Broncos vs. Bengals: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More

Week 16 of the NFL season features a Monday Night Football clash between the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos that is chock-full of playoff implications.

The Bengals enter Week 16 atop the AFC North with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens closely nipping at their heels. Should either of those teams emerge victorious on Sunday, a Bengals loss would drop them out of first place and into the thick of the wild-card race. However, a win would clinch a playoff berth and put them in great position to earn a second straight division title.

Despite having already clinched the AFC West, the Broncos have a playoff scenario of their own. Denver enters Week 16 behind only the New England Patriots in the AFC playoff race. While finishing the season with two consecutive wins would give Denver a first-round bye, it needs New England to lose at least one game to overtake the No. 1 seed and claim home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

With lots of AFC squads still in playoff contention, Monday's contest will surely garner plenty of interest.

Stepping Up Under the Lights

Frank Victores/Associated Press

The ongoing narrative surrounding the Bengals is their struggles in prime-time games. In fact, defensive end Wallace Gilberry was asked by Coley Harvey of ESPN.com why the team has difficulty during night games. He replied, "I have no idea. I guess we're afraid of the dark."

Whatever the case may be, Cincinnati's numbers under the lights are simply horrid. When combining the team's regular-season night games with its three consecutive playoff losses, it enters Monday's contest with a 2-9 prime-time record during quarterback Andy Dalton's tenure with the Bengals.

Fox Sports Ohio tweeted the question everyone continues to ask whenever Cincinnati plays at night:

There's a good reason for that inquiry heading into Week 16. Let's put it this way: The Bengals have played in two prime-time games already this season—Week 5 against the New England Patriots and Week 10 against the Cleveland Browns. They lost both games by a combined score of 67-20.

Dalton generally takes the brunt of the blame in this department—a 2.0 passer rating against Cleveland didn't help his case—but Cincinnati's entire team tends to implode from the top down in these situations. Whether it's turnovers, the team's game plan or just a mentality thing, the Bengals must figure it out quickly before facing a quarterback that holds an 8-0 career record against them.

Ground and Pound

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

There's a reason for both teams to employ this strategy entering Monday night's contest.

We've already discussed the struggles of Dalton in these situations, and a quarterback's best friend can be a well-balanced offense that keeps a defense on its heels. Establishing the running game will allow for more time in the pocket and defined passing lanes for Cincinnati's quarterback.

The Bengals are going to want to get rookie Jeremy Hill going early and often against Denver. The Broncos enter the game with the league's second-ranked run defense, allowing an average of just 71.6 yards per game on the ground. Although, Hill's aggressive style and explosiveness through the line of scrimmage gives Cincinnati a chance to circumvent Denver's stout defensive front.

Hill is averaging 5.0 yards per carry on the season and is coming off a 148-yard performance against the Browns. He gives Cincinnati's offense the best chance to not only move the ball but sustain long drives in an effort to keep the prolific Broncos offense on the sidelines.

Denver received a scare this week, as quarterback Peyton Manning was listed as questionable after sustaining a thigh injury. However, Mike Klis of the Denver Post tweeted some good news on Friday:

While it looks like Manning will be ready to go, he may not be 100 percent and hasn't exactly been overly prolific lately, passing for 233 yards or fewer and no more than two touchdowns in each of his last three games. Things won't get any easier for the quarterback in Week 16 against a Bengals secondary that is playing extremely well.

This is all the more reason to pound the rock with running back C.J. Anderson. He's had a couple of tough matchups of late, averaging 2.9 yards per carry or fewer in each of his last two games, but a matchup against the Bengals will get him back on the right track.

Cincinnati is ranked 24th in the league against the run, allowing an average of 124.8 yards per game on the ground. If Anderson gets going early against this defense, Manning will see less pressure, Denver will control the time of possession and Cincinnati's offense will find it difficult getting into any kind of a rhythm.

When: Monday, December 22

Where: Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Channel: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Betting Info (via Odds Shark):

• Over/Under: 47.5
• Spread: Broncos -3.5

Team Injury Reports

Player	Pos.	Status	Injury
Jermaine Gresham	TE	Probable	Toe
A.J. Green	WR	Probable	Illness
James Wright	WR	Questionable	Knee

Player	Pos.	Status	Injury
Cody Latimer	WR	Probable	Concussion
Ronnie Hillman	RB	Questionable	Foot
Juwan Thompson	RB	Questionable	Knee, Hip
Peyton Manning	QB	Questionable	Thigh
Julius Thomas	TE	Probable	Ankle
Jacob Tamme	TE	Questionable	Ribs
Danny Trevathan	LB	Injured Reserve	Knee
Brandon Marshall	LB	Questionable	Foot

Injury info will be updated once released, via ESPN.com.

Prediction

There are question marks at the quarterback position for both of these teams. Will Manning's thigh be healed enough to allow him to shift his weight effectively when throwing against a very good secondary? Will Dalton overcome his prime-time woes against a defense that has been susceptible to the pass this season?

In the current conditions of each team, they are intriguingly even when it comes to the passing game. While each squad also boasts a sound running game, these teams are very far apart when it comes to defending against an opposing backfield, and that's where Denver has the advantage.

Expect the Broncos to wear down the Bengals defense by heavily utilizing Anderson early in the game while Manning picks his spots to take a deep shot with prolific wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. While Cincinnati has an excellent receiver in A.J. Green, the team may not be able to run the ball effectively enough to open up deep routes against Denver's secondary.

This contest won't be a blowout in either direction, but the smart money is on Manning and Co.

Prediction: Broncos 27, Bengals 20

Playoff scenarios courtesy of CBSSports.com and current as of December 19.