3. They won despite the run game
If I had told you prior to the game that the Bengals would rush for 143 yards, while holding the Broncos to just 52, would you have liked our chances?
Right from the opening drive it seemed like Cincinnati was going to chew up the Denver defense with a potent ground game. But after that first drive, the Denver defense stiffened, and held Bengal runners to just 81 yards through the final 3.5 quarters.
And while Andy Dalton came into the game leading the NFL by averaging over 350 yards per game, the Denver defense held him to just 206 yard in the air.
When Denver runners struggled to get much going on the ground, head coach Gary Kubiak and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison used the short passing game to move the chains and set up a few deep balls later.
It might not be a formula they want to stick with, but the Broncos were still able to find a way to get the win despite losing the battle on the ground, and that’s a positive sign.
