Five Key Matchups: vs. Bengals
Five of the biggest individual matchups between the Broncos and Bengals for Monday Night Football, starting with Malik Jackson and Andrew Whitworth.
Whitworth has arguably been the best player on a stout Bengals offensive line, regardless of whether he's in pass protection or paving the ground for a run. He'll likely see as much of OLB DeMarcus Ware as he will Jackson, but how Cincinnati's left part of the line defends Jackson will bear watching after Jackson's disruptive performance against the Steelers a week ago in which he sacked QB Ben Roethlisburger twice and drew three holding penalties.
With Green's 1,206 yards and eight touchdowns, it's no wonder how Andy Dalton has had such a good year. Each has done well and the duo has made for one of the better pass-and-catch tandems in the league, but with Dalton out because of a thumb injury, the Bengals will have a first-year signal caller behind center in AJ McCarron. Last year, Talib had one of his best games against the Bengals. He picked off a pass in the first quarter and returned it for a touchdown and gave up just two receptions on seven targets for a total of 14 yards.
Sanders showed some incredible moves last year against Cincinnati, reeling in two touchdowns and making one amazing one-handed grab while being held on a deep pass. But Jones was also impressive, catching a pass on his own and containing his receivers to three receptions on five targets for 22 yards.
Atkins has been a force for Cincinnati's defense, generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks at an incredible rate for a defensive tackle for 10 sacks. He's also tallied 52 QB hurries and 33 defensive stops, per Pro Football Focus, and how much havoc he can create against Denver will be key. Unfortunately, Atkins also has the sickle cell trait, a genetic abnormality that affects people more often at high altitudes. Mathis sat out much of Week 15's game against the Steelers, but as he's healed, he is expected to return for Monday's game against the Bengals.
The Broncos' rushing game has been a sore spot for them for weeks, especially during the two-game skid that they're hoping to stop on Monday. Anderson returned from an ankle injury against Pittsburgh, but couldn't find his groove. How he and Hillman perform against this stout defensive line with a great run-stopper in Dunlap will be a great battle to watch.
