Latest News and Predictions for Bengals vs. Broncos on Monday Night Football

If the Denver Broncos can defeat the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, they'll be the No. 2 seed in the AFC  heading into Week 17.

If the Broncos lose to the Bengals, they'll be fighting for a playoff spot when they meet the San Diego Chargers in the final week of the regular season.

So it's safe to say that the conclusion of Week 16 has some important implications.

Given that, here are some key notes and thoughts—including a prediction—on the final Monday Night Football game of the NFL season.

The Battle of the Backups: Brock Osweiler vs. AJ McCarron

According to Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer, Broncos QB Brock Osweiler has a Grade 2 shoulder separation but will play on Monday night in Cincinnati.

"This is Brock Osweiler's team," Glazer said multiple times during Fox's Week 16 coverage on Sunday afternoon.

"When Peyton Manning is practicing, he's not even with the rest of the team. ... This is Brock Osweiler's team the rest of the way, barring some sort of collapse."

As for Cincinnati Bengals backup-turned-starter AJ McCarron, the two-time national champion at Alabama will make his second straight start in place of Andy Dalton after a win last week against the San Francisco 49ers.

Since replacing Dalton during Cincinnati's Week 14 loss to Pittsburgh, McCarron has completed 70.2 percent of his passes for 494 yards and three touchdowns.

Peyton Manning and the new allegations on his potential HGH usage

In an interview with ESPN's Lisa Salters during Sunday NFL Countdown, Manning gave his thoughts on the recent reports that he used human growth hormone after neck fusion surgery in 2011. 

"I'm not sure I understand how someone can make something up about somebody and admit that he made it up and it somehow gets published in a story," Manning said.

"It's completely fabricated. Complete trash; garbage. There's more adjectives I'd like to able to use. But it really makes me sick."

The Denver Broncos organization released a public statement on Sunday about the Manning allegations and said, "Knowing Peyton Manning and everything he stands for, the Denver Broncos support him 100 percent."

Manning has been rehabbing from a torn plantar fascia in his left foot and hasn't played in a game for Denver since Nov. 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The short-handed Bengals will look to their other offensive weapons to produce

In terms of talent across the board, the Cincinnati Bengals offense ranks high on the list.

But on Monday night, they'll be looking for some players to step up in the absence of their starting quarterback and tight end.

"

ICYMI: Pro Bowl TE Tyler Eifert is officially OUT for #MNF. pic.twitter.com/2ePqAAdtZB

— ESPN Monday Night (@ESPNMondayNight) December 28, 2015"

Andy Dalton (broken thumb) and recent Pro Bowl selection Tyler Eifert (concussion) will both miss the game against Denver.

Dalton broke the thumb on his throwing hand making a tackle in Week 14 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Eifert suffered his concussion in the same game and hasn't played a down since.

Eifert leads all tight ends in the NFL this season with 12 touchdown catches in 14 games.

Along with those two key offensive pieces, Bengals safety George Iloka is listed as doubtful for Monday's game with a groin issue.

Prediction

Only seven teams give up less yards per game than the Cincinnati Bengals.

No team gives up less yards on defense than the Denver Broncos.

With two backup quarterbacks—one playing with a relevant injury—points will be at a minimum on Monday night.

The forecast for Denver around kickoff is calling for cloudy conditions, but a temperature of around 18 degrees.

Monday's conditions are even colder than last year's Week 16 Monday Night Football meeting between the two teams. That game ended in a 37-28 Cincinnati win after four Manning interceptions.

Despite not having one of the league's best red-zone targets, Eifert, last week against the 49ers, McCarron looked just fine in his first NFL start.

He completed 15 of 21 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown in a 24-14 Bengals win.

The Denver defense is a different animal, but it is a defense that was shredded for three second-half touchdowns last week in a 34-27 loss to Pittsburgh.

McCarron will still have the dynamic threat of A.J. Green outside, a balanced duo of Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard in the backfield to take on a stout Denver defense and a raucous crowd at Mile High Field.

The Broncos are ranked 22nd in the NFL in total offense and went scoreless in the second half of last week's loss, and now there is the matter of Osweiler's nagging shoulder issue.

The momentum seems to be heading in the other direction for Denver since the overtime win against the New England Patriots in Week 12.

Prediction: 23-17 Bengals.

Stats via NFL.com/stats

Michael Whitlow is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow Michael on Twitter: @MAWhitlow.