By 4wbol 
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw a three-yard walk-off touchdown to Tee Higgins to give them an overtime win against Denver that kept their playoff hopes alive. Higgins led Cincinnati with 11 catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns.
As one of the greatest threats facing Denver’s defense, he will need to show great skill against their disciplined coverage.
| Player | Team | Passing Yards | Passing TDs | INTs | Rushing Yards | Rushing TDs | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving TDs | Defensive Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | CIN | 412 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Bo Nix | DEN | 219 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Jaleel McLaughlin | DEN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Chase Brown | CIN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Tee Higgins | CIN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 131 | 3 | – |
| Marvin Mims Jr. | DEN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 103 | 2 | – |
| Ja’Marr Chase | CIN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 102 | 0 | – |
| Zach Allen | DEN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 sacks, 7 tackles |
Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow is in line for an MVP-caliber season, leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns. But his performance against a Broncos defense that ranks fifth-best in scoring will ultimately determine whether or not his Bengals make it to the playoffs.
Burrow has dramatically improved since his rookie season as starting quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals, despite facing a poor offensive line and making clutch plays to reach high numbers and score big points. On Monday against Denver he will encounter one of the top scoring defenses since Week 8, hoping that this Denver squad can continue his streak of success.
The Bengals have had great success against Denver in the past, and this game could be their opportunity to extend their winning streak against them to eight. While their running game and defense have been strong this season, they must improve their pass rush if they want a chance at victory in this contest.
On their second drive of the game, the Bengals drive into Denver territory looking to take an early lead. A couple of fourth down stops allow Cade York to kick a 33-yard field goal and give their opponents the momentum for further drives forward.
After an unsuccessful short punt by the Broncos, Bengals quarterback Ja’Marr Chase drops an important third down pass resulting in punting again by their opponents. Bengals fans may have had hope they might score on this drive before Ja’Marr dropped it, forcing Bengals punter Tim Tebow back out onto the field again to punt.
The Bengals began their second drive of the game with an effective run from Brown up the middle and are quickly able to move downfield, setting themselves up with 1st and 10 at DEN 21. A throw by Burrow was dropped by Gesicki on its out route left side, forcing them to punt again.
Higgins makes an impressive catch to score a touchdown for his side – one of only two touchdowns scored by either team during this opening half.
Ja’Marr Chase
Ja’Marr Chase has emerged as one of the stars of this season and could lead the Bengals into the postseason. He has been an important component in Cincinnati’s offense and led all NFL receivers with receiving yards through Week 16.
With Joe Burrow leading the league in passing yards this year, Denver Broncos have significantly outshone last season. Their defense has proven capable of stopping Bengals running game, while struggling to stop pass-catching threats such as Ja’Marr Chase.
Chase has enjoyed four outstanding years as a member of the NFL, setting multiple team records in terms of receptions and receiving yards while also appearing twice at Pro Bowl.
The Broncos have won three games against the Bengals and now lead comfortably in the AFC West, setting up Sunday’s contest as being key for both teams’ playoff hopes; for the Bengals to qualify they need both an upset win over Denver and loss or tie by Miami Dolphins on November 11th (meaning either team winning).
After an uneven start to their season, the Broncos have rebounded with an impressive six-game winning streak. Led by rookie quarterback Bo Nix’s contributions – who completed 68 passes for 1,500 yards this year while leading Ja’Marr Chase as their star receiver – their momentum has skyrocketed.
Nix struck first when he connected with Chase for an early 6-0 advantage. The second quarter went scoreless until Nix found Marvin Mims for a 6-yard score that put Denver up 13-0.
The Bengals came back out for a fourth quarter comeback attempt and drove downfield, setting themselves up to score. Unfortunately, Tee Higgins fumbled, which was recovered by Germaine Pruitt before time ran out on them to secure victory for Denver.
The Bengals found themselves without a rushing touchdown for the first time this season and were unable to capitalize on several opportunities late in the fourth quarter. Furthermore, they missed two field goals and had several punts blocked; yet, somehow managed to pull off an unexpected victory by one point and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Mike Gesicki
Mike Gesicki has quickly established himself in Cincinnati’s pass-catching corps and formed a great rapport with Joe Burrow. According to multiple reports, Gesicki will return for more years on a multi-year deal that may pay him upwards of $25.5 million annually.
This season has seen impressive performances by both offense and defense; offense being exceptional while defense has improved tremendously with run game defense and pressure packages; yet neither side have fully capitalized on these talents in winning games; a loss this weekend would all but seal their fate from making playoffs.
This matchup promises to be exciting as both teams feature powerful running backs and strong pass-catching threats. However, the Bengals may have an edge due to being at home and possessing a quarterback with better statistics against Denver than Denver does.
At the same time, it should be kept in mind that the Bengals have struggled mightily this season to score touchdowns; this poses a huge problem given they rely heavily on scoring touchdowns to advance to playoffs.
On the other side of things, Denver Broncos are coming off an upset loss against San Diego Chargers and have much at stake in this matchup – winning would give them a top-10 finish and could end their long active playoff drought.
First half was a defensive battle, with neither team managing to gain much traction on offense. Second half saw Bengals seizing possession and threatening to score but being denied due to some costly sacks by defense.
On the other side of things, the Broncos were able to move the ball up the field quickly with short drives, reaching the red zone but failing to score on any potential touchdown plays. Finally, Bengals defense was able to hold off any late attempts by Broncos to secure victory – later celebrating by wrapping their arms around each other and hugging.
Tee Higgins
At a game where both sides had opportunities to win, the Bengals capitalized on some errors by the Broncos to grab an important victory and move their record up to 4-4 and win AFC North. Furthermore, their home win over Denver marked seven straight against them since Ja’Marr Chase returned following four consecutive matches due to injury.
Higgins scored his eighth touchdown this season – surpassing his previous career high of seven – while becoming the second-highest receiver touchdown scorer in the league with this two-yard strike from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
On their next Bengals possession, as they drove towards the red zone, a bobbled snap landed in the endzone and was recovered by safety Mike Adams to prevent a Denver touchdown; however, Mike Nugent blocked its kickoff; later in that play Bo Nix threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims for an equalizing score.
Cincinnati took control of the fourth-quarter score when their offense resumed its quick drive, hoping to convert on third down with Higgins along the left sideline, but their pass fell incomplete; ultimately settling for a field goal as their goal.
After exchanging punts and missing a field goal, the Bengals received possession with 2:20 remaining in overtime. Following another drive into the red zone on three plays from Burrow, Higgins scored easily from three yards out.
Higgins will become a free agent this offseason and is represented by NFL agent Rocky Arceneaux, who also represents teammate Ja’Marr Chase who’s set to sign a long-term contract extension with the Bengals this offseason. Higgins’ performance this season and impending free agency make him attractive options for many teams looking for players that could help improve their rosters.