Bengals vs. Broncos game recap: Everything we know from Week 15

The Cincinnati Bengals moved to 8-6 with Sunday’s 15-10 win over the Denver Broncos.

Cincinnati appeared to come out flat again in the first half, struggling offensively as the passing game settled for mostly checkdowns and the running game sputtered.

But some smooth kicking work by Evan McPherson and one big play in the second half by Tyler Boyd kept the Bengals in a position to get a win and stick in the playoff race.

That they did, escaping a tough late-kickoff away from home.

Final score: 15-10

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Keys to the game

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Chunk plays: The big play defined this one. While most of the offense was muted on the day, the Broncos had big gains of 28, 24 and 25 yards through the air. Boyd’s touchdown connection with Burrow was from 56 yards out…Kicking: Field goals don’t usually win games, but rookie Evan McPherson was solid under the microscope on Sunday, hitting all three of his attempts, including one that broke a franchise record…Fundamentals: If nothing else, the Bengals weren’t called for a ton of penalties and didn’t turn it over. In a game as close as this, every little bit counted.

It was over when...

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…Larry Ogunjobi got a sack on Drew Lock with less than a minute remaining, turning an already unlikely situation into the impossible as the Broncos looked for Hail Mary-styled plays to get down the field.

Bengals' Top Performers

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QB Joe Burrow: 15/22, 157 yards, 1 TD

RB Joe Mixon: 17 rushes, 58 yards

WR Tyler Boyd: 5 catches, 96 yards, 1 TD

LB Germaine Pratt: 15 total tackles, 0.5 sacks

DT Larry Ogunjobi: 4 tackles, 1.5 sack

DE Trey Hendrickson: 3 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 2 QB hits

Injuries

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Linebacker Joe Bachie left with an injury and was quickly ruled out. Right guard Hakeem Adeniji left the game early with an issue and was replaced by rookie Jackson Carman. Defensive lineman Kareem Khalid went down with a shoulder/upper body issue and didn’t return.

Important game notes

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— With a three-point lead early, Bengals sent extra pressure for an easy sack. Getting ahead and forcing the Denver offense out of its comfort zone was going to be critical.

— Like last week, will early mistakes hurt the Bengals over the long run? Huge first-quarter connection from Joe Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase negated by a holding penalty.

— While the Broncos have a solid defense, the first half was another example of the Zac Taylor-led Bengals just failing to get any positive early momentum on offense. The defense shouldn’t have to carry an offense with this many weapons directed by a coach labeled as an offensive guru.

— Bengals went to halftime with the 6-3 lead thanks to Evan McPherson’s record-breaking kick.

— Both teams combined for 11 first downs on 13 offensive drives. So, a fun first half from Denver.

— Trae Waynes, finally back on the field after another stay on IR, got wildly outplayed on the game’s first touchdown — that gave the Broncos a 10-9 lead. He’d later struggle to bring down a ball-carrier in a key moment.

— Waynes bailed out, in a sense, by the Bengals getting a long touchdown from Burrow to Tyler Boyd just two plays later.

— Funniest rollercoaster play of the year? Khalid Kareem forces a fumble by yanking the ball away from a Broncos player, rolls, gets up and takes off and fumbles while being tackled. After a lengthy review, Kareem was ruled down by contact after yanking the ball away, so the Bengals got possession.

— Bengals got aggressive offensively late, which was the exact opposite of what the team did in overtime last week. This, while playing with a lead, too.

— That is, until a 3rd-and-8 that would’ve won the game if converted. Instead, they called a run with Samaje Perine and had to punt. It worked this time, but strange to see an offensive-minded coach defer to a backup running back instead of a No. 1 pick like Burrow.

What's next?

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The Bengals return home for a two-game homestand. First up is a date against the Baltimore Ravens on December 26. They then welcome the Kansas City Chiefs to town on January 2.

After that, the final game of the season is a road trip to Cleveland for a date with the Browns.

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