One team looking to secure a spot in the AFC playoffs and another trying to simply stay alive meet on Saturday afternoon when the Denver Broncos visit the Cincinnati Bengals.
With a win, the Broncos (9-6) would clinch a berth in the postseason for the first time since winning the Super Bowl at the end of the 2015 campaign.
Denver was on the verge of punching its ticket to the playoffs last week but blew a 21-10 lead after giving up a free-kick field goal at the end of the first half. The host Los Angeles Chargers rallied for a 34-27 win on Dec. 19, snapping Denver’s four-game winning streak, even with Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix going 29-for-40 passing for 263 yards and two touchdowns.
The Broncos are anticipating the return of cornerback Riley Moss, who has missed the past three games due to an MCL injury. Moss was listed as a full participant during Tuesday’s practice. Denver coach Sean Payton said Moss could be available against Cincinnati.
The return of Moss would give Denver a valuable boost in the secondary alongside former All-Pro Pat Surtain II against Joe Burrow. The Cincinnati quarterback has thrown at least three touchdown passes in seven straight games.
“The guy that plays opposite of (Surtain) is going to get a lot of business. All throughout training camp, (Moss) really rose to the occasion, battled, competed, and throughout … a good portion of the season,” Payton said.
Burrow entered this week leading the NFL in completions (384), passing yards (4,229) and passing touchdowns (39). Last Sunday, Burrow became the first quarterback in league history with seven straight games of at least three touchdown passes and 250 yards passing.
“We’ve got to correct it and move on,” Surtain said of the second-half collapse against the Chargers. “We’ve got to finish the season the right way to get toward our destiny.”
Cincinnati (7-8) has won its past three games and could reach .500 ahead of its season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Saturday marks the Bengals’ final home contest of the 2024 campaign, which coach Zac Taylor hopes will provide his team with an advantage in a must-win situation.
Cincinnati must win its final two games and hope the Miami Dolphins and the Indianapolis Colts each lose once more while Denver loses its finale against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“We’ve just got ourselves to a point where now these games really matter,” Taylor said. “You’ve got a chance to focus on this game and not worry about anything else going on around us. It’s just focus on Denver, and we’ve got to put our best foot forward. … We know this is it, and so we’re counting on that crowd to show up (on) Saturday, be as loud as ever and make this a tough environment for a rookie quarterback and a team coming in here and give our guys the confidence and energy we need to find us a win.”
Ja’Marr Chase heads into the final two weeks of the regular season on pace for the receiving Triple Crown, as he leads the NFL in receptions (108), receiving yards (1,510) and receiving touchdowns (16). In the backfield, Chase Brown has 1,259 yards from scrimmage this season, including at least 100 in each of the past five games.
Defensively, the Bengals have totaled nine takeaways over the past two games.
Tight end Tanner Hudson (knee), defensive end Sam Hubbard (knee) and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (illness) missed Tuesday’s practice for Cincinnati.
