One workforce trying to safe a spot within the AFC playoffs and one other attempting to easily keep alive meet on Saturday afternoon when the Denver Broncos go to the Cincinnati Bengals.
With a win, the Broncos (9-6) would clinch a berth within the postseason for the primary time since successful the Tremendous Bowl on the finish of the 2015 marketing campaign.
Denver was on the verge of punching its ticket to the playoffs final week however blew a 21-10 lead after giving up a free-kick subject objective on the finish of the primary half. The host Los Angeles Chargers rallied for a 34-27 win on Dec. 19, snapping Denver’s four-game successful 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 previous three video games as a result of an MCL harm. Moss was listed as a full participant throughout Tuesday’s observe. Denver coach Sean Payton mentioned Moss could possibly be obtainable in opposition to Cincinnati.
The return of Moss would give Denver a precious increase within the secondary alongside former All-Professional Pat Surtain II in opposition to Joe Burrow. The Cincinnati quarterback has thrown at the least three landing passes in seven straight video games.
“The man that performs reverse of (Surtain) goes to get plenty of enterprise. All all through coaching camp, (Moss) actually rose to the event, battled, competed, and all through … a superb portion of the season,” Payton mentioned.
Burrow entered this week main the NFL in completions (384), passing yards (4,229) and passing touchdowns (39). Final Sunday, Burrow turned the primary quarterback in league historical past with seven straight video games of at the least three landing passes and 250 yards passing.
“We have got to right it and transfer on,” Surtain mentioned of the second-half collapse in opposition to the Chargers. “We have got to complete the season the proper option to get towards our future.”
Cincinnati (7-8) has received its previous three video games and will attain .500 forward of its season finale in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Saturday marks the Bengals’ remaining house contest of the 2024 marketing campaign, which coach Zac Taylor hopes will present his workforce with a bonus in a must-win scenario.
Cincinnati should win its remaining two video games and hope the Miami Dolphins and the Indianapolis Colts every lose as soon as extra whereas Denver loses its finale in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
“We have simply acquired ourselves to a degree the place now these video games actually matter,” Taylor mentioned. “You have acquired an opportunity to give attention to this sport and never fear about anything happening round us. It is simply give attention to Denver, and we have got to place our greatest foot ahead. … We all know that is it, and so we’re relying on that crowd to indicate up (on) Saturday, be as loud as ever and make this a troublesome surroundings for a rookie quarterback and a workforce coming in right here and provides our guys the arrogance and power we have to discover us a win.”
Ja’Marr Chase heads into the ultimate two weeks of the common season on tempo for the receiving Triple Crown, as he leads the NFL in receptions (108), receiving yards (1,510) and receiving touchdowns (16). Within the backfield, Chase Brown has 1,259 yards from scrimmage this season, together with at the least 100 in every of the previous 5 video games.
Defensively, the Bengals have totaled 9 takeaways over the previous two video games.
Tight finish Tanner Hudson (knee), defensive finish Sam Hubbard (knee) and defensive deal with Sheldon Rankins (sickness) missed Tuesday’s observe for Cincinnati.
–Discipline Degree Media