The Cincinnati Bengals get a shot at redemption on a national stage against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.
It’s a little easy to forget right now, but Jake Browning and the Bengals have a chance to move to 3-1 on the season if they can bounce back from last week’s miserable 48-10 showing.
That was good for the worst loss in franchise history and not exactly what anyone wanted to see. But if the Bengals can go to Denver and look competitive, if not steal a win, it would add credibility to the idea that it was a fluke post-Joe Burrow injury hangover showing and not the sign of bigger problems.
Easier said than done, of course. The Bengals running game has been laughably bad to this point, with Chase Brown sitting on 93 yards on 47 carries. In his first full start, Browning tried to do too much and threw two interceptions, including a pick-six. Tee Higgins has been targeted just 14 times, well behind 27 for Ja’Marr Chase.
The refreshed Al Golden defense, too, has struggled when turnover luck doesn’t go its way. Getting the best of Cleveland and Jacksonville but struggling against Minnesota could hint at a rough patch for the developing unit. Add on the fact first-rounder Shmear Stewart won’t play due to injury.
Denver, at least, is 1-2, with the only win coming over 0-4 Tennessee. Sophomore first-rounder Bo Nix appears to be hitting a slump with five touchdowns against three interceptions while averaging 5.6 yards per attempt.
Unfortunately for the Bengals, they’re more than seven-point underdogs for a reason. The Broncos have won six in a row at home while enjoying one of the best home-field advantages in sports. And bruising running back J.K. Dobbins has averaged 5.4 yards per carry with three scores already.
Some of this will come down to motivation, much of it preparedness. Bengals players will likely want to prove last week was a fluke, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that, based on last week’s level of play and readiness, the coaching staff will be able to scheme up a balanced offense, eventually letting the Broncos pull away with a strong ground game.
Prediction: Broncos 27, Bengals 20
