CINCINNATI – The Denver Broncos have seen their margin for error in the postseason diminish significantly over the past two weeks. The most recent setback was a 30-24 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday night at Paycor Stadium.

And a team that just weeks ago had three games to win one to end its current eight-year playoff drought, and then had two games to win one, now has just one to get that increasingly elusive 10th to win. The Broncos (9-7), barring support from the other AFC playoff contenders, must now win their regular season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs next weekend to secure the AFC’s seventh and final playoff spot .

“That’s what we do it for, meaningful games. I think it’s important to embrace it,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “…Nothing is worse than playing games in the latter part of the season when nothing is on the line…(the) message doesn’t change, you have to get to 10.”

“We could have taken control of this game a lot sooner … but if you keep guys like Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins around, they’re probably going to find a way to punch your ticket,” Broncos tackle Mike said McGlinchey said. “…We need to be able to finish this — yeah, it sucks.”

McGlinchey’s sentiment was echoed in the obviously frustrated Broncos’ locker room. None of those involved missed the missed opportunity of the evening.

The Broncos had a chance to complete a game-winning drive in the final minutes of regulation with the game tied 17-17, but quarterback Bo Nix threw an interception into Bengals territory with 2 minutes, 30 seconds to play.

When asked what he saw in the play, Nix said: “A lot of jerseys, I tried to force one in there, that happens.”

However, the Broncos responded to the Bengals’ score that followed the turnover, getting within one point thanks to a ridiculous Marvin Mims Jr. touchdown grab between two Bengals defenders on a fourth-and-1 play with eight seconds left (24-23). play a role in regulation. Nix quickly held up two fingers after the play to go for the two-point conversion and the win, but after some deliberation while the play was being reviewed by the officials, Payton sent kicker Wil Lutz for the extra point instead.

“I’ll answer the question now: We went for two, we knew a draw was just as beneficial to us as a win,” Payton said after the game. “We felt like we had the momentum at that point. Look, it went back and forth and in the end we didn’t make enough plays and they… We discussed everything, (there was) a lot of time, a lot of time, a lot of time and the decision we made is this correct ones.”

“Well, I don’t have the power to make decisions, so I always choose two, but at the end of the day that’s not always the wisest decision,” Nix said. “… They thought it through and processed it, and at that point it was better to kick and play for overtime… It was a good decision.”

The Broncos got another relief in overtime when Cade Ford’s game-tying 33-yard field goal attempt bounced off the left upright. The Broncos got the ball back at their own 23-yard line in a sudden-death situation when the next score would decide the game with 2:43 left in overtime.

But they managed a strange-looking three-pointer and Riley Dixon’s punt only went 38 yards. The Bengals then struck quickly as Cincinnati gained 63 yards in five plays as Burrow hit Higgins for a 3-yard touchdown pass to end the game.

“We had the chance, we just didn’t take advantage of it,” said Mims. “…We just have to do better offensively.”

“I don’t think you ever want to sit here and learn lessons from all of these things,” McGlinchey said. “We need to become winners when we control the outcome of certain things we complete.”

The Broncos won’t know how the Chiefs (15-1), the AFC’s No. 1 seed, will handle things next weekend. There’s a chance the Broncos will face many of the Chiefs even if Kansas City doesn’t play the Broncos, although there’s the possibility of a three-week break for their front line players before a divisional round game begins for one of the front line’s backups.

With a win, the Broncos would secure the final spot in the AFC postseason. If the Broncos lose the Finals, problems could arise as the Bengals (8-8) now have a straight win over Denver and Miami (7-8) would finish with two wins with a better record in AFC games than that Broncos if Denver doesn’t win the Finals.

Broncos defensive end Zach Allen, who recorded a career-best 3.5 sacks in Saturday’s loss, was asked after the game if he had any doubts about the Broncos’ postseason chances given the team’s one win can still manage his own business.

“No, no, just get it done…come back on Monday and start the week and get it done against Kansas City,” Allen said. “It’s definitely a lot better to be there than last year when you have a five percent chance and Saturn and Mars have to be in line.”