Sean Payton plays for OT as the Broncos lose 30-24 to the Bengals

CINCINNATI – Sean Payton was happy with the Broncos’ position at the moment and overall.

He liked the path to the finish line eight seconds before the end of regular time at Paycor Stadium.

Not just a win or a draw, but also a long-awaited spot in the postseason.

He liked the way his offense got going and the way his defense ran wild through Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in the first 59 minutes and 52 seconds.

However, instead of a win and a berth in the postseason, Payton’s chosen path ultimately led Denver to a second straight week of heartbreak.

The Broncos’ fate remains unclear after a 30-24 overtime loss to the Bengals that shifted what once looked like a glide path to the playoffs to the uncomfortably steep terrain of Week 18.

“We have to develop into winners and make sure we finish when we control the outcome of certain things,” lamented Denver right tackle Mike McGlinchey after his team fell to 9-7.

For the second straight year, Denver had a chance to do just that. A chance to finish and a chance to end the second-longest postseason drought in the NFL.

For the second week in a row, the team was so close that they almost reached Wild Card weekend.

They could have won with a two-pointer in the final seconds.

With a productive drive in overtime, they could have won.

Hell, they actually could have won without winning at all.

“It went back and forth and in the end we didn’t make enough plays,” Payton said.

Control wavered several times in the fourth quarter alone. It went to Cincinnati with Burrow’s teardrop touchdown pass to Tee Higgins – the second of three on the night for the physically imposing receiver – and then back to Denver with rookie quarterback Bo Nix’s 51-yard moon-ball touchdown Marvin Mims Jr. tied the game at 17.

Back to Denver when Pat Surtain II took the ball away from Higgins, giving the visitors a chance to score a potentially game-winning field goal, but then back to the Bengals with 2:30 left when Nix made the biggest mistake. The night ended with one Interception to the right by linebacker Germaine Pratt, which ultimately led to a Burrow touchdown crash with 89 seconds left.

When the Broncos forced the seesaw back their way one last time in regulation time, it may have been the last time.

Nix pulled off the biggest drive of his young career, taking the Broncos 70 yards and capping them off with a 25-yard drive to double-cover Mims in the end zone on a must-win fourth-and-1 with 14 seconds left.

Pandemonium. During the celebration, Nix waved two fingers in the air. The offense remained on the field for a review.

Go with two people and get your ticket to the playoffs with a conversion? Or take the extra point and play for overtime, knowing that a win or a draw will secure the postseason berth?

Payton chose the latter after, as he said, having “enough time” to weigh all the options.

“We knew a draw was just as beneficial to us as a win,” said Payton, staunchly defending the decision as the right one. “We felt like we had the momentum at that point.”

There was plenty of drama in overtime, most notably Cincinnati kicker Cade York hitting a 33-yard field goal. But there were also two dry possessions from the Denver offense — six plays and six total yards — and two bad punts by Riley Dixon.

Still, Denver’s second drive, which began with 2:43 left in overtime, could have ended the game in several ways. Any points would have made it. The same goes for a few first downs and zeroes on the game clock. Instead, three-and-out.

It all resulted in one chance too many for Burrow, who kept his team’s season alive with a 3-yard walk-off touchdown to Higgins in the final 67 seconds of overtime.

Now Payton’s team must win at Empower Field against a Kansas City team with nothing to play for or leave playoff fate to others.

If Saturday was any indication, they don’t want their January schedule dictated by Burrow.

The MVP candidate responded every time the Broncos put something together offensively and every time Denver’s best defensive players did what they had done all season.

Surtain made life difficult for star receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Zach Allen managed 3.5 sacks.

Burrow just continued to bounce back, completing 39 of 49 for 412 yards and three touchdowns while being hit for a total of seven sacks.

In doing so, he narrowed Denver’s path considerably.

“If you let guys like Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins stay here, they’ll probably find a way to punch their ticket,” McGlinchey said.

The Broncos let them hang around in Week 17. In week 18 they better not do that.

When Denver boarded the plane to Los Angeles nine days ago, it could have played its way to the No. 5 seed in the AFC. Could have won up to 12 games. Could have opened the door wide open to the postseason.

Now the only way in is the No. 7 seed. They’ll likely have to win against a club that has had the upper hand in 17 of the last 18 games they’ve played in, regardless of whether their stars are in uniform in Denver this weekend or not.

As disappointing as the last two games have been, the Broncos won’t think anything of it if the third time is the charm.

“(McGlinchey) talked about it right after the game,” tight end Adam Trautman said. “We control our own destiny. We have control over it. Obviously we lost two games that we could have won – should have won. But next week everything is on the table. You win and you’re there. We’re obviously looking forward to watching the film and learning from it, but then we’ll move on and put all the chips in the middle of the table next week.”

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Sean Payton plays for OT as the Broncos lose 30-24 to the Bengals

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