Denver Broncos vs. Cincinnati Bengals: Complete Week 16 Preview for Denver
In Week 16, Monday Night Football will close out it's regular-season slate with an excellent AFC matchup.
The AFC North-leading Cincinnati Bengals (9-4-1) will host the Denver Broncos (11-3), who have already clinched the AFC West.
This will be a key game in terms of the playoff seeding in the AFC.
The Broncos have won four games in a row, and they have won the last four games they've played against Cincinnati. The Bengals' last win over Denver came in 2004. Denver leads the all-time series, 19-8.
For more on this game, including key matchups and an injury report for the Broncos, read on.
Week 15 Recap
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Though Peyton Manning came into the game against the San Diego Chargers in Week 16 a little under the weather, it didn't stop him from taking the field.
When he hurt his thigh in the second quarter, the team had to bring backup Brock Osweiler into the game. But Manning didn't let that keep him down either.
Manning was not spectacular against the Chargers, but he was efficient. He threw for 233 yards and one touchdown on the day, but it was the determination that Manning had in this game that showed what kind of a leader he is.
The Broncos went on to win the game by a score of 22-10. With the win, the Broncos clinched the AFC West division for the fourth year in a row.
Denver was able to run for 111 yards on the ground while holding San Diego to just 56. The defense also forced two interceptions of San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers.
The Broncos have now won seven of the last eight games against the Chargers.
News and Notes
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Aqib Talib Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week
Against the Chargers, Aqib Talib led the Broncos with eight tackles. He also had three passes defensed in the game and a critical interception.
The interception came as Philip Rivers tried to rally his team to a late score, and Talib made a great play on the ball.
His efforts earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors, as Ben Swanson of the team's official website detailed.
Some fans may see Talib as a bit of a disappointment to this point, but he looked great against the Chargers. It was his best game in Denver so far, and the NFL clearly agreed.
Broncos Fine With Terrance Knighton's Big Talk
Following their win over San Diego, Terrance Knighton showed a lot of confidence in the idea that the Broncos will win the Super Bowl this season to The Denver Post's Mark Kiszla.
ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold reports that the team doesn't take issue with the possible chalkboard material that Knighton just gave teams around the league.
Peyton Manning said, per Legwold, "I think Terrance has got a lot of confidence, I think that's a good quality about him."
Manning is exactly right. You have to love the confidence being shown by Knighton and it's this kind of attitude that can become infectious.
The Broncos have the talent to be the best team in the league. If one player believes they will eventually reach their ultimate goal, maybe soon the rest of the squad will too.
Is Todd Davis the Answer at Linebacker?
It should be no secret that the Broncos' weak spot is the linebacker position. Injuries have hampered them this season, and they didn't have a lot of depth to begin with.
That's why in November, they put in a waiver claim on Todd Davis, an undrafted rookie who had been released by the New Orleans Saints.
According to Legwold, he's working his way into a bigger role on defense—against San Diego, Davis was on the field for 28 of the team's defensive snaps.
With injuries to Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall, Davis has an excellent opportunity to step up and show what he can do. If he can prove his worth in pass coverage, he may earn an even bigger role on the team.
"Todd Davis could be the Broncos' most important rookie in Cincinnati this Monday: http://t.co/aGLhP5ln8C pic.twitter.com/qoQqnsBYQA
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) December 18, 2014"
Could Davis be the guy the Broncos use to cover the opposing tight end? That has long been a problem for their defense, so that is something to keep an eye on.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury | Game Status |
| Brandon Marshall | Linebacker | Foot | Doubtful |
| Josh Bush | Safety | Quadriceps | Doubtful |
| Ronnie Hillman | Running Back | Foot | Questionable |
| Paul Cornick | Tackle | Toe | Questionable |
| Cody Latimer | Wide Receiver | Concussion | Questionable |
| Jacob Tamme | Tight End | Ribs | Questionable |
| Kayvon Webster | Cornerback | Shoulder | Questionable |
| Peyton Manning | Quarterback | Thigh | Probable |
Injury statuses courtesy of denver.suntimes.com.
Though Peyton Manning is listed as probably for this game, it has to be somewhat concerning to see him appear on the injury report, as it could indicate that the thigh injury he suffered against San Diego is lingering.
"Peyton manning said illness over. Just treating leg. Said extra day of rest will help this week
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) December 18, 2014"
The big loss for the Broncos will be the fact that linebacker Brandon Marshall will miss this game. After leaving the game against San Diego, it appears Marshall won't be available for this game, at the very least.
Marshall has been excellent for the Broncos this season. Without him, the Broncos lose their leading tackler.
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X-Factor Players and Key Matchups to Watch
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Aqib Talib vs. A.J. Green
It's always fun to watch an excellent wide receiver go against an excellent defensive back. That's exactly what we'll get on Monday night.
Cincinnati's A.J. Green is one of the best receivers in the league and is by far the favorite target of quarterback Andy Dalton. That will make it imperative for Aqib Talib to slow him down.
Most importantly, Green is one of the best deep route-runners in all of football, and you can almost bet Dalton will take a few shots down the field trying to get him the ball.
If Talib has success in forcing Dalton to look for his other targets, the Bengals passing game becomes a lot less scary.
Todd Davis vs. Jeremy Hill
With Brandon Marshall out of the lineup, it remains to be seen who the Broncos will use to replace him. Todd Davis is a good bet.
The Broncos will come into the game with the No. 2-ranked run defense in the league, giving up just 71.6 yards per game.
But after rushing for 148 yards and two touchdowns against Cleveland in Week 15, Cincinnati running back Jeremy Hill will be fed the ball.
If he gets past the first line of defense, it will be up to the linebackers of Denver to slow the big running back down. With Brandon Marshall out of the lineup, that could be an issue.
Davis, or whomever fills in for Marshall, will need to be able to quickly diagnose running plays to come up and help bring Hill down for short gains.
Orlando Franklin vs. Geno Atkins
An argument can be made that Geno Atkins might be the best interior defensive lineman in the NFL.
The Denver running game has been very good in recent weeks, but Atkins is the type of player who can shut a running game down.
In order for the Broncos to get those tough yards up the middle, Orlando Franklin will have to hold his own against Atkins. It might not be a bad move to have center Will Montgomery held out on that side in order to move Atkins off the ball.
The Broncos have relied heavily on the run since losing to the St. Louis Rams in Week 11. However, this might be a good week to turn back to the passing game in order to help negate the strong defensive line of Cincinnati.
X-Factor Player: Terrance Knighton
While the Bengals have a strong defensive presence in the form of Atkins on their line, the Broncos have a pretty good defensive tackle of their own in Terrance Knighton.
Knighton will play a key role in this game in stopping the running game of Cincinnati, keeping Hill far from the rushing numbers he saw against Cleveland.
Knighton is a motivated player right now, and he will have a big game on Monday night.
Prediction
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Because there is so much to play for, fans should expect a very competitive game in front of a national audience.
But a big-game scenario in prime time is the kind of position in which the Bengals often wilt. Can they overcome a team and a quarterback that is used to these kind of situations.
The Bengals are coming off a dominant performance, but the Broncos aren't the Browns, and Peyton Manning isn't Johnny Manziel.
Needing a victory to keep pace with New England for home-field advantage, the Broncos can't afford a loss in this one. And though it will be a tough one on the road, expect to see more of the Manning of old than the one we have seen in recent weeks.
Prediction: Broncos 27, Bengals 17
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