Sean Payton: Broncos Made 'Right' Decision Not Going for 2 in Loss to Burrow, Bengals

The Denver Broncos lost Saturday's thriller against the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime but could have won it in regulation had head coach Sean Payton decided to go for the two-point conversion after Marvin Mims Jr.'s stunning touchdown catch with eight seconds remaining.

However, Payton kicked the extra point to force the extra period and told reporters after the game, "the decision we made is the right one. … A lot of it is your gut relative to how the toss goes. We were moving a little bit on offense, and then weighing the percentages of the two-point conversion. I think that had a lot do with it."

Denver would have clinched a playoff spot with a win or a tie, and he also said the possibility of the "tie element" played a role in the decision-making process.

It was not the only questionable coaching decision near the end of regulation, as Denver only had that possession that ended in a Mims touchdown because of poor clock management by Cincinnati.

The Bengals had 1st and goal from the Broncos' 6-yard line in the final two minutes and could have taken three knees, drained Denver's final timeout and kicked the winning field goal. Instead, head coach Zac Taylor chose to run plays that ended in running back Chase Brown suffering an injury and quarterback Joe Burrow scoring a touchdown.

That gave quarterback Bo Nix nearly a minute-and-a-half to operate, and he found Mims for the touchdown. He also raised two fingers indicating the team should go for the two-point conversion after the pass, although he told reporters after the game he did so out of "straight emotion" and understood going for two is "not always the wisest decision."

Perhaps it would have been in this case, though, as Burrow was on the other sideline and dialed in during an incredible performance that saw him throw for 412 yards and three touchdowns while running for another score.

Cincinnati drove into scoring position twice in overtime, although Cade York missed what would have been the winning field goal the first time. Fortunately for the home team, Burrow found Tee Higgins for the winning touchdown on the next opportunity and kept the Bengals alive in the playoff race.

Now the Broncos need to defeat the 15-1 Kansas City Chiefs in their final game to clinch a playoff spot, although that may be easier than it looks on paper. After all, the Chiefs already clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC and may rest Patrick Mahomes and other players in preparation for the playoffs.