Denver Broncos Week 9 Matchup Preview

Denver Broncos (4-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (3-4)

I caught a lot of flack during the offseason by friends because of how quickly I jumped off the Tim Tebow bandwagon. But folks, we were going after Peyton freaking Manning. No one turns down that opportunity. And all previous doubts of whether or not he still “has it” have been shot down. The record for the Broncos isn’t overwhelming at 4-3, but the game quality as of late has been.

Preview:

After being named one of the up and coming teams for the future, the Cincinnati Bengals have flat-lined the last 3 weeks. Losing to Miami, Cleveland, and most recently to Pittsburgh. I really thought this team was going to be able to compete for the AFC North title, but I’ve since had to eat my words.

AJ Green celebrating 1 of his 7 TD's this season

One of the few positives the Bengals can take away from the season thus far has been the explosion of productivity from Wide Receiver AJ Green. He has a total of 636 yards off 44 receptions with 7 touchdowns this season. Other than Green, the team has been as mediocre as it gets. Promising Quarterback Andy Dalton is having a slightly above average season, the running game lead by Benjarvus Green-Ellis has been nonexistent, and the defense has struggled, allowing 26.7 points per game. This smells trouble for Cincinnati in their matchup against the Denver Broncos.

Denver has been one of the stoutest offensive teams this season being 4^th in passing yards per game and 14^th in rushing yards per game. A Peyton Manning lead offense is nothing to fall asleep on, and the Bengals’ defense has been napping all season. I see this trend continuing on Sunday.

The Broncos have won 2 games in row. The first against the Charger in comeback fashion. And the second against the Saints in blowout fashion. Peyton Manning has begun to click with his new teammates and the running game has been solid. After being chastised by Champ Bailey because of a pathetic performance against the New England Patriots, the Denver Defense has for the most part excelled. It seems to be a good time to be a Broncos fan.

3 Keys to the game:

#1: The Denver “D” must find a way to stop AJ Green. He has been an absolute monster this season. He ranks 8^th in receptions, 8^th in reception yards, 6^th in yards per game, 1^st in touchdowns, and 9^th in first down receptions. Broncos Cornerback Tracy Porter is out for the 3^rd week in a row, so it is key that the secondary of Denver is able to hold up without an important piece. I don’t think Chris Harris and Tony Carter are as good as they have played the last couple weeks. And Rahim Moore and Mike Adams have proved to be an unreliable safety tandem.  The secondary must either play above their skill level, or be shredded apart by Mr. Green. Champ Bailey can’t do it all on his own.

#2: Cincinnati can’t allow Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil to tear up QB Andy Dalton. The two have totaled for 11.0 sacks thus far this season. But the hurry-ups and knockdowns can’t be forgotten. They absolutely wreak havoc for an offensive rhythm, and that can’t be the case for Cincy. This season they have been the 15^th worst team in the NFL allowing 17 sacks. Allowing these two D-ends to rush a young quarterback in Andy Dalton will not bode well for the Bengals.

Manning has been nothing short of spectacular since joining the Broncos

#3: Peyton has to be Peyton. Regardless of what happens throughout the game, Manning just needs to play like he has all season. He has a QB Rating of 109.0 and has thrown 17 TD’s to only 4 interceptions. Need I remind you that 3 of them came in the 1^st quarter against the Falcons in Week 2. Although he has had a bit of a thumb issue this past week, I don’t expect that to play a key role in the game, and if Peyton plays like he should, the Broncos should find themselves in good position for a victory.

Prediction:

The Bengals simply don’t have enough firepower or ability to match up against the Broncos. I expect a slow 1^st quarter, but once Denver gets acclimated to their road environment, nothing will be able to stop them. Peyton will play how he’s played all season, and I expect big things from WR Demaryius Thomas. And no, there will be no need for an 87-yard tipped pass to Brandon Stokley with 11 seconds left in the game to pull out a victory this time.

Final Score: Broncos 35 - Bengals 17

For good measure: