Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - The Cincinnati Bengals' slim playoff hopes are alive with a crazy overtime win against the Denver Broncos

Episode Date: December 29, 2024

Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase, Mike Gesicki, and timely plays from the defense combined to get the Cincinnati Bengals their first win against a winning team in 2024 in their final home game of the season. Jake Liscow and James Rapien break down how the Bengals avoided a repeat of their other tight games against decent (or better) teams and made the plays they needed to finish the game.Join the Locked On Bengals Insider Community! https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonbengalsFind and follow Locked On Bengals on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-bengals-daily-podcast-on-the-cincinnati-bengals/id1159723162Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7AObc0lh0WmQl5fJVgtajsGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vbG9ja2Vkb25iZW5nYWxz?sa=X&ved=0CAYQrrcFahcKEwio_sXtj8nuAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAgStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-bengals Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!PrizePicksDownload the app and use code lockedonnfl to win $50 instantly when you play $5. You don't even need to win to receive your $50 bonus, it's guaranteed! Prizepicks. Run Your Game.Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFLGametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms Apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelYou can start the season with a big return on FanDuel. New customers can place a FIVE DOLLAR bet and you’ll get started with TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS - if you win your first FIVE DOLLAR BET ! Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a game that looked so much like every other Cincinnati Bengals game against halfway decent teams this year. At the very end, it took a turn. The Bengals made the plays and they kept their hopes alive. Let's break it down. You are Locked on Bengals, your daily Cincinnati Bengals podcast. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Well, up Bengals fans and welcome to another episode of the Locked on Bengals podcast. I'm Jake Liskow. He's James Rupin.

We are on the Lockdown Podcast Network covering your team every day. We're on YouTube and everywhere you get your podcast. So if you're new to the show and you're interested in staying up to date on all things, Bengals, regardless of whether or not these slim playoff hopes are realized in the next couple of weeks, while you're in the right place and you can subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss an episode. And welcome back to all those every-dayers out there that have been sticking with us all year and throughout the years, as we're almost at the end. of another season, another calendar year, the last game for the Bengals and calendar year

2024, and to all of you who make us your first list, appreciate all of you so very much. And let's dive into a crazy game, another game that was on the end of the insanity that we've seen from this team all year against decent teams. The Bengals finally get a win against the team with a winning record in the Denver Broncos. But it takes overtime to do it after potential time mismanagement in crunch time. We're going to talk about that and so many other topics in this one, James. But what's your big takeaway as you reflect on this 30 to 24 win for the Bengals? Wow.

The big takeaway is Joe Burrow is as good as anyone on the planet. And you can decipher that however you want. But for them to continue to bounce back and bounce back and bounce back and overcome what seemingly was like four wins in one. Like I just, I give credit to Joe for being that stabilizing presence. And obviously he was awesome on the field. So I start there. But man, it's wild to think.

But as we record this, it's Saturday night. It's December 28th. A lot of you will listen to this, watch this on December 29. So we're literally talking about four weeks ago. They lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers fall to 4 and 8. And we're not even thinking playoffs. Like it was like, all right, well, should we start talking about the draft? We're looking at draft position, all of those things.

We were talking about like, when do we bring a mock draft Monday back? How much longer can we push that off? That was the question was like, yeah. Like, can we push this off just a little bit longer? You know, we're not ready for it yet. Yeah. And now, and I don't know if they're going to make the playoffs. I haven't even looked at the percentage chances and all of those things.

but there is a chance. And they played their way into a meaningful week 18 game. And the defense showed some signs today. Not all good, certainly, which is why it was so wacky, but some good. And the offense continues to be a lot of fun to watch. And yet there's things that they could certainly improve on, especially in the first half, when this game could have gotten away from the Broncos. But for them to find a way to win this game,

really move the ball up and down the field against a good defense. in the Broncos, and what I think is a tough matchup, I just wild. And honestly, I just come back to where I let it. You said, what's your big takeaway? Well, Joe Burrow was 39 and 49. That's a 79.6% completion percentage for 412 yards. With sacks seven times, still had three touchdowns. It had a 122.1 quarterback rating.

Also ran for a touchdown in 25 yards. Joe Burrow is, he might not be the MVP in real life. when the MVP votes are cast. But I don't know how you can argue that he isn't as valuable or more valuable than anyone in the league. For what this Bengals team is, what they've done. And now we're looking at a team that has eight wins, not four wins. So where would the Bengals be without Joe Burrow? They'd be contending for that number one overall pick is what I think.

That's where they would be. What Joe Burrow has done this year, most years wins the MVP. Especially when you take into Convro. the team around him, the difficulties that they've had in various departments of this team, the plays they haven't made on either side of the ball or the offensive line issues they've had, whatever you want to throw in there as caveats, just amplify his case if you were to make one. It's just an award that is generally given to the best player on a team that is solidly a playoff team. And so he certainly faces an uphill battle there.

He'll probably get votes. there are enough people out there that think he's playing at that level that he'll probably get votes but it still feels like an incredible long shot like very very long odds but but it shouldn't in the reason it should i'm not trying to be to homership but the word is valuable not best player on the the best team or the the number two seed or the the this or like it's not even like watching this when you understand that word and if you voted that way, then he's got to be in the,

easily the top three. Like there's no running back that you're voting for. And it would be Alan Lamar and Joe. I mean, those are the three guys. And after that, whatever. But, yeah, Joe was awesome tonight. And the Bengals, he thinks they have the best offense in the NFL. And if they do, it's because Joey B is that quarterback.

The Denver defense is really good. Yeah. We talked about that coming into. of this game and talked about Riley Moss and boy are we going to talk about Riley Moss later in this show a little bit too but the Bengals in this game went 11 plays 48 yards

when 17 plays 68 yards went 7 plays 62 yards went 11 play 69 yards 11 play 63 yards 6 plays 27 yards that one ended in a fumble after what should have been a first nine conversion six plays 59 yards their first punt of the game comes in overtime 5 play 17 yards they finally have to punt the ball. Joe Burrow has another game-winning drive, which would have been his second of the game,

because you could argue that the touchdown to take the Bengals to be up seven points toward the end of regulation, and we'll talk about the time management there, certainly 24-17, is a game-winning drive, a fourth-quarter game-winning drive potentially if the defense can get a stop. And then he takes the Bengals down to the 15, is that right? 14-15-yard line, and Kay Dwork misses a field goal on third. down right before that missed kick when they run the ball on second down. I tweeted, man, I wish they had gone for a touchdown here. I still wish they would have gone for the touchdown there.

But the defense guts in the ball back in another five-place, 63-yard drive for a touchdown. The Bengals were stopped on turnover on downs twice in the first half. Very easy to argue that those were self-inflicted issues. Their play-calling issues, I think, on the first one trying to run the ball a couple of times. The second one in particular got me round. a little bit. Then on the next drive, you have the either misfire from Joe Burrow to Mike Gaseki. Is that this drive? Am I talking about the right drive here? Yeah, it's either the misfire to Mike Gaseki that ends up incomplete right around the goal line or Mike Gosecchi

runs that route a little too deep. Hard to know on that one without being in the room. Chase Brown getting blown up in the backfield, Mark Chase dropping a touchdown and then Joe Burrow taking a sack. And outside of that, the Bengals were moving the ball up and down the field against a really good Broncos defense despite the seven sacks. And he actually was sacked two more times, I think, that were erased by penalties. I believe there were up to nine in this game. They lose a Marius Mims who's trying to play through a broken hand wearing a cast. And he doesn't come back into the game. Devin Cockin actually playing pretty admirably at right tackle.

But overall, on the day, if you had told me the offense would look like this against this defense, I would have assumed they were going away with this one. The offense was good in this game. They had a few issues that were self-inflicted issues, a fumble for T. Higgins, another one of those. Boy, did T answer the call when he had to make up for it. Yeah, and let's go there next. Let's talk about T. Higgins and what he was tonight.

Obviously, we're going to get into Joe Burrow. We have to talk about loose Kru, Luaneruneru's defense. There's so many things to unwrap and digested in this one. But 30, 24, Jake. The Bengals are 8 and 8. eight and eight who would have thought we'll continue with some tea conversation coming up next did rocket money help you find any subscriptions you forgot about or that you were paying for twice it's helped me it can help you rocket money is a personal finance app that helps you

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Go to RocketMoney.com slash locked on today. That's RocketMoney.com slash locked on. Want to pay T. Higgins and Jemar Chase, go to rocketmoney.com slash locked on. T. Higgins finishes this game in emphatic style with an incredible catch, the game-winning touchdown. 11 catches, 131, three touchdowns after a false start, after a fumble, facing down a couple of mistakes in adversity and answering by putting the team on his back and making incredible plays to help the Bengals win the game. Yep.

It's tea time. I mean, he's been, I think he's been so good this year just in general, but for him to play the way he played tonight. And I'm just looking here. So in, even with the fumble, in PPR leagues, I was just curious, 40 fantasy points in this championship game. T. Higgins clutch, if you have him on your team. And if you're going against him, I'm sorry.

he he's just that damn good like he he matters so much in games like this when there's a patrick certane in a patrick certan and in a guy an elite corner or an elite defense that that has the ability to keep joeboro in the pocket and not extend plays as much and also can take away jamaa at times when then you have team and i think if you're going to be this pass heavy offense which the bengals are that's their identity right it's why we've talked so much about receivers and that's why t is a need when joe said that less than a month ago but after a few days after that dallas win the bengals are five and eight and he's on a limb talking about this is why because he can do that he can be this kind of difference maker in

this game t higgins now 10 touchdowns on the season that's a career high his previous career high was seven so he had already tied that uh has played in 11 regular season games has 10 touchdown I mean, he matters. And he obviously matter tonight. And in crunch time, it's funny, I was talking to him after the game. So he catches that 31-yarder that set up the game winning touchdown in overtime. And he was like, I was cooked. I had just run like four or five go routes.

I was cooked. And I'm like, well, Cook-Tee can get two feet down still. I mean, the fact that he was able to get both feet down on that catch, make that play the strong hands that we saw really throughout the game from him outside of the fumble. Just a heck of a heck of a performance. I mean, he was this, the the Broncos in I would say like 25 other teams would be like, yeah, that's our wide receiver won. And

having him alongside Jamar Chase, what a weapon. So hopefully this is not T. Higgins' last home game at Paycor Stadium. Hopefully this is just a big firework show in a got to have a game and part of his legacy. he's a Bengal. Makes a statement to the Bengals that is the importance of T. Higgins. If it is his final game in Paycourt Stadium, what a way to go out. At least there would be that.

That is a slim silver lining. I think more than anything, it sends a very powerful message to the front office. And as we've talked about, who else are you paying? And the agent change and all the stuff we've talked about with T. Higgins, a huge game for him. Rocket money, Jake. It's going to help. Yeah, got to say. save the Bengals some money on those subscriptions.

The other note on T that I wanted to hit was the other touchdown catch. It wasn't the slant. That one's just easy. That's just a great play call there. They've been struggling in the red zone. So to get to that play call in that spot, get T in motion and get him singled up in that spot, there's nobody that is handling T. Higgins on that Denver side of the field. Besides maybe Patrick Sertan on a slant from like the one or two yard line or whatever it was,

That's just too easy for Joe Burrow and T. Higgins. As soon as Joe catches a snap, he knows where that ball is going. So that's a great play call. Credit Zach Taylor for getting Tee in motion, singling him up. Just a little slant flat combo there. The late hands on the second touchdown that the broadcast did a good job of pointing out. Trent Green did a great job of pointing this out. Ralee Moss is in great position there.

Joe Burrow throws a great ball, but Ralee Moss is in a good spot. T. Higgins' late hands technique flashing those hands when the ball is practically above Raleigh Moss's head. He has no idea where the ball is. He's guessing. You can watch a replay. The hand he throws out there to try to break up the pass is nowhere close. And that's just perfectly played by T. Higgins in that spot. Huge play there.

And man, for all the talk about Riley Moss between Dan O'Lodzky's tweet, between our crossover this week, the Bengals went after Riley Moss. He was targeted 13 times, according to PFF charting in this game, James. He gave up nine catches on those 13 targets for 170. yards and two touchdowns. Jaquah Macmillan, the second most targeted quarter for Denver, just in case you were curious, nine catches on nine targets for 99 yards and a touchdown. So not so good for McMillan or Moss in this game.

Yeah, that's, honestly, that shows what T. Higgins, D. Marr, that shows what these guys are. That is that right there. Because you had really smart football people saying Riley Moss could be a difference maker, right? that he's going to help change the Broncos. And by the way, he's a big part of their defense. I think he's a talented corner. And he's probably going to be really good next week in Kansas City

or against Kansas City at the games in Denver. But that's why you have Jamar and T. Because it just, it's so tough. And then when you have the answer for those two guys, then you have the Mike Gaseki. Then you have the Andre Yosabash. And I think that's part of what kind of was a, I don't want to say cheat code,

because I don't think anything that was easy for Joe. But when you have a guy like Mike Gisicki that has the size, athleticism, length, and just ability to find the ball and get open. And he only averaged 8.6 yards per catch. His long catch was 12 yards. But this is that slot. You're talking about the biggest slot in the league with Mike Gassicki. And I know he's listed as a tight end, but 10 receptions, a season high for 86 yards on 12 targets. And heck, it would have been 11, but the one target it was tipped. So it just disrupted Gisicki's concentration. Like, yeah, I think that's what makes it hard.

It's because in a game like this, when it's like, all right, well, I'm sure the Broncos felt like they had an answer, at least for Jamar. But then there's T. And then when you had the answer for T, well, then there's Mike Gaseki. And then there's Andrei Yosabash. And it just makes it tough to guard again, what Joe Burroughs said is the best offense in the league. Yeah, Gassiki had a couple of mistakes in this game. Don't want to belabor the point there. He was awesome in this game.

said he caught 10 of 12 targets, huge first downs. He had five first downs in this game was the reliable third possession receiver type the Bengals needed and we're picking on the mismatch. I mean, there's a point in this game early in this game that tight ends for the Bengals, Cam Grandy had the first target of the game. Drew Sample had an early target. Mike Kassiki had three early targets. It was six targets for tight ends and three targets for Jamar Chase. And that was all of the six first or nine first throws for Joe Burrow in this game before the ball started to go. to T. Higgins a little bit more, Jamar Chase, a little bit more. 16 targets for

Jamar, by the way. Ten catches, 112 yards. Drop his touchdown chance, unfortunate there, but should be pretty comfortable in building his Triple Crown lead there. We'll need probably a little bit more next week on the yardage front with Justin Jefferson a little bit

close, but in a game where everyone had mistakes, they also all made big plays. Yoshi had a drop. It might have been on the OPI play. So there's OPI there. That's a Chase Brown OPI issue, but Chase Brown had his share of plays in this game.

Unfortunate an injury for him. Jamar, obviously, put the Bengals in position a number of times with his own big plays, especially in the fourth quarter, but had a drop. Mike Keseki had the drop, but also had all those first downs. He also had the illegal motion that erases in Andreosovash touchdown.

The Bengals managed to overcome that one with Joe Burrow picking up a first down on a third and 13 scramble, but all these mistakes happen, but all these guys are also making plays. that were more than enough to make up for it. And that is a difference this week than previous weeks, is we saw the Bengals play resilient football in this game, James, and make the plays they needed to make enough to win the game, obviously.

And we're so many times in this sort of game and this movie that we've watched this year, where we didn't get the surprise to a standing of the Bengals making the play and winning the game, it's been the same story of, like, they just needed one more play here or there, or here, or there. know that Denver Broncos fans are saying the same thing right now on the other side because the Bengals made those plays this week. For sure. And the good part is, and I've done this a lot after the wins because a lot of them haven't been pretty. But like the defense, they've done,

they did a lot of good. There's also like, all right, hey, how about you don't let Marvin Mims get wide open for a 50-yard touchdown? How about you don't let Marvin Mims catch a 25-yarder to to tie the game in force overtime. Debateably catch. I know, but he caught it. You know, like if it was ruled, if it was ruled the other way, I think it would have been just cause

stanza's incomplete. Very reminiscent of the ruling that went against Jamar Chase, Matt Milano back of the end zone in that still game in Buffalo. By the way, I thought that was a touchdown in the moment. And Jamar had the ball

for about a second longer inbound than Mims did. But anyway, if you don't need to belabor that point too much. Yeah, but there was a lot of bad as well. And I think that's a good thing when you win, because it's not like this defense is like, ah, see, we shut down Bo, Nick.

No, you didn't. No, you didn't. Boenicks came out and bought out. He played pretty well. I thought, and at the same time, you did make some plays. You got the interception. And you were able to play and get stops, hold them to three points in the first half.

So good and bad. I'm sure we have some defense to talk about. We do need to talk about the clock management, though. So how about we go there coming up next? The Cincinnati Bengals, James, with a minute 39 left in the game, had a first down on the Denver 6-yard line. Denver had just taken its second timeout, and so Denver had one timeout remaining.

And Zach Taylor's plan was to run Chase Brown up the middle for a yard or two. I assume, but the way the running game was going in this one, maybe three, and forced Denver to take their final timeout. Instead, Chase Brown unfortunately found a clear running lane to the outside, the instincts of a running back kicking in and running to daylight. It could have been a touchdown, but instead he tries to slide down at the one, which was a plan, and unfortunately sustains an ankle injury on the play. And when you have an injury in that part of the game,

you're forced to take a time out. Denver gets to keep theirs. And so at this point, you are forced to decide as Zach Taylor whether you want to try to score with a minute 29 left and make Denver need a touchdown. Or if you want to try to run clock, kick a field goal with, say, 40 seconds or so left with a kicker that I don't think there's necessarily a ton of trust with right now in Cade York. and then Denver needs a field goal with no timeouts and getting the ball back. Let's say 40 seconds left. Denver moved the ball extremely quickly on their following drive. 30 seconds after they possessed the ball, they were already to the Cincinnati 34.

So you could argue that with Will Lutz being a good kicker on the very next drive with what happened in the game, Denver would have been in field goal range. So after the point that Chase Brown was injured, the decision was actually pretty hard, in my opinion. It's give the ball back to Denver with 90 seconds needing a touchdown or 40 seconds needing a field goal. And I think that's a little bit closer than some have made it out that have said it's just brutal time management. But those people would be right if they said if they just took a knee on multiple plays in a row, Denver's getting the ball back with negligible time needing a field goal and no timeouts. And it's much, much harder. So there could be issues earlier in that drive, Chase Brown going out of bounds, the decision to hand the ball off. But once you get to that point where you have to use your time out because Chase Brown was injured,

it is a more difficult decision, I think, at that point, than you might initially have thought. Yeah, I think it's one of those things where I get wanting to get positive yards. I get not kneeling it. And at the same time, asking Chase to get down, knowing that there are going to be bodies around him. It's not like he's a breakaway. And I asked him about that after getting it's tough when there's guys around you and they want you to score. And so

they're going to try to move you forward. Like the Broncos wanted him to score there, of course. And so it made it tough and you lands awkwardly and like that whole situation is awkward. To me, after that and I get it, if you're going to

kneel it and try to kill clock, fine. But after that, I would score the touchdown. I would rather be up seven regardless of the time, then up three, 40 seconds. I just, the seven, it's such a difference to me that, yeah, all right, so it's Bo Nix and he's got to go downfield and score. And he did in 121 with eight seconds left. But it took a crazy play that you even debated like, it's probably not a catch.

And a lot of people probably don't think it was a catch. And so it's hard, is my point. And so I don't, I'm not mad about that. I'm not mad that they scored when they did after the injury. I would have tried to score as well there because going up seven at that point, when you know they're going to have to give the ball back to the Broncos, I'd much rather be up seven regardless. And I think Kate York would have made the field goal.

I would have been confident in that. But maybe I shouldn't have been given what happened in overtime. Yeah. I think that's where it gets a little tricky. Like you could definitely argue that there were earlier time management issues. like the Bengals only used a minute from the 40 to score a touchdown. And part of that is because Jamar Chase has a 38-yard catch-and-run on that play, but you're not going to take away, right?

Like you're not upset about that being the first play of your drive and the two-minute drill. Again, after the two-minute warning, there was an opportunity after the Bengals pick up the first down. They could have kneeled it three straight times and kicked the field goal. Denver would have gotten the ball back with not very much time. And that probably would have been the right thing to do in hindsight. But after the injury occurred, it's not the worst thing to me. Denver taking timeouts in overtime, potentially costing themselves the tie, which is all they needed to clinch a playoff spot, is terrible time management.

Speaking of terrible time management, when the Bengals had the ball, I have no idea why Sean Payton is calling timeouts there if all he needs is a tie, knowing that the Bengals are in field goal range. that's pretty crazy stuff from Sean Peyton, meaning the Bengals have plenty of time in overtime to go down and score game-winning touchdown with a minute. Three possessions. You know, you get three possessions in overtime,

a 10-minute overtime. Yeah. Yeah. And it's one of those things where it's like, all right, well, maybe he didn't know, like didn't think about the time he's playing to win. But if you're playing to win, then go for two. When you just shocked this crowd, 24, 23,

like if that's it. Now I get like overtime because a tide gets you in so you don't want to go for two. Like if that's his logic, but again, if that's his logic, then why would you use those time? Weren't they sending them out to go for two? And then they replayed it and they had to review it. And then they sent the field goal unit out after that. That's what the broadcast said anyway is what it appeared. So I was busy thinking and analyzing and writing at that point.

But that's what the broadcast said. It was an interesting moment. Yeah, you know, social media. of writing. Oh, obviously. Yeah, that's my, that's my writing outlet. The other coaching points that I think you could be critical of, Marvin Min's first touchdown, letting him get open, splitting the safeties there. That's a terrible defensive play call. First and 10 from midfield, Lewin and Rumo chooses to rush three there, anticipating, you know, a screen or something quick. Denver calls a perfect play into it, a shot play. You're only rushing three. Boenix is essentially playing

seven on seven and Marvin Min's is running past for slow safeties. That wasn't, so good. And then the turnover on downs, those decisions, to me, I'm fine with them choosing to go for it. I did not like the play calls leading to the first turnover on downs, the running play into the running play where Jamar Chase is in the backfield, the fake toss, nobody bites on. The unblocked guy that's supposed to bite on it ends up making the tackle on Chase Brown running fullback dive on fourth and one. Works and Madden doesn't work in real life. Don't even know if it works in Madden anymore. And then the four down series. on the one where every one of those plays was terrible.

Those were rough. Mistakes from players on the second one, coaching mistakes on the first one. But I didn't have any real issues going for it in either instance, personally, James. No, I think it's fair. The first one should have been a sneak. I have no idea.

It's wide open. Ted, fall forward. I'm going to fall forward on top of you, first down. Like, I have no idea why they didn't just do that. There's no one there. They did crash on the egg house, but Joe would have been able to step around it. I think that a sneak would have worked. Yeah, I just all in on that.

Anyways, that didn't happen. I get going for it on the second one as well. I didn't like the play call in the first one. The second one, it's tough because you have the touchdown on third down. Yeah. And so it's really tough. And first down, really. What was first down?

The Gisiki, yeah. Yeah, okay. But yeah, the third down, I mean, you had it. And so it's tough to only come away with three there if you did. But then what's crazy is you look up and they're down three nothing. And they've done nothing but move the ball. And so that would have been, had they lost, that would have been the stretch that I would have looked at. It's the first 20 minutes of this game, 25 minutes of this game, where they're down three nothing.

obviously a lot of crappy stuff and wild stuff happened in the second half. But that stretch, they were dominating. They should have been up 10-3 minimum after their first two possessions. And to not have any points, even though you go into the half with a lead, I thought that that was rough. But they were able to rebound. They built a lead, and they were able to somehow find a way to regain it again in overtime. to attend it. Yeah, critically, I think the defense made plays at times where they needed the

defense to make plays to pick the offense up. After the Bengals, two turnover on downs, the Broncos ran five plays for 14 yards, punted it back to the Bengals, who then went 68 yards and didn't score points on a 17 play drive, and then the Broncos went three and out. And then the Bengals scored the touchdown, then the half ended. So the defense picked the Bengals up in this game in a game against a much more competent offense than they've seen lately. Bo Nex wasn't perfect in this game, but he certainly produced. He had. one great throw to Marvin Mims. He made a miracle throw to Mims again with time nearly expiring to push the game into overtime. But the defense did make plays in this game to get those stops

in the first half. The Joseph Osai and Jermaine Pratt combination for the interception that leads to the Bengals driving for what could have been a game winning touchdown in regulation, an awesome play for those two guys as well. It wasn't perfect, but they get again two, three outs in overtime after giving up three touchdown drives in the second half where Sean Peyton sticks with his running game and found those shot plays. The defense wasn't perfect in this game. A lot of the still issue is still there. The pass rush wasn't consistent enough, all those things.

But they did make plays when they needed them to make plays and gave the Bengals opportunities to have three separate should have been game-winning drives by the offense. And one of them the defense blew it. And then the Bengals picked them up in overtime after the Bengals' offense had to punt. and then they picked the Bengals up in overtime again when Kade York missed the chip shot fuel. Yeah, it was perfectly imperfect, but it was good enough to get a win, right?

Where every phase had issues but also had good moments. Ryan Rico pinning the Broncos at the 10 in overtime, giving the defense a chance, right? His only time. Yeah, Kade York blows it, but then Ryan Rico picks him up. You know, all of those situations, well, that actually set up to Kade York. But the point is, it's like there's good and bad on special teams, good and bad on offense and good and bad on defense, and they found a way to get a win, a one score win, Jake Lusco. Against the team with a winning record. Against a team with a winning record. Oh, my God. They improved a three and five at Paycourt this year. Three and five.

Terrible. But at least they got the win. They got the win. And they're eight and eight. They have a chance. They have a chance. And to it, yeah, that's big. They have a chance to get to a winning record if they can beat the Steelers on the road next week. According to the New York Times playoff simulator, winning against the Broncos, puts the Bengals at a 7% chance to make the playoffs. And winning against the Steelers next week moves out to 14%. We'll see what happens, of course, with Kansas City choosing to play at,

starters are not against Denver, and these backups playing for Miami and Indianapolis playing some truly dreadful teams, but they're at least playing their backup quarterbacks. These are the things we'll be watching over the weekend. We'll be back with you here on Lockdown Bengals on Monday with the Bengals playing on Saturday. We'll have, I'm sure, plenty to talk about then as well. Until then, thanks for listening to this episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast. Ho day. And have a good.