sector by the Vikings because the Bengals dropped to 2-1 on the yr, Jake Browning and the offense regarded misplaced all through the sport in opposition to Minnesota, and can look to get again on observe in opposition to a equally powerful check within the Denver protection right here.
Can the Broncos get again to .500, or will the Bengals bounce again from final week’s loss? We’ll discover out quickly sufficient. However earlier than we break down the matchup, here is a take a look at how one can watch the sport.
The place to look at Broncos vs. Bengals dwell
- Date: Monday, Sept. 29 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
- Location: Empower Subject at Mile Excessive
- TV: ABC | Stream: Fubo (Attempt free of charge)
- Comply with: CBS Sports App
- Odds: Broncos -7.5; O/U 44.5 (by way of DraftKings Sportsbook)
When the Bengals have the ball
Cincinnati’s offense was a catastrophe final week in opposition to the Vikings, turning the ball over 5 instances and yielding two touchdowns alongside the best way. The Bengals gained solely 171 yards and totaled simply 12 first downs and 10 factors as Browning averaged 5.2 yards per try and Chase Brown was bottled up for THREE yards on his 10 carries.
Issues do not get a lot simpler for the Bengals this week, as they face some of the gifted defenses within the league on the highway in a hostile surroundings. The Broncos have in all probability underperformed their expertise stage on protection to date this season, having allowed a mixed 849 yards, 55 first downs and 52 factors to the Colts and Chargers throughout the final two weeks, however of their lone residence sport this yr they held the Titans to only 133 complete yards, they usually have pressured 4 complete turnovers thus far.
When Browning drops again to cross, he’ll doubtless discover No. 1 receiver Ja’Marr Chase getting shadow protection from reigning Defensive Participant of the 12 months Patrick Surtain II. Browning has been considerably extra prone to goal Chase (17 targets) to date this season than Tee Higgins (7), and the Broncos will doubtless wish to pressure Browning to funnel the passing sport in the other way and make him show that he can win with the No. 2 receiver quite than the No. 1.
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The Bengals offensive line may have hassle holding up in opposition to the Broncos’ cross rush, which has generated stress on 40.3% of opponent dropbacks, in keeping with Tru Media. That is the second-best mark within the league, whereas Denver’s 22.3% pressure-to-sack ratio ranks fifth. Browning was dropped 3 times in opposition to the Vikings final weekend, and faces a cross rush that’s simply as harmful on Monday evening.
Cincinnati’s dashing “assault” has been abysmal to date this season, with the Bengals averaging a putrid 2.4 yards per carry that unsurprisingly ranks lifeless final within the NFL. Brown has discovered precisely zero room to run both earlier than or after reaching the road of scrimmage. He is equally prone to discover little operating room in opposition to the Broncos, who’ve allowed simply 0.63 yards earlier than contact per carry, the fourth-best mark within the NFL, per TruMedia.
Put all this collectively and you’ll see the way it’s laborious to ascertain the Bengals offense getting a lot of something moving into what’s a really powerful spot — a minimum of until Browning has a throwback efficiency to what he did throughout Joe Burrow’s 2023 absence.
NFL Week 4 grades: Giants earn an ‘A’ for large upset over Chargers, Ravens fail out for blowout loss to Chiefs
John Breech
When the Broncos have the ball
Denver’s offense has been a to-date disappointment, with Bo Nix not taking the step ahead that many anticipated from him to start his sophomore season. Nix is averaging simply 5.6 yards per try with 5 touchdowns in opposition to three interceptions, and he ranks twenty second in anticipated factors added per dropback and thirtieth in passing success price, in keeping with TruMedia. That is although he is been pressured on the fourth-lowest price within the NFL to start out the season.
He has a chance to get untracked right here, although, in opposition to a protection that had allowed strong passing-game performances to the Browns and Jaguars earlier than probably not being examined by the Vikings as a result of Minnesota stored racking up defensive scores. Cincinnati has weaknesses at each stage of the protection, and does not actually have anybody able to coping with Courtland Sutton on the perimeter — even with Cam Taylor-Britt getting again within the lineup and having no harm designation for the sport after lacking Week 3 and being restricted in early-week practices.
Denver’s run sport has been environment friendly total (5.2 yards per carry), however that is principally the results of large performs because the Broncos are solely thirtieth in dashing success price, per TruMedia. J.Ok. Dobbins and RJ Harvey have every ripped off a pair lengthy runs however Sean Payton would certainly prefer to see his group be extra constant on the bottom. They need to have an opportunity to get going right here in opposition to a gentle opponent.
The Bengals held the Browns’ Quinshon Judkins-less operating sport in examine again in Week 1 (49 yards) however have gotten clocked on the bottom in every of the final two weeks, permitting 139 yards to the Jaguars and 169 to the Vikings. Cincinnati has yielded 1.66 yards earlier than contact per rush to date, a bottom-10 mark within the league thus far. And that is together with the Week 1 sport. During the last two weeks, the Bengals have been at an unbelievable 2.24 yards earlier than contact per carry, which is an abysmal mark.
Given the matchup, it will be comparatively worrisome if the Broncos’ offense cannot get issues off the bottom this week. That stated, between Payton’s design and the relative weaknesses of Cincinnati’s protection, that should not be an issue right here.
Bengals vs. Broncos prediction, choose
The mix of the Broncos protection and Cincinnati offensive line points level us towards this being a Broncos win. Throw in Denver’s home-field benefit and it is laborious to see the Bengals holding all of it that shut. We’ll take the Broncos, minus the unfold.
Decide: Broncos 24, Bengals 13 | Broncos -7.5, Over 44.5
