Denver Broncos vs. Cincinnati Bengals: Full Report Card Grades for Denver
The Denver Broncos suffered just their fourth loss of the season on Monday night, falling at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals 37-28.
With the loss go any hopes of having home-field advantage. Not only that, but the Broncos will have to beat the Oakland Raiders in Week 17 to earn a first-round bye in the playoffs.
The Bengals ran the ball all over Denver's No. 2-ranked rushing defense to set up scoring opportunities. On defense they forced the Broncos into four turnovers.
""We have to find a way to learn from this. ... All we can do is put this one behind us." - #Manning #DENvsCIN pic.twitter.com/gb8cJuXm2a
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 23, 2014"
It was the first time Denver quarterback Peyton Manning has ever lost to the Bengals.
It was a tough night for the Broncos, and the grades on this week's report card will indicate that. Read on for more analysis from this game as well as grades for each positional unit.
Quarterback
1 of 10
This wasn't Peyton Manning's finest hour. In fact, it was one of his worst games since becoming a member of the Denver Broncos.
The defense of the Cincinnati Bengals confused and flustered him all night, forcing errant throws and big mistakes.
Though Manning did toss two touchdowns and threw for more than 300 yards, he was intercepted four times. He also threw several wobbly, off-target passes that were just hard to watch.
His interceptions were all pretty bad.
On the first, safety Reggie Nelson made a great play by ripping the ball away from Julius Thomas. A poor throw by Manning assisted him in making the play, however.
On the second interception, Manning noticed Adam Jones up at the line of scrimmage and figured he was blitzing. Jones dropped back into coverage, and though Demaryius Thomas was blanketed, Manning threw the ball anyway, and Jones picked it off.
"Peyton Manning: 3 INTs in first 7 games. 12 INTs in past 8 games. Yikes.
— Jason Cole (@JasonPhilCole) December 23, 2014"
Manning also threw away any chance for a late comeback by the Broncos as Dre Kirkpatrick intercepted him twice, returning one for a touchdown.
It could have been the heavy rain in Cincinnati. It could also be a much bigger problem. One thing is for sure—it was a poor performance by Manning.
Grade: D
Running Back
2 of 10
Falling behind by as much as 13 points in this game, the Broncos were forced to somewhat abandon the run.
Instead, they went back to the pass-heavy offense that looks more like a desperate team than one who is in control. The Broncos threw the ball 44 times, as compared to just 19 run plays.
C.J. Anderson still managed to have a good game, gaining 83 yards on 18 carries. He also had a touchdown.
On top of those numbers, Anderson was a big factor in the passing game, catching eight passes for 55 yards. He continues to be one of the team's most effective players on offense.
But the Broncos are still hurting by the fact that there is no one else to turn to. They really need to get Ronnie Hillman back.
Juwan Thompson was ineffective in this game, only carrying the ball once for two yards. He dropped the only pass that was thrown to him.
The Broncos have a very good running game when they are able to lean on it. They still need a better rotation, however.
Grade: B-
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
3 of 10
Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders both had big nights in this game. How many times have they not?
Thomas went over the 100-yard mark once again, catching seven passes for 115 yards. He had a 46-yard catch in the third quarter that set the Broncos up for a touchdown, which gave them the lead at 28-27.
Sanders scored twice, catching touchdowns of four and five yards. He also made an excellent one-handed grab of 33 yards on a crucial third down on a play he was interfered with.
Both Thomas and Sanders have shined all season for the Broncos. But much like the running game, they need help.
Julius Thomas caught two passes for 33 yards, but it's quite evident that his ankle injury is still bothering him. His movement with the ball in his hands is very slow and easy to stop.
Wes Welker caught four passes for 30 yards on the night, but where is Jacob Tamme? Where is Cody Latimer?
Tamme has looked poor when he's been on the field in recent weeks, and Latimer still gets very few snaps.
The Broncos were supposed to have several dangerous, capable weapons in the passing game. As the season winds down, it appears they only have two.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
In the four games the Broncos had won prior to their meeting with Cincinnati, the offensive line had played well in establishing the rushing attack.
Faced with a deficit on Monday night, the offensive line was forced to protect Peyton Manning as he dropped back 44 times to throw the ball. They struggled as the Bengals brought pressure often.
The Bengals only registered two sacks but also had eight hits on the quarterback. Manning was rushed on several of his throws.
The worst matchup was Louis Vasquez against Carlos Dunlap. Vasquez was getting beaten like a drum by Dunlap, and for whatever reason, Denver never made an adjustment to have someone help on that side.
While it was frustrating watching Vasquez get beaten badly time after time, it was equally frustrating to see left tackle Ryan Clady get flagged for two holding penalties, one of which negated a 30-yard completion to Demaryius Thomas.
The offensive line has been good of late, but in this game the unit looked more like the line everyone was complaining about earlier this season when the Broncos lost to the St. Louis Rams.
Grade: D
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The fact that the Bengals ran for more than 200 yards in this game reflects badly on the entire defense. Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard had big holes to run through.
The Bengals also had a good game plan for Denver's pass rush, taking it out of play with quick screen passes. As a result, Denver never got a sack and only had two hits on the quarterback.
Andy Dalton didn't deal with much pressure all night long.
Reserve defensive tackle Marvin Austin was penalized for roughing the passer. He was able to finally get a hit on Dalton but drove him into the ground in the process. It gave the Bengals an automatic first down.
The referees are going to throw a flag for that every time, but Austin didn't do anything malicious.
"What the hell is Marvin Austin or ANY defensive player suppose to do on that hit on Dalton? #MNF
— Carlos Scott (@NVisionMarketin) December 23, 2014"
Malik Jackson and Terrance Knighton both made plays in this game, but their performances were not nearly enough to bring this grade up.
Grade: D+
Linebackers
6 of 10
The Broncos were missing Brandon Marshall, who had already replaced Danny Trevathan, and it showed.
With Marshall out, the Broncos had to start Steven Johnson and Todd Davis in this game. Though both men played admirably, they're not players the Broncos want to see in starting roles for long.
Davis was second on the team with eight tackles, one of which went for a loss. But Johnson only had three tackles, and in the third quarter, the Bengals took advantage of him in coverage.
Dalton found Giovani Bernard matched up one-on-one against Johnson and floated him a pass. Johnson was nowhere close to being quick enough to make a play; instead, he watched as Bernard took it in for a 22-yard touchdown.
Von Miller had a quiet night, but he made a play that kept Denver in it when he ripped the ball out of Jeremy Hill's hands as the Bengals were going in for another score in the third quarter.
If Denver would have pulled this game out, Miller's play would have been a major reason why. Broncos fans should be hoping that Marshall can return in time for the playoffs.
Grade: C-
Secondary
7 of 10
Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward both played good games; it just wasn't enough.
Ward and Talib were in together on the game's first big play. Andy Dalton threw the ball toward A.J. Green but was a little high with it. Ward put a heavy shot on Green, and Talib intercepted the pass before getting up and running the other way for the 33-yard score.
On the play, Green was injured, and that would affect him for the rest of the game. In fact, he didn't catch a single pass.
That makes it even harder to digest that the Broncos lost this game.
Without a player who could stretch the field, the Bengals shouldn't have been as hard to defend. But the read-option running game threw the secondary off all night. Even Chris Harris, who has been excellent this season, looked lost at times.
Talib finished the game with three passes defensed, and Ward led the team with nine tackles. But it wasn't enough.
Grade: B
Special Teams
8 of 10
It seems like it's been forever since the Broncos have broken a big kickoff return. They got one to open the second half of this game when Omar Bolden brought a kick back 77 yards to set up a quick touchdown for the Broncos, which put them within 20-14.
Unfortunately, that was the lone bright spot for the special teams.
Kick coverage was absolutely horrendous. Brandon McManus, who is being kept on the roster strictly as a kickoff specialist, couldn't manage to kick the ball out of the end zone. Adam Jones averaged 44.7 yards on three kick returns, including a long of 80 yards.
But it wasn't just kickoff returns. The Broncos allowed a 49-yard punt return by Brandon Tate that nearly went for a touchdown. Denver just wasn't able to get to the returners before they got to the edge.
Just before halftime, Connor Barth came out for a 49-yard field goal, which he missed to the left. It was Barth's first miss since joining the team.
It wasn't a great night for special teams—something that has been a weakness all season.
Grade: D
Coaching
9 of 10
The Broncos don't have much of an excuse for this loss other than the fact they were just outplayed.
It was frustrating to see Cincinnati churn out so many yards on the ground in this game. The Broncos could do little to stop them.
Injuries at the linebacker position were key factors. However, with A.J. Green hobbled for just about the entire game, the Broncos should have loaded up against the run more than they did.
Make Andy Dalton beat you by throwing to guys like Dane Sanzenbacher and Mohamed Sanu. Instead, that adjustment was never made.
On offense, the coaching staff needs to identify a player who can help out in the passing game. Julius Thomas and Wes Welker just aren't the same players they have been in the past, and Jacob Tamme isn't a viable option.
Is it time to see what Cody Latimer can do? Maybe Denver should use its new tight end, Dominique Jones?
Whatever the case is, the Broncos don't have much time to do it. Opposing defenses seem to be getting less and less intimidated by Peyton Manning by the week.
Grade: C
Overall Grade
10 of 10
Quarterback: D
Running Back: B-
Wide Receiver/Tight End: B
Offensive Line: D
Defensive Line: D+
Linebackers: C-
Secondary: D
Special Teams: D
Coaching: C
Overall Grade: C-
The Broncos experienced a difficult setback in this game, especially when they were still in contention for home-field advantage. Still, they can learn plenty from this defeat.
The Broncos came into the game with the league's No. 2 rushing defense, but Cincinnati gashed them for 207 yards. The Broncos need to spend extra time working on how to fix that this week.
However, it seems the biggest key for the Broncos will be getting back guys like Brandon Marshall from injury.
"Fair or not, the @nfl narrative for the week has quickly turned to, “What is wrong with Peyton Manning?”.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) December 23, 2014"
But the biggest takeaway from this game has to be the play of Manning. Is he just in a slump, or are his skills really diminishing? Only time will tell.
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