On a rainy, miserable Monday night in Cincinnati, the Bengals kept their fans happy with a crucial win over Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.
Turning Point:
Peyton Manning wasn't his usual self tonight, and his biggest mistake came at the worst possible time for Denver. With under three minutes remaining, Manning threw a pick-six that Bengals CB Dre Kirkpatrick took to the house. The score put the Bengals up 37-28, and Cincinnati's defense saw things out from there.
Bengals MVP:
Bengals RB Jeremy Hill continues to impress, and he might have sealed his position as Cincy's #1 back in time for their playoff run. Hill finished with 133 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, and his electrifying 85-yard TD run in the first quarter sparked a run of 20 unanswered points for the Bengals.
Broncos MVP:
You can't blame this one on WR Demaryius Thomas, who caught 7 passes for 115 yards tonight. While his positioning was questionable on Manning's crucial interception, that pass should never have been thrown in the first place.
Stat of the Night:
This was Manning's first four-interception game since joining the Broncos in 2012, and just his third game with three or more picks in that span.
What's Next?
The Broncos head into their final matchup of the season against the Oakland Raiders knowing they won't have home-field advantage, and they still have to worry about their playoff seeding...given how the Raiders have come on in recent weeks, that isn't as nice a matchup as it looked at the beginning of the season.
Cincinnati, on the other hand, has their playoff spot locked up, but they'll want to keep their momentum alive with a road win against Pittsburgh next weekend.
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