CINCINNATI — Time and time again, they answered.
Facing a halftime deficit, the Broncos responded.
Staring down a pair of seven-point deficits in the fourth quarter, Denver punched back.
Needing a touchdown with just seconds left in regulation, the Broncos rose to the moment.
And late in the Broncos' 30-24 overtime loss to the Bengals, Denver even had a series of opportunities to put the game away. The ESPN win probability chart, which aptly looked like the roller coaster that was Saturday's game, estimated the odds of winning jumped back-and-forth eight times between Cincinnati and Denver from the start of the fourth quarter until the game's final touchdown.
"Honestly, it's really fun," quarterback Bo Nix said. "It's why you play this sport. You play for moments like this. We had our opportunities, and we just didn't finish."
The Bengals simply made one or two more plays — and with that edge, they prevented the Broncos from clinching a postseason berth on Saturday.
"Obviously, a hard-fought game," Head Coach Sean Payton said. "A tough one to lose. We had our opportunities. I'm proud of this team. It wasn't perfect, but man, the will to compete and answer, it was pretty impressive."
Denver had its share of chances to take the lead after battling back from a 7-3 halftime deficit — courtesy of a strong rushing performance and a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bo Nix to Courtland Sutton — and a 17-10 fourth-quarter margin. After Nix tied the game at 17 with 8:56 to play via a spectacular 51-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims Jr. that traveled more than 60 yards in the air, cornerback Pat Surtain II forced and recovered a fumble that gave Denver the ball at its own 40-yard line. With 5:08 to play, Denver had a chance to work the clock down and take the lead.
The Broncos, instead, faced another deficit after Cincinnati snagged an interception and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow pushed his way into the end zone with 1:31 to play on the ensuing drive.
Nix and the Broncos' offense rose to the moment, as Courtland Sutton made a pair of impressive catches and Marvin Mims Jr. hauled in a 25-yard jump-ball touchdown with eight seconds remaining in the game. The Broncos chose to kick the extra point to send the game to overtime, though Payton said the team considered going for a game-winning two-point conversion attempt.
"We felt like we had the momentum at that point," Payton said. "Look, it went back and forth, and in the end we didn't make enough plays. They did."
The Broncos had opportunities in overtime, as well. Denver forced Cincinnati's first punt of the game on the opening possession of overtime as Zach Allen posted back-to-back sacks to wrap up a career-best 3.5-sack night. The sacks were the final two of seven quarterback takedowns — which tied the Broncos' season best — that helped Denver surpass the franchise single-season sack mark.
Denver's offense, though, was not able to capitalize on a pair of possessions. The first ended as Nix could not connect with Franklin on a deep third-and-6 pass, while the latter came after Cade York's 33-yard field-goal attempt ricocheted off the upright and gave Denver new life.
"Those two third downs at the end, you play the whole game, you get to these opportunities, and I've got to hit those," Nix said. "That's what NFL quarterbacks do."
The Broncos' several near-chances to earn a win and punch a ticket to the postseason only added to the disappointment of the loss — and left Denver's locker room resolved to close out their final opportunity to clinch a playoff berth.
"We've got to turn ourselves into winners," tackle Mike McGlinchey said, "and we've got to make sure that when we control the outcome of certain things, we've got to make sure we finish."
As Denver approaches one final "win-and-in" game in Week 18, there is little doubt about the team's ability to rise to the occasion against Kansas City.
"100 percent," Allen said. "We know who we are. It's just the NFL. You play good teams every week, but we've proven this year that we'll bounce back. [We've] just got to do it next week."
That opportunity — to play in games like Saturday's back-and-forth thriller and in a meaningful Week 18 season finale — is part of what makes the position in which Denver finds itself so special.
"Listen, you go out and compete," Payton said. "There's pressure every week. This is what we do it for: meaningful games here. I think it's important that you embrace it, and it is exciting. There's nothing worse than playing games the last part of a season where there's nothing at stake.
"I think it's something we'll all be excited about."
