Bengals at Broncos Week 16 Preview

The Jets face the Patriots at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, followed by a trip to Buffalo to see Rex Ryan’s Bills in Week 17. The Bengals simply handled the San Francisco 49ers of their game & clinched a playoff berth, still the Broncos squandered an early direct over the Pittsburgh Steelers and located themselves on the losing complete of in that game. They would join the 1985 Denver Broncos and 2008 New England Patriots as the only 11-5 squads to not make the playoffs since the National Football League went to a 16-game season in 1978.

For the third straight week, the Jets, Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs remain tied for the two AFC wild-card spots. However, the Broncos’ loss over Pittsburgh brings them to 10-4 on the year and gives Kansas City a chance to take the division.

A win over the New England Patriots would do wonders for the Jets in their hopes of making the playoffs.

“We’re playing as a team – offense, defense and special teams”, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. Asked specifically about the Steelers’ comeback win, Bowles offered a slight chuckle.

“They’re a division rival”, Bowles said. “But I’ve got to tell you, this is a first-class organization, and everyone does a great job”. I can’t control what Denver does. “It’s not necessarily the Patriots, it’s just about the position we’re in as far as giving ourselves a chance to make the postseason”.

Until the realization strikes that the team could win their last two regular-season games and still miss the playoffs in the AFC. I am sure there was also a lot of attention at Dove Valley this week on the offensive line; if they perform like they did last week, I am confident Bronco fans will be very upset at the end of this game. While Fitzpatrick’s statistics aren’t stellar, he’s made enough plays to lead the Jets to nine wins, which is the most the Jets have had in one season since the team went 11-5 in 2010.

“They probably won’t see Heinz Field again this season but should cruise into playoffs with Ravens, Browns left on road”.

It meant the Chiefs couldn’t pull away from a Steelers’ team pursuing them in the wild-card race. The Steelers and Jets are 9-5 and if each won out it would leave the Broncos sidelined for the playoffs at 11-5. They have scored at least 30 points in each game, needless to say. “We’ve got a divisional opponent this week at their place”. The big play was a 43-yard strike to Kenbrell Thompkins, a seldom-used backup.

Over the last few years the Jets have had the outside perception that they were a circus. RB Bilal Powell (seven catches for 54 yards) has quickly turned into an indispensable piece out of the backfield.

-RUSHING OFFENSE: C. It was a starvation evening for all-or-nothing RB Chris Ivory (13 carries for 37 yards), who remained 49 yards shy of 1,000 for the season. Next was a dismantling of the Colts at home, in which the Steelers scored five touchdowns from the second quarter on, after just a field goal in the first.