DENVER, Colo. _ As if you needed any more evidence that Monday night’s AFC Showdown between the Bengals and Broncos was destined to be a smash-mouth affair, the Bengals activated run-stopping tackles Brandon Thompson and Pat Sims together for the first time all season.
The Bengals appeared to anticipate that the Broncos would try to protect quarterback Brock Osweiler in his sixth NFL start with the running game, ranked 18th after back-to-back losses they’ve averaged three yards per carry.
As expected, safety George Iloka (groin) joined quarterback Andy Dalton (thumb) and tight end Tyler Eifert (concussion) on the inactive list because they’re hurt.