Broncos vs. Bengals: Breaking Down Denver's Game Plan

The Denver Broncos are on a three-game win streak as they get ready for the postseason. They traveled last week and beat the San Diego Chargers 24-17. This week, the Broncos are on the road again—this time their stop is in Cincinnati to play the Bengals on Monday Night Football.

Denver continues to run the ball early and often as its new identity is a run-heavy one. C.J. Anderson rushed for 85 yards on 29 carries against the Chargers, while Peyton Manning played through flu-like symptoms.

The Broncos may have approached the game differently (and passed more) if Manning was feeling better, but the veteran quarterback needed four IVs between Saturday night and Sunday morning just to play.

This week against the Bengals, we could see Denver with a more balanced approach on offense. This means more Manning and more from the passing game.

The Broncos defense will have their hands full with one superstar receiver—Bengals starter A.J. Green. The rush defense will also be tested by two backs, Gio Bernard and Jeremy Hill, with opposing skill sets. The Bengals are fighting for positioning in the playoffs, and this game will have a playoff-like atmosphere.

How will the Denver Broncos attack the Cincinnati Bengals on both sides of the ball? Let’s take a look.

When the Broncos Run the Ball

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Anderson is the centerpiece of the offense now. His powerful running style has helped set the tone for the Broncos offense in recent weeks. In this game against the Bengals, Anderson may see fewer carries.

According to Mike Klis, from the The Denver Post, the Broncos might start monitoring his workload. Anderson has averaged over 27 carries per game over the last four weeks. Denver might try to keep that number between 22 and 25 as it stampedes toward the playoffs.

Anderson has proven that he can be a capable receiver out of the backfield as well. While his carries could be around 20, his overall touches might be around 25. Anderson is a power back, but he’s got phone-booth quickness and a good burst with the ball in his hands.

Behind Anderson, Juwan Thompson will continue to play as the primary backup. With Anderson’s carries monitored, it could lead to a slightly larger workload for Thompson. He’s your classic power back/fullback who makes his living between the tackles. As we’ve seen earlier this year, Thompson can break off a few big runs from time to time.

Ronnie Hillman may not be back just yet. He’s getting close to returning, but Hillman might not return until the Week 17 game against the Oakland Raiders. The Bengals play on turf, and the Broncos may not want to risk Hillman re-aggravating his foot injury on the artificial surface.

Without Hillman, Jeremy Stewart may get a small handful of touches. Montee Ball has been placed on season-ending injured reserve due to the groin injury he suffered earlier this year.

The Bengals' rush defense currently ranks 24th in the league, and it allows an average of 124.8 rushing yards per game. Last week, the Cleveland Browns were only able to rush for 53 yards (on 17 carries as a team). However, two weeks ago Pittsburgh Steelers star Le’Veon Bell could not be stopped on his way to 185 yards rushing (and three total touchdowns) against the Bengals.

The Broncos are a run-first team, and that formula won’t change that much against the Bengals on Monday night.

When the Broncos Pass the Ball

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

The Broncos just aren’t going to pass the ball as much as they used to. Expect Denver to swing the pendulum back toward more passing each week. The Broncos have run the ball 54 percent of the time over the last four weeks, but they are striving for a nearly perfect balance.

One asset that returned last week was tight end Julius Thomas. In the game against the Chargers, Thomas played 43.9 (29 of 66) percent of the offensive snaps. He finished the game with only one catch for 30 yards.

As Thomas continues to get healthier from the ankle injury that caused him to miss three games, we should see him more involved in the game plan. Thomas creates mismatches every time he’s on the field, and he is a fantastic weapon to employ near the end zone.

Demaryius Thomas came through with a big game against the Chargers last week even though the passing game was limited by Manning’s illness. Thomas had six catches for 123 yards and one touchdown in Week 15. Even when Manning isn’t at the top of his game, he still throws plenty of high-value targets toward Thomas.

Emmanuel Sanders has cooled off a bit as the passing game has been taking a back seat to the rushing attack. After recording zero 100-yard games in four years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sanders already has seven such games in 2014. However, he has not recorded a 100-yard receiving game since Week 12, and he hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 11.

Wes Welker is still hanging around as a valuable target on underneath routes for Manning. As the Broncos strive for more balance offensively, we could see the Broncos use Welker on short passes that work as long handoffs.

The Bengals currently rank 11th in pass defense. They only allow an average of 233.6 yards passing per game. Last week doesn’t count because they played a helpless Johnny Manziel, but two weeks ago Ben Roethlisberger lit them up for 350 yards and three touchdowns.

Manning probably won’t hit that mark, but 275 yards passing and a couple of touchdowns is well within his reach.

When the Bengals Run the Ball

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

The Bengals' rushing attack has undergone a transformation as the season has gone on. Second-year pro Gio Bernard began the season as the starter, but injuries and inconsistencies prompted the Bengals to give a larger role to rookie Jeremy Hill.

The combination of running backs gives the Bengals a potent one-two punch.

Bernard is the speed back. He has the ability to make crisp cuts without losing much speed, and this makes him difficult to bring down in the open field. Bernard is an effective runner, and he really stands out as a receiver out of the backfield.

Hill is your classic banger between the tackles. Once he builds a head of steam with his shoulders square, he steamrolls over smaller defenders. Hill thrives on yards after contact, and he can certainly wear down opponents as the game goes on.

The rookie is a decent receiver out of the backfield, and he has more speed than some think. Earlier this year, Hill ripped off a 62-yard run against the New Orleans Saints.

Finding room to run against the Broncos defense is going to be difficult.

The Broncos currently have the second-best rush defense in the league. They only allow an average of 71.6 rushing yards per game. While Hill could be slowed down as a runner, Bernard might be able to make plays as a receiver out of the backfield against linebackers in coverage.

When the Bengals Pass the Ball

David Richard/Associated Press

There are a small handful of true superstar receivers in the NFL, but the Bengals have one of the brightest and best young receivers in A.J. Green. He’s going to be the focus of the Broncos defense on Sunday—especially if the Bengals fall behind early.

Green is big, fast and graceful in the end zone and on downfield routes. He can play “above the rim” and does a good job of high-pointing passes. Green has the elite athleticism to work sideline routes with ease. Simply put, Green is incredibly difficult to stop—or even slow down.

If the Broncos are able to bracket Green and take him away from Andy Dalton, then they’ll have to contend with Mohamed Sanu. While Green has been banged-up a little bit this year, Sanu has come through in his absence. Sanu is great at taking shorter routes and turning them into long gains.

The passing game is all about Dalton. He doesn’t have a strong arm, and he’s known as one of the streakiest quarterbacks in the league. When Dalton is on, he’s hot and tough to stop. However, when he’s cold—he’s ice-cold and can put up horrific numbers.

The game will have a playoff atmosphere—and that works against Dalton. He’s led the Bengals to the playoffs in each of the three years he’s been in the league, but he owns an 0-3 record in the postseason.

The Broncos' pass rush should make it a long night for Dalton. Look for him to target dump-off passes to players such as Sanu or tight end Jermaine Gresham.

The Denver pass defense is currently ranked 16th in the league. It allows an average of 237.8 passing yards per game.

The Bengals will need to lean on their passing game to win—but doing that will be difficult.

Summary

The Bengals need this game to help their playoff push, and the Broncos could wrap up at least the second seed in the AFC with a victory on Monday night.

The Broncos offense should be rounding into playoff form. In this game against a quality opponent, the Broncos should put their best foot forward to secure the win.

Expect the team to strive for a perfectly balanced offense by using more of the passing game against a banged-up Bengals defense. As Julius Thomas gets healthier, we should see him more involved in the game plan.

The Broncos defense should be able to contain the Bengals' ground game. This puts the pressure on Andy Dalton to make plays against the fearsome Denver pass-rushers such as DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller. That’s a clear advantage for Denver.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via email from the Denver Broncos unless otherwise noted. Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by ProSportsTransactions.com.