Denver
Broncos
0-3
37
FINAL
44
Cincinnati
Bengals
3-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Wildcard Round matchup, the Cincinnati Bengals narrowly defeated the Denver Broncos 44-37, securing their place in the next round of the playoffs. Both teams fought hard, but the Bengals ultimately emerged victorious, showcasing their offensive firepower and determination to advance in the 2027 postseason.
Leading the charge for Cincinnati was quarterback Joe Burrow, who threw for an impressive 323 yards and four touchdowns, orchestrating a dynamic offensive performance. Running back Nate Frazier added a significant contribution with 141 rushing yards, while Tee Higgins was a standout receiver, racking up 119 yards through the air. The Bengals' offensive strategy proved too much for the Broncos' defense to handle throughout the game.
Defensively, the Bengals were opportunistic, with Bryan Cook recording five total tackles and Dexter Lawrence II making his presence felt with two sacks. The turning point came in the second half when Cincinnati's defense tightened up, allowing no points in the final quarter while their offense kept the scoreboard ticking. Although Trey Taylor of the Broncos grabbed two interceptions, the Bengals' defense managed to disrupt the rhythm of Denver's offense just enough to secure the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 33 | 16 | 323 | 4 | 3 | 84.9 |
| Bo Nix | QB | 32 | 14 | 290 | 4 | 3 | 76.8 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Frazier | HB | 14 | 141 | 10.1 | 1 | 75 | 0 |
| Mike Washington Jr. | HB | 13 | 75 | 5.8 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| Jonah Coleman | HB | 2 | 35 | 17.5 | 1 | 36 | 0 |
| Justin Joly | TE | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Marvin Mims Jr | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| RJ Harvey | HB | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Colbie Young | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins | WR | 4 | 119 | 29.8 | 1 | 40 | 0 |
| Evan Engram | TE | 4 | 97 | 24.3 | 1 | 51 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 3 | 73 | 24.3 | 1 | 56 | 0 |
| Mike Washington Jr. | HB | 3 | 69 | 23.0 | 1 | 36 | 0 |
| Colbie Young | TE | 4 | 65 | 16.3 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Marvin Mims Jr | WR | 2 | 64 | 32.0 | 0 | 49 | 0 |
| Courtland Sutton | WR | 3 | 45 | 15.0 | 2 | 30 | 0 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 1 | 35 | 35.0 | 1 | 35 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Nate Frazier | HB | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| RJ Harvey | HB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DJ Turner II | CB | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Trey Taylor | SS | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | LEDG | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Raylen Wilson | MIKE | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Miles Scott | FS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Taron Johnson | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Surtain II | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Sammy Brown | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Brandon Jones | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Tyler Onyedim | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonathon Cooper | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dalton Sullivan | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ja'Quan McMillian | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Turner | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Jenkins Jr | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Frankie Luvu | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daijahn Anthony | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylen Key | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Abrams-Draine | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maddux Trujillo | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Evan McPherson | K | 1 | 1 | 5 | 37 |
| Jeremy Crawshaw | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

