After a December to forget in terms of second-half woes, the Broncos decided to switch things up and get their struggles out of the way in the first half.
It was the Broncos’ pass rush and no-fly zone in the secondary that put on the clamps in the second half and overtime to help Denver post a 20-17 overtime victory over Cincinnati and secure a playoff berth.
It was a near strip sack by Von Miller that could have ended the game in overtime. After a review, the play stood.
PHOTOS:
On the very next play, a poor snap left Cincinnati quarterback AJ McCarron scrambling for a loose ball from the shotgun position. Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware recovered the ball to end the game.
“We just needed this emotionally,” Miller said. “We had been through a tough patch here, and we just needed it emotionally.”
It was truly a tale of two halves.
BOXSCORE:
The Broncos were stumbling their way to a third consecutive loss. Blame went to both sides.
Denver’s secondary let A.J. Green run wild in the first half for five catches, 57 yards and a touchdown as the Broncos stubbornly remained in man coverage. The Bengals led 14-3 at the break.
“We’re grown men,” linebacker Danny Trevathan said. “We wanted to take it upon ourselves to not let that happen again. We were tired of losing.”
Denver’s defense went back in the time machine, pulling back the cloak to reveal a unit that terrorized the NFL over the first three months of the season.
BESTS/WORSTS:
Denver held Cincinnati to three points, 3-of-9 third-down conversions and 90 total yards in the second half and overtime.
It only made sense that a play by cornerback Chris Harris signified the drastic shift. Second-and-eight from the Bengals’ 46-yard line halfway through the fourth quarter, McCarron found a streaking Green peeking open down the left seam for what could have been the go-ahead touchdown. Harris came flying in like a bat to knock the ball away.
The Bengals had to settle for a field goal.
It seemed to be enough as a clutch two-minute drive by quarterback Brock Osweiler put the Broncos in position to knock in a game-winning field goal, but kicker Brandon McManus hooked the 45-yard attempt about 30 yards wide left.
McManus redeemed himself in overtime.
“That’s what we do,” Harris said. “We won the game on defense.”
Cincinnati converted 7-of-8 third downs in the first half, a remarkable performance.
The Broncos’ first half defense looked like a replay of their second-half blunders against the Steelers.
Poor tackling reared its head again, and the lack of pass rush turned McCarron into Joe Montana. The second half was a completely different story.
Green, the Bengals’ best offensive weapon, was shut out with zero catches in the second half and overtime.
The Broncos went to more zone coverage, which allowed safeties T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart to roam freely and deliver bone-chilling hits on Bengals receivers.
Cameron Wolfe: 303-954-1891, cwolfe@denverpost.com or @CameronWolfe
