Denver
Broncos
14-5
34
FINAL
27
Cincinnati
Bengals
16-3
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Conference Championship matchup, the Denver Broncos narrowly defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 34-27, securing their spot in the Super Bowl for the 2026 season. Both teams fought hard, but it was the Broncos who ultimately triumphed in a game filled with high stakes and tense moments.
Denver's Drake Maye was the standout on offense, throwing for an impressive 350 yards and consistently moving the chains when it mattered most. Meanwhile, Cincinnati's Joe Burrow kept his team in the game with three touchdown passes, showcasing his ability to find the end zone. Breece Hall also made a significant impact on the ground for the Bengals, rushing for 99 yards, while Matthew Golden led the receiving corps with 116 yards.
Defensively, the Bengals had some bright spots, with Drake Thomas racking up 12 total tackles and Chop Robinson contributing two sacks. However, it was the Broncos' ability to capitalize on key turnovers that turned the tide in their favor. The game's pivotal moment came when Denver intercepted a pass late in the fourth quarter, preserving their lead and ultimately sealing the victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Maye | QB | 35 | 23 | 66% | 350 | 3 | 0 | 127.0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 40 | 25 | 63% | 325 | 3 | 0 | 113.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breece Hall | HB | 21 | 99 | 4.7 | 24 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 16 | 52 | 3.3 | — | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| Tahj Brooks | HB | 5 | 40 | 8.0 | 27 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| J.K. Dobbins | HB | 4 | 8 | 2.0 | — | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Drake Maye | QB | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| #555222188 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Troy Franklin | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Golden | WR | 8 | 116 | 14.5 | 14 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Troy Franklin | WR | 3 | 116 | 38.7 | 67 | 2 | 70 | 1 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | WR | 1 | 81 | 81.0 | 79 | 1 | 81 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 5 | 71 | 14.2 | 28 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| Evan Engram | TE | 7 | 69 | 9.9 | 22 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | 3 | 52 | 17.3 | 38 | 1 | 36 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 3 | 52 | 17.3 | 7 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| #555222188 | 7 | 48 | 6.9 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 1 | |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 3 | 36 | 12.0 | 11 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Breece Hall | HB | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Adam Prentice | FB | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Caleb Douglas | WR | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| J.K. Dobbins | HB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Thomas | WILL | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jonathon Cooper | LEDG | 9 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chop Robinson | REDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach Allen | DT | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Singleton | MIKE | 6 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Cisse | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Strnad | WILL | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Talanoa Hufanga | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jacob Rodriguez | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Jones | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Quan McMillian | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris McClellan | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nik Bonitto | REDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Jenkins Jr | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacob Phillips | SAM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jahdae Barron | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Karene Reid | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malcolm Roach | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devon Key | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Riley Moss | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Divine Deablo | MIKE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 2 | 3 | 3 | 48 |
| Wil Lutz | K | 2 | 2 | 4 | 52 |

