Broncos Crush Bengals 28-3 Behind Dobbins, Nix Dominance/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Denver Broncos broke their two-game losing streak with a 28-3 rout of the Bengals, powered by Bo Nix’s two touchdown passes and J.K. Dobbins’ 101-yard rushing effort. Cincinnati struggled offensively, managing just 159 total yards. Denver’s defense dominated while the offense showed its best performance of the season.
The Denver Broncos finally showcased the performance their head coach had been promising all offseason, dominating the Cincinnati Bengals 28-3 on Monday night in front of a home crowd. Behind quarterback Bo Nix and running back J.K. Dobbins, the Broncos broke their two-game losing streak and moved to 2-2 on the season.
Nix, the rookie quarterback under intense scrutiny, delivered his best performance yet, throwing for 326 yards and two touchdowns, and adding a rushing score. Despite an early interception in the red zone, he bounced back, leading the Broncos to three touchdown drives and a commanding lead before halftime.
Dobbins had a breakout performance, rushing for 101 yards on 16 carries — the first 100-yard rushing game for Denver in 38 games, dating back to the 2022 season finale. “Nobody can stop us if we keep doing what we did tonight,” Dobbins said confidently after the game.
Denver’s offense racked up 512 total yards and 29 first downs, compared to just nine first downs and 159 yards from Cincinnati. It was a stark contrast from Denver’s earlier performances this season, which had often been decided in the final seconds.
Cincinnati’s offense, led by backup quarterback Jake Browning while Joe Burrow recovers from toe surgery, never found rhythm. After scoring a field goal on their opening drive, the Bengals failed to cross midfield for the rest of the game and punted on eight straight possessions. Browning completed just 14 of 25 passes for 125 yards and expressed frustration postgame: “The last two weeks just feels like never really had momentum… Good offenses don’t do that, so we need to clean it up.”
Denver’s defense was relentless. Top Bengals receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase were effectively neutralized, with Higgins catching just three passes for 32 yards and Chase held to 23 yards on five receptions. Defensive back Ja’Quan McMillian summed up their strategy against Chase: “The game plan was Patrick Surtain.”
Despite an early blunder when Nix threw an interception to linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. on fourth-and-1the Broncos maintained control. Nix responded with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton just before halftime and a fourth-quarter strike to rookie RJ Harvey for a 12-yard score. Harvey added 58 rushing yards and 40 receiving yards, continuing to emerge as a versatile threat.
Special teams nearly provided a costly moment when Cincinnati’s PJ Jules recovered a muffed punt at the Denver 15-yard line. However, the play was nullified due to interference after Marvin Mims Jr. had called for a fair catch. That decision proved crucial, as Denver retained possession and kept momentum.
Penalties plagued the Bengals throughout, especially in the first half. Cincinnati was flagged 11 times for 65 yards, including multiple pre-snap infractions. Broncos center Luke Wattenberg also drew four penalties himself, part of Denver’s seven accepted penalties for 72 yards. Bengals coach Zac Taylor acknowledged the issue: “It is a lack of discipline… We can’t just hand the other team five yards.”
For the Broncos, the victory wasn’t just about stats or ending a skid — it was about finally playing up to expectations.
Up next, Denver faces a major challenge as they travel to face the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. The Bengals will look to regroup when they return home to host the Detroit Lions.
As the Broncos prepare for tougher opponents, this commanding win offers renewed hope that the team can finally turn the page on its recent inconsistencies.
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