Cincinnati Bengals vs. Denver Broncos: What's the Game Plan for Denver?

The Denver Broncos will be looking to get on the winning track on Dec. 28 when the Cincinnati Bengals come to Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver. Scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Monday Night Football game will go a long way in determining how the final AFC playoff picture shakes out.

The Bengals (11-3) are currently the No. 2 team in the AFC. Denver is holding onto the No. 3 spot, but it's becoming a precarious position. The Kansas City Chiefs are hot on their heels, having won eight games in a row.

A win over the Bengals would be huge for the Broncos as it would launch them right back into contention for a first-round bye in the playoffs.

The Bengals have been one of the NFL's best teams this season, but they will come into Denver missing some of their key offensive weapons. The Broncos will be hoping to get healthy on defense, particularly at the safety position.

Odds Shark currently lists the Broncos as a three-point favorite in this game, giving them the home-field advantage.

So how do the Broncos go about obtaining this key victory? Let's take a look at a potential game plan on both sides of the ball.

Offensive Game Plan

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The Broncos have struggled on the offensive side of the ball for the majority of the season. That was never more evident than in Week 14, when the team managed just four field goals in a loss to the Oakland Raiders.

But last Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the offense came alive, scoring 27 points in the first half. However, the second half saw the futile offense return, as the Broncos didn't score again.

The Broncos need to play with a sense of urgency against the Bengals, which means they'll need to pull out all the stops on offense.

The Bengals feature a stout defense with a solid secondary. Safety Reggie Nelson leads the NFL with eight interceptions, so Brock Osweiler will have to be careful with the ball.

The Broncos can win this game by winning the battle in time of possession. To do that, Osweiler will need help from his running game. The Broncos need to average between four and fives yards per carry when they run the ball.

The offensive line will be a key factor. The unit hasn't been great this season, but it must win at the point of attack against defensive tackle Geno Atkins, who can completely take over a game with his ability to get into the opposition's backfield.

That will be one key to this game. The other will be getting the tight ends involved in the passing game.

It sounds like a broken record to say that this season, but the Broncos just have to get it done. Osweiler can't throw almost every pass to two guys and expect to complete a high percentage, particularly when he really needs to.

Against the Steelers this past Sunday, the Broncos were driving for a potential tying score late in the fourth quarter. Osweiler targeted Emmanuel Sanders on several plays in a row, but he didn't come close to completing any of them. That's partly because he needs to trust other guys, even if they've dropped passes.

As a team, the Broncos have completed 322 passes this season. Demaryius Thomas and Sanders have accounted for 160 of those, about 49.6 percent.

Against the Bengals, the Broncos need to look to get Vernon Davis or Owen Daniels matched up against one of the linebackers for some easy completions to keep drives moving.

Defensive Game Plan

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

If the Bengals had Andy Dalton, this would be a tough game to win for the Broncos. But with Dalton out, AJ McCarron gets his second career start.

But McCarron won't have Tyler Eifert. The tight end will reportedly sit out again. According to NFL Media's Rand Getlin, Eifert is in concussion protocol. In addition to that, A.J. Green was slowed by a back injury last week against the San Francisco 49ers and caught just one pass as a result.

The Bengals ran a very vanilla offense against the 49ers, not asking McCarron to do too much. Instead, they relied on their rushing attack, distributing 36 carries between Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard.

The Denver defense will first be tasked with slowing down the running game. If the Broncos can force McCarron into having to complete passes on 3rd-and-long at a consistent rate, it will be a long night for the Alabama Football product.

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Good news for #Broncos D - next up is A.J. McCarron who does not look like a functioning NFL QB. He won't rip them up.

— Tom Kessenich (@TomKessenich) December 21, 2015"

Denver could be getting starting strong safety T.J. Ward back for this game as well. Andrew Mason of the team's official website reports that Ward practiced for the second day in a row on Thursday.

That will be a big boost, though Mason also notes that Darian Stewart missed practice again, still trying to work out a sore hamstring. With David Bruton being placed on season-ending injured reserve earlier in the week, a guy like Josh Bush or Shiloh Keo will really need to step up in this game.

Still, if McCarron has to face tough third-down conversions against the likes of Chris Harris and Aqib Talib, it will be a daunting task. Denver must shut down the rushing attack, and if it does, it wins this game.

Despite all of the offense the Steelers racked up last week, the Broncos still have the league's best defense. They need to play like it in this one.

Key Matchups and Players to Watch

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Shiloh Keo: The Broncos will need to rely on someone to help out at the safety position if Stewart and Omar Bolden both sit this game out. Keo has just two tackles since joining the team. 

Matt Paradis: The center of the Broncos may be primarily responsible for slowing down Atkins. He won't be able to do it alone, though, so expect one of the guards to help double-team Atkins frequently.

Jordan Norwood: Would someone please step up and contribute consistently as the No. 3 receiver on this team? Bennie Fowler and Cody Latimer have had their chances. Jordan Norwood caught both passes that were thrown to him last week, gaining 29 yards.

Denver Front Seven vs. Cincinnati Running Backs: The Broncos should not be afraid to stack the box in this game in an effort to overpower the Bengals rushing attack. McCarron will have to prove he can make tough throws in this one.

Prediction

The Broncos haven't been able to get out of their own way the last two weeks, despite a great first half in Pittsburgh. This week, the team needs to realize that the opportunity for a deep postseason run is slowly slipping away.

The Bengals are among the best teams in the league this year, but without Dalton and Eifert, they're not nearly as scary on offense. Denver needs to take advantage of the fact the Bengals have to play them at Sports Authority Field, and they will.

Final Prediction: Broncos 19, Bengals 13