Denver Broncos vs. Cincinnati Bengals: Full Report Card Grades for Cincinnati
However unthinkable it may have been beforehand, the Cincinnati Bengals squashed prime-time narratives and assured a playoff berth on the Week 16 edition of Monday Night Football with a 37-28 win over the Denver Broncos.
A gritty defensive performance gets most of the credit. Marvin Lewis’ defense picked off Peyton Manning four times, including one in the fourth quarter that Dre Kirkpatrick took back for a touchdown to end the contest.
Cincinnati was not without its struggles on the offensive side of the ball. Andy Dalton was once again relegated to a secondary role in comparison to his talented backfield. Complementing the unit at key times was a strong performance by those on special teams.
Chief among everything else, though, was a sense of resiliency and energy befitting of a team on the way to the postseason.
Within are grades for each positional unit based on performance—not just in a statistical sense, but also in an overall sense in how each piece played a role in the triumph.
Quarterback: C
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Things started so badly for Andy Dalton Monday.
For a brief moment, it looked like another horrible outing for the team. Dalton threw an erratic pass that got A.J. Green blasted while Denver took it back for a touchdown.
Bleacher Report's Andrea Hangst sums it up:
"Pass too high for AJ Green gets deflected for a pick six by Aqib Talib (if stands). Green hurt his arm on the play, too.
— Andrea Hangst (@FBALL_Andrea) December 23, 2014"
Dalton would recover, though. His downfield throws remained awful, but he looked great when making decisions such as zone-read plays.
Overall, he finished with 146 yards and two touchdowns to one interception. Mostly short passes or not, Dalton did enough to not lose his team the game and made big decisions in the process.
Grade: C
Running Back: A
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Observers have heard this one before—it was the Jeremy Hill show Monday for the Bengals.
The LSU product erupted for a major showing against a Denver defense that entered ranked second against the run.
Paul Dehner Jr. of Cincinnati.com describes an early big play by Hill:
"Denver is allowing 71 yards per game rushing. Jeremy Hill just went for 85.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) December 23, 2014"
Giovani Bernard got in on the action too with eight carries for 36 yards. Hill dominates the result, though, with his 22 totes for 147 yards and a score on a 6.7 yard-per-carry average.
Once again, the staff in Cincinnati looks genius for handing things over to Hill.
Grade: A
Wide Receiver and Tight End: C
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Andy Dalton's struggles Monday night led to little of star wideout A.J. Green.
Green wound up being targeted just four times. This put the onus of production on names such as Mohamed Sanu and Dane Sanzenbacher. As ESPN.com's Coley Harvey points out, this did not always go as planned:
"Some miscommunication there between Andy Dalton and Dane Sanzenbacher on the last pass. Looked like Sanzenbacher was a little short on route
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) December 23, 2014"
Tight end Jermaine Gresham is who stepped up big for the Bengals with the wideouts hurt. The former Oklahoma star finished with nine catches for 62 yards and a score to lead the team in receiving.
No other target caught more than five passes, a number that went to back Giovani Bernard. With the run game a focal point and Green hurt, it was hard for the wideouts to get going Monday.
Grade: C
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Offensive Line: B
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Led by Andrew Whitworth, there is little to complain about when it comes to the Cincinnati offensive line Monday.
Eric Winston made his first official start for the Bengals, a true trial by fire against a rush led by Von Miller and others.
Winston, Whitworth and the rest of the starters played well, though. Andy Dalton was not sacked and the team as a whole rushed for 207 yards on a 5.6 yard-per-carry average.
The biggest takeaway here is Winston at right tackle. After the injury to Andre Smith, it was justifiable to think the line would be a weakness the rest of the way.
Winston clearly has something to say about that. Silencing Miller and others is quite the start.
Grade: B
Defensive Line: A
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It is a tad jarring how the Cincinnati defensive line has morphed from a weakness to a strength in recent weeks.
The usual names came up big Monday as the Broncos rushed for just 85 yards and Peyton Manning was sacked twice—while under duress countless other times.
Players such as Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap came up big, but underrated names such as Wallace Gilberry seem to be rounding into form at just the right time.
As Fox Sports' Kevin Goheen points out, Gilberry was effective in more ways than simple stat-sheet production:
"Wallace Gilberry casting a fishing line, reeling back long pass play after Denver called for holding him. #Bengals
— Kevin Goheen (@FSOhio_KGoheen) December 23, 2014"
Depth and productivity are a new thing for this line. Like the rest of the unit, the line appears to get better as the season continues.
Grade: A
Linebacker: B
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Sans Vontaze Burfict, the Cincinnati linebacking corps did not put on as strong a show Monday as it had in recent weeks.
Which is a shame, really, given how great the line in front of the unit played for most of the night. Rey Maualuga and Vincent Rey missed notable tackles, while Marquis Flowers, Taylor Mays and a hodgepodge of names struggled through the air and on the ground.
Mays did get a notable sack in the second half. Maualuga posted 10 total tackles to Rey's 11.
Stats are but one aspect, though. Gap control was an issue at times, as was coverage. Overall, the unit played well enough to get a win, but one has to wonder what happens if the tackling problems persist.
Grade: B
Secondary: B
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In hindsight, Monday was about as good as it was going to get for the Cincinnati secondary against Peyton Manning.
There were plenty of mistakes.
ESPN.com's Coley Harvey describes yet another dropped interception:
"Haven't added them all up, but I wouldn't be surprised if Terence Newman has dropped or just missed about 6 or 7 INTs this year #Bengals
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) December 23, 2014"
There were highlight plays such as Reggie Nelson stealing an interception, per Jay Morrison of Cox Media Group:
"Manning hit Julius Thomas. Nelson was driving him backward and stole the ball.
— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonCMG) December 23, 2014"
There were two picks by Dre Kirkpatrick, one that went back for a touchdown. The Alabama product came on in relief of Newman late in the contest and certainly made the most of his opportunity.
Cincinnati has to feel more comfortable with the younger players in its secondary than ever right now. Look for Kirkpatrick to see even more time next week.
Grade: B
Special Teams: B
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Cincinnati special teams found a way to redeem itself in short fashion Monday.
Case in point in the third quarter—a major return allowed by the kick coverage team was quickly forgotten as Adam Jones took the subsequent kickoff back inside the opponent's 30-yard-line.
ESPN.com's Coley Harvey noted the good job done by Cincinnati specialists after a major return by Brandon Tate in the fourth quarter:
"You have to credit special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons for crafting some nice blocking schemes this week. A lot of big returns #Bengals
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) December 23, 2014"
Overall, kick coverage was strong and returns were timely in their impact for Cincinnati. Mike Nugent knocked through his three attempts, while Kevin Huber averaged 42.2 yards on his five outings.
Overall, it was a solid day for quite the underrated unit.
Grade: B
Coaching: B
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The Cincinnati coaching staff did exactly what the situation called for Monday.
Andy Dalton threw an interception, so offensive coordinator Hue Jackson reeled things in and kept it simple.
Richard Skinner Cincinnati.com helps to illustrate:
"Hue Jackson appears as if he's going to be very conservative in passing game for awhile. 2 screens, a swing pass and a 2-yard checkdown.
— Richard Skinner (@nkyskinner) December 23, 2014"
Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther had his defenders wild and unpredictable at the line of scrimmage, which did much to keep Peyton Manning guessing.
Minus some silly flags, Marvin Lewis and his staff deserve tons of credit for the team seeming to get over the proverbial hump. Things can improve, sure, but right now, a nod of approval is in order.
Grade: B
Final Grades
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| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | C |
| RB | A |
| WR/TE | C |
| OL | B |
| DL | A |
| LB | B |
| Secondary | B |
| Special Teams | B |
| Coaching | B |
| Cumulative Grade | B |
At the end of the day, Cincinnati took down a contender on prime time.
What more is there to say?
Often labeled as a team that chokes, it is not out of the question to suggestion that this may be a major turning point for Marvin Lewis' team.
Not everything was perfect Monday night. But the Bengals never folded in the face of adversity, which in itself is quite a feat as of late. Now the Bengals head to Pittsburgh to end the season with the AFC North on the line.
All stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com as of 12 a.m. ET on Dec. 23 unless otherwise specified.
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