Defense lifts Denver into playoffs

The loss probably knocks Cincinnati out of a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs.

“I’m 24 years old and I don’t think I’ve ever kicked the ball like that in my life: grade school, elementary school or anything like that”, McManus said.

Week 10: The Broncos had to thwart a two-point attempt by John Fox and the Bears to preserve a 17-15 win at Chicago in Brock Osweiler’s first start.

The Broncos had all the momentum despite the missed field goal and they won the coin flip.

Even with an 11-4 record, a clinched AFC North Division title and the certainty of a home playoff game, the Cincinnati Bengals have missed a couple of golden opportunities this season.

Denver can earn the top seed in the AFC with a win over San Diego and a loss by New England at Miami next weekend. “There’s a lot of things we wish we could’ve had back”. With 9:53 left in overtime, Broncos pass-rusher Von Miller clearly forced the ball out of McCarron’s throwing hand before he was able to move the ball forward, but Ed Hochuli’s crew called it an incompletion and somehow kept the call on review. “I told the team that”, McCarron said.

McCarron had an MRI on the left wrist on Tuesday.

The game was sent to overtime when Broncos kicker Brandon McManus badly shanked a potential game-winning field goal. Quarterback Brock Osweiler finished the game with 299 passing yards, a touchdown and zero interceptions. Allen is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry, but he has proven to be a dual threat, though, catching 31 passes and two touchdowns out of the backfield.

He said it was such a clumsy mistake that he didn’t bother getting nervous for his chance to win the game in overtime. “It was a hard-fought game. I just knew we could end it”. The Chargers mounted a game-tying drive in regulation, but Oakland came out of the game with a win after San Diego couldn’t get a first down on their overtime possession.

Booed off their field as they trailed by 11 points, the Broncos exited the bitter cold – at 16 degrees it represented their third-coldest home game – and returned fast and furious.

Via Broncos Communications Director Patrick Smyth: With Monday’s win, the Broncos became the first team in National Football League history to have three comeback wins of 14-plus points against playoff teams (Cincinnati, New England and Kansas City). He has 70 catches for 868 yards and five scores – all career highs – and he has recorded at least six catches in six of his last eight games.

“We told him if you get another chance take advantage of it and he did”, Demaryius Thomas said. A zone play on which safety Reggie Nelson says he should have made the tackle.

Key Play: Anderson’s 39-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that gave the Broncos their first lead came courtesy of three missed tackles, the first of which came in the backfield.

McManus then redeemed himself by splitting the uprights from 37 yards out 5 minutes into the extra period.

According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, McCarron took the blame for the dropped snap on the game’s final play.

Seahawks: Coach Pete Carroll indicated that running back Marshawn Lynch could rejoin the team later this week but cautioned no decision has been made as to whether he will play in the regular-season finale this week at Arizona or in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs.

This game marked only the third time two teams have met in December with those stats.

-WR Mohamed Sanu ran for his second touchdown of the season, taking a direct snap and running it in from 6 yards out.