Mile High Roundtable: Broncos vs. Bengals | Week 15 | Predictions & Picks
The Denver Broncos are in a must-win situation from here on out — if the team wants to give itself the best possible chance of earning one of three AFC Wildcard tickets, that is.
The good news is, the Broncos are in a position where they can control most of their playoff fate. Adding to that is the fact that every remaining opponent is in that AFC playoff-picture mix, either ahead of the Broncos, or hovering right alongside them.
The bad news is, these are quality opponents — with the exception of perhaps the Las Vegas Raiders — but that bitter divisional foe has had Denver's number of late. If the Broncos take care of business, they're a near-lock to make the playoffs.
One stumble could spell doom for Denver's postseason aspirations. The 7-6 Cincinnati Bengals are coming to the Mile High City in hopes of sending the Broncos down a peg or two in the playoff seeding.
Who wins on Sunday? Let's go around the table to see what the Mile High Huddle staff foresees unfolding.
Kenneth Booker (@KennethMHH) 10-3: The Broncos enter Sunday's game with a real chance to put themselves in the driver's seat when it comes to playoff positioning. Denver welcomes the up-and-coming Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase show. I'm excited to see whether CB Patrick Surtain II can put the dominant Chase in check. Denver's offensive line will need to hold up against the sack happy Bengals as Trey Hendrickson has been on a tear with 12.5 sacks and one in nine straight games. If Denver can continue to lean on its running game, it should open up some opportunities for Teddy Bridgewater to take shots downfield. How many times Teddy can capitalize off of those opportunities will be the deciding factor in the game.
Pick: Bengals 28, Broncos 24
James Campbell (@JamesC_MHH) 8-5: It's put up or shut up time for the Broncos. Will Denver end its season on a high, or go quietly into the night? This matchup with Cincinnati will give a strong indication of where this Broncos team is headed, as the Bengals are an up-and-coming team with a good young quarterback and coach. That being said, if the Broncos dominate on the line of scrimmage and put together a physical game, they can beat the Bengals. Bridgewater will have to move the ball efficiently through the air but it will be up to the Broncos' defense to stuff the Cincinnati running game. Denver's defense must play disciplined football in the secondary and limit the big plays Cincinnati gets through the air. Do this, and the Broncos can pull out a close, hard-fought win.
Pick: Broncos 24, Bengals 21
Keith Cummings (@KeithC_NFL) 5-8: Time for the big boy pads, Broncos. By my reckoning, the playoffs come off the menu with a loss to the Bengals. Such is the handicap of pedestrian coaching; you best be good at one thing, and that thing is running the ball. Expect the predictable heavy dosages of Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams to control clock and tempo. And guess what? It works like a charm as the Broncos win the battle of style vs. stoicism, sending the Bengals packing.
Pick: Broncos 27, Bengals 21
Mike Evans (@MHHEvans) 6-7: The Broncos are facing a formidable Bengals team that is intent on fighting its way back from a two-game losing streak. In order to stay in the playoff hunt, the Broncos must keep the gifted Burrow and the Bengals' sixth-ranked offense on the sidelines. Look for the Broncos to take a shot at repeating their winning formula: play dominating defense, run the football, and leverage play-action passes on key third downs. Pay close attention to the ability of Denver's offense to handle pressure from the Bengals' aggressive front seven. It may determine the outcome of the game.
Pick: Broncos 24, Bengals 23
Thomas Hall (@ThomasHallNFL) 7-6: The final four games will all have a significant impact on the Broncos' postseason hopes but this Bengals game at home is a must-win. Denver cannot afford to lose a tie-breaker to yet another AFC North team. The Bengals are a solid opponent but are not a juggernaut. The Broncos must commit to the run all game which will give them an edge as they should match up well when the Bengals throw the ball. The Broncos' defense will get two takeaways to propel them to a win.
Pick: Broncos 24, Bengals 17
Zach Hicks (@HicksZach2) 6-7: The Broncos are in must-win mode the rest of the year if they have any hopes of making the playoffs. First up is a huge game against the playoff-set Bengals. The Broncos have the secondary to make things tough for Burrow, but it will ultimately come down to how the defense pressures the young star QB. Ultimately, the Bengals have too much star power on offense to overcome.
Pick: Bengals 34, Broncos 24
Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) 7-6: Do I want the Broncos to win this game and keep the playoffs alive? Of course. But in picking this game, I have to observe Denver's penchant for high highs and low lows in what has been a truly Jekyll and Hyde campaign. The Broncos won big last week and if the best predictor of the future is the past, that means the inevitable letdown is imminent. I can't trust this coaching staff to find a way to capture that emotional energy the Broncos displayed vs. Detroit in honor of Demaryius Thomas' passing, and channel it into this week. With both running backs banged up, the Bengals smother the Broncos' rushing attack, putting the onus on Bridgewater to carry the offense with his arm. Despite Cincy's less-than-threatening passing defense, Bridgewater is ineffectual through the air as Bengals' edge rusher Trey Hendrickson harasses and hits him all game long. Denver comes up short in a must-win game.
Pick: Bengals 23, Broncos 16
Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) 7-6: Here we find ourselves again, asked to prognosticate on the unprognosticable. The Broncos expectedly took care of the Lions but Cincinnati is a far cry from Dan Campbell's bunch. History tells us Denver will lose this game and the Bengals have the firepower to make it ugly. With playoff positioning at stake, the contest will be a close one, but I can't bring myself to bet on the Broncos. Not yet. Win this one, though, and I'm in. Until then...
Pick: Bengals 22, Broncos 20
Nick Kendell (@NickKendellMHH) 7-6: For all intents and purposes, this is a playoff game. Win, and the Broncos have a heck of a chance to earn of the AFC Wildcard sots for the playoffs. A loss essentially means the season is over. The Broncos do have a winning formula in running the football, playing good defense, and the quarterback playing turnover-free football. The Bengals have a really good run defense which could create a dilemma for the Broncos in trying to rush the ball. However, the Bengals, while possessing an explosive offense, do turn the ball over at a decent clip If Denver can get just enough out of Bridgewater and win the turnover battle, it should win this one at home.
Pick: Broncos 26, Bengals 16
Bob Morris (@BobMorrisSports) 7-6: This Broncos-Bengals game is difficult for me to predict. On one hand, Burrow is a talented quarterback; on the other, the Bengals' passing offense as a whole hasn’t been as good as people think, and furthermore, no QB has been sacked more time this season than him (41). The flip side is the Broncos may be without DL Dre’Mont Jones, a key player in the pass rush, and LB Kenny Young, who isn’t as good as people make him out to be, but still can do good things on defense. Then there’s the Bengals’ defense, which is one of the better units against the run, but while its pass defense is solid, Cincy might be without CB Chidobe Awuzie, one of its better defensive players. Finally, we come to the Broncos themselves, who have had a bad habit as of late of playing well one week, then not so well the next, regardless of who the opponent happens to be. Can the Broncos win back-to-back football games, something they haven’t done since they squeaked past Washington, then soundly beat Dallas, in Weeks 9 and 10? I’ll give the Broncos the benefit of the doubt this week — but they're running out of chances to earn back trust.
Pick: Broncos 23, Bengals 20
Luke Patterson (@LukePattersonLP) 7-6: The Bengals are on their second two-game losing streak of the season and can become the favorite to win the AFC North with a victory on Sunday. The Bengals played with a feast-or-famine mentality and either win big or lose big with hardly anything in between. Expect the Broncos' defense to play hard, but the offense can't keep up with the scoring from Cincinnati. Cincinnati has everything the Broncos want — a franchise quarterback and a young, competent head coach.
Pick: Bengals 24, Broncos 20
Lance Sanderson (@SandersonMHH) 8-5: This is the first meaningful game in December that the Broncos have played in in the better part of half a decade, and they'll have their hands full. Cincinnati has an explosive offense that can push the ball vertically with the best of them and run at will. If Denver doesn't control the ball offensively behind its surging running game, this could get ugly quickly. Back to .500.
Pick: Bengals 27, Broncos 23
Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) 7-6: The Broncos seem to have more focus than at any other point this season. Denver is striving to make the playoffs in what would be the first time for the majority of the players. The Bengals have a tough run defense, but the Broncos manage to run the ball and control the clock. Denver's passing game is minimal once again but does enough. As for the Broncos' defense, it plays a strong game and gets a couple of takeaways. Denver has found its identity on both sides of the ball at the right time and it continues its push to the playoffs.
Pick: Broncos 27, Bengals 17
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