When the Denver Broncos – Cincinnati Bengals game kicks off on Saturday afternoon, it will be the game of the day.
As part of the Christmas celebration, the NFL is putting football games on five of six days, with today being the only one without. On Christmas Day, the Chiefs knocked off the Steelers to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Then, the Ravens blew out the Texans during the Beyonce Bowl.
Denver was flexed to Saturday against the Bengals due to the playoff implications and the Broncos being an exciting, young team. And there are three games on Saturday, with the Broncos being part of the best matchup.
Denver Broncos – Cincinnati Bengals is Saturday’s marquee matchup
NFL Saturday features three games to keep football fans on the couch and in relaxed bliss.
First up, is the LA Chargers (9-6) vs. the New England Patriots (3-12) at 11 a.m. MT. Broncos fans know how well the Chargers can play when they’re on top of their game. LA outscored Denver 21-3 in the second half of that Thursday night game last week, and they should blow out the Patriots tomorrow.
Then, the Denver Broncos – Cincinnati Bengals marquee matchup at 2:30 p.m. MT on ABC in Colorado. The Broncos (9-6) are officially at “win and you’re in” status for the NFL playoffs. Despite the Bengals (7-8) worse record, it won’t be an easy game for Denver because Cincy is in desperation mode. They need to win to keep their season alive.
Finally, the Arizona Cardinals (7-8) versus the LA Rams (9-6) at 6:10 MT on CBS is the nightcap. But, the Cards have been eliminated and the Rams are the team who must win to make it in. And the Rams are the third-hottest team in the NFL, with a four-game win streak going into Saturday’s game. LA should win relatively easily, even if the Cardinals did blow them out 41-10 in September.
Again, making the Denver Broncos – Cincinnati Bengals contest the game of the day.
Bo Nix, Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Patrick Surtain; stars to shine bright in Cincy
The NFL is delighted because Bo Nix has surpassed expectations in his rookie season and is already becoming a star. The league is highlighting the Nix vs. Joe Burrow matchup in their promotion of the Broncos – Bengals game.
Nix has been somewhat inconsistent, but that was to be expected. On the season, he’s thrown for 3,235 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with another 352 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns.
But of those 11 interceptions, five of them have come in the last three games. Ironically, those picks came against the Browns and Colts–each games the Broncos won–while he played turnover-free football against the Chargers and the team lost.
Denver’s defense was electric in the Browns and Colts wins, while they were only so-so against LA in the loss.
Meanwhile, Burrow is leading the NFL in passing yards (4,229), touchdowns (39) and has only thrown 8 interceptions on the year. He’s been on an absolute tear lately, throwing for 3-plus touchdowns in seven straight games.
So, it should come as no surprise that Ja’Marr Chase leads the NFL in yards (1,510) and touchdowns scored (16), too. He’s been Burrow’s No. 1 man since their days in college at LSU together and that’s carried over into the NFL.
Chase will find a matchup against Patrick Surtain. He’s the NFL’s best cornerback and NFL Defensive Player of the Year nominee–sometimes, but it’s unlikely Surtain will follow him around the field. Other times, Riley Moss will be tasked with chasing Chase around the potentially rainy field in Cincinnati. Moss will be back in action this week after missing the last three games. That will certainly give Denver’s defense a boost.
The Broncos defense has been one of the league’s best this year. They allow only 18.7 points per game, which is fourth. They’re also really stout against the run and are second-best in red zone scoring percentage (45.2%).
Zach Allen has been phenomenal on the inside of the line. He has a stellar get-off and is constantly in the opponents’ backfield making tackles for a loss, sacks, or QB hits. Nik Bonitto leads the team in sacks with 11.5 and Denver is second in the league in sacks with 51.0.
So, when the Bengals have the ball, it will be strength vs. strength. Cincy has one of the most potent offenses in the league today, especially in the pass game. Meanwhile, they are one of the worst rushing teams in the NFL.
Defensively, the Bengals are in the bottom-quarter of the league, while the Broncos are in the middle of the pack.
So, like most games this year, Denver needs their defense to come up with some stops, and possibly a turnover for a score on Saturday. That’s because they can’t rely on Nix and the offense to go score-for-score with elite Burrow and Chase.
