The Denver Broncos’ path to ending their eight-year playoff drought just got a whole lot tougher. In a thrilling Saturday night showdown with major postseason implications, the Broncos suffered a gut-wrenching 30-24 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. The defeat drops Denver to 9-7 on the season and leaves them clinging to slim playoff hopes heading into the final week.
Costly Miscues Doom Broncos
The Broncos had victory in their grasp late in the fourth quarter with the score knotted at 17-17. However, quarterback Bo Nix threw a costly interception deep in Cincinnati territory with just 2:30 left on the clock, squandering a golden opportunity to seal the win. That critical mistake opened the door for Bengals star receiver Ja’Marr Chase to make several clutch catches on the ensuing drive, setting up the go-ahead touchdown.
To their credit, the Broncos showed tremendous resiliency, responding with an improbable touchdown connection from Nix to rookie wideout Marvin Mims Jr. on 4th-and-1 with mere seconds remaining. That set the stage for a potential game-winning two-point try, but after deliberation, head coach Sean Payton elected to kick the extra point and take his chances in overtime.
Burrow, Higgins Deliver Dagger in OT
In the extra period, the Broncos caught a break when Bengals kicker Cade Ford’s 33-yard field goal attempt clanged off the left upright. But Denver’s offense sputtered with the game on the line, going three-and-out and punting it back to Cincinnati.
Given new life, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow made them pay. He led a surgical 5-play, 63-yard drive capped by a 3-yard touchdown strike to Tee Higgins to hand the Broncos the devastating defeat. The soul-crushing loss was a microcosm of Denver’s inconsistency and inability to close out games that has plagued them in an up-and-down season.
Broncos on Playoff Bubble
The harsh reality is the Broncos have squandered control of their own playoff destiny. After having three chances to clinch a postseason berth in recent weeks, they are now down to one final shot next week against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Nothing worse than playing games the last part of the season when there’s nothing at stake … (the) message doesn’t change, you’ve got to get to 10.
– Broncos coach Sean Payton on the urgency to win in Week 18
At 9-7, the Broncos find themselves in a precarious position in the jumbled AFC playoff picture. They will need a victory over the Chiefs coupled with some help to secure the conference’s 7th and final playoff spot. With the surging Bengals now holding a head-to-head tiebreaker and the Dolphins still lurking, a loss to Kansas City would leave them at the mercy of other contenders.
Despite the gloomy outlook, count on the proud Broncos to leave it all on the field in pursuit of that elusive postseason bid. With everything at stake in a do-or-die Week 18 finale, this group has one more chance to author a storybook ending to a rollercoaster campaign and exorcise the demons of the past eight playoff-less seasons. Their margin for error is razor-thin, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. Buckle up, Broncos Country – it all comes down to this!
