On Saturday, the Denver Broncos lost a heartbreaking overtime game 30-24 to the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. The Broncos fell to 9-7 this season while the Bengals climbed to .500 at 8-8.

This was Denver’s second consecutive road loss to an AFC opponent, which would have secured the team’s first playoff berth since 2015. Now the Broncos have to win their regular season finale at home against the Broncos 15-1 Kansas City Chiefs to secure a postseason spot that has already secured the No. 1 spot in the playoffs.

For the Bengals, the hard-fought victory extends their four-game winning streak and keeps their playoff hopes alive, but they must overcome the 10-6 loss Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18, and they need the Broncos to lose to Kansas City, and they need that 7-8 Indianapolis Colts and 7-8 Miami Dolphins losing one of their last two games.

Weather wasn’t a problem for either team in the hot “jungle” of Cincinnati, which hosted the second of three NFL Saturday games in Week 17. As the Broncos return to the Mile High City disheartened and frustrated, they will also have one last chance at a win-and-in scenario against a division rival known in Denver for making dreams come true and causing disappointment.

What did we learn from the terrible week 17 loss? Let’s look at three frustrating takeaways from the Broncos’ brutal overtime loss to the Bengals.

As exciting as this holiday season primetime game was, the Broncos’ offense continued to hamper this team’s strength due to head coach Sean Payton’s game plan and play-calling. Despite Denver’s last two points of offense coming late in the fourth quarter by rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who connected with second-year wideout Marvin Mims Jr. for a total of 76 yards on two big touchdowns, the offense was largely weak and ineffective.

Payton’s offense went 4-for-12 on third downs and recorded just 19 total first downs compared to the Bengals’ 34. The Bengals also outgained the Broncos by 170 total yards and owned the football for nearly 15 minutes longer, equivalent to an NFL quarter. The Broncos also received four more penalties than Cincy, a whopping seven flags that cost them -35 yards in the hard-fought contest.

Nix finished the game 24 of 31 for 219 passing yards and three touchdowns, with an early interception in the fourth quarter. The pick came when the rookie was hit in the arm by Joseph Ossai while throwing.

The turnover marked Nix’s sixth interception in the last four games, which may be why Payton seems overly gun-shy about letting his first-round playmaker attack the depths of the field in the first half of games.

Since Nix’s three-interception performance against the Colts in Week 15, which included three touchdowns in a 31-13 Broncos win, Payton’s offense has appeared overly cautious, with oddly timed screens, swing passes and inconsistencies in the run game. Saturday’s loss marked 33 straight games without a running back, surpassing 100 yards rushing, the longest active streak in any NFL.

Jaleel McLaughlin was the game’s leading rusher with 69 yards on 10 attempts after missing last week’s contest in LA, while Nix was the second-leading rusher with 31 yards. Payton is still driving the round peg into the square hole by setting up Mims as a runner in the backfield. Mims recorded -1 yards on an attempt, although he led the team in receiving with eight receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns.

At this point, you have to wonder if Payton can really rely on anyone on his team to step up and test some of the veteran playcaller’s tendencies or preferences. Because in a team environment, people are only as good as the people they work with, especially in the ultimate team game of professional football.

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After missing three games with a knee injury, Broncos second-year cornerback Riley Moss returned to the starting lineup against a beleaguered Bengals offense. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow ambushed young defensive back Vance Joseph in various matchups, resulting in 412 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Burrow caught Moss on a pass interference penalty early in the first half, setting up a 1st-and-goal scenario in which Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase scored a would-be touchdown with Denver’s fiery No. 2 cornerback in coverage laid down. It was the Bengals’ veteran wideout Tee Higgins who really came through against Moss, recording seven catches on eight targets for 101 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 25 snaps the two players lined up opposite each other.

Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki also found favorable matchups against Moss, finishing the game with 10 receptions for 86 yards. Early in the first half, the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Gesicki jumped over Denver’s 6-foot-1, 200-pound corner, causing the tight end’s knee to come into contact with Moss’ head.

Moss was sidelined for the final three minutes of the first half but returned to the starting lineup in the third quarter. Refusing to let his teammates and himself down, Moss led the team with 11 solo tackles and showed some good finishing tackles and a high level of poise despite being teased throughout the game.

While Moss remains an integral part of the Broncos’ defense for the remainder of this season and the team’s future, his health and effectiveness are currently in question. After Moss’ difficult return, the Broncos may need to improvise and add other cornerbacks to their secondary, including Damarri Mathis and Kris Abrams-Draine.

It’s extremely rare for a defense to record seven sacks from five different players en route to a devastating loss, but that was the case for a Broncos defense that beat Burrow to no avail. Defensive end Zach Allen led the offense with 3.5 sacks for -13.5 yards as well as two tackles and five assists. Rush linebackers Jonathon Cooper (1.5 sacks) and Dondrea Tillman, defensive tackle DJ Jones and defensive end John Franklin-Myers also participated in the Burrow effort.

Denver’s defense entered the contest as the NFL’s all-time leader in sacks with the No. 8 overall defense. The Broncos left the game with seven sacks, recording a franchise-best 58 sacks in 16 games. This surpasses the Broncos’ previous record of 57 sacks in 16 games, set in 1984.

For reference, during the team’s famed Super Bowl 50 defense, led by Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and the No Fly Zone secondary, the Broncos recorded 52 sacks in the same number of games (16). The 2024 Broncos have six players with at least five sacks, the highest number of players with at least five sacks in team history.

While I’m sure Denver’s defense would have preferred the win and playoff berth if given the choice of setting a franchise record or losing the game, I can’t help but wonder if this pass Rushing corps will make it frustration with whoever starts quarterback for the Chiefs in Week 18.

Consider this new team record the only bright spot in a heartbreaking seventh loss and a missed opportunity to secure a playoff spot for the second straight season.

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