The Denver Broncos did exactly what everyone expected them to do at home against the Jake Browning-led Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4. They dominated.
The Broncos beat the Bengals 28-3 in a game that probably shouldn't even have been as close as that score indicates, and there are plenty of game balls to go around after a performance like that.
The Broncos ended an ugly streak that pre-dated the Sean Payton era, the defense didn't allow the Bengals to run any plays in Denver territory after the first drive of the game, and Bo Nix eclipsed 300 yards through the air. Who were the biggest winners (and who was the one unfortunate loser) in this dominating win for the Broncos?
JK Dobbins tops Broncos biggest winners in blowout win vs. Bengals
Broncos winner: JK Dobbins, RB
And just like that, the streak is over.
The Denver Broncos have not had a 100-yard rusher in a game since back in 2022 when Latavius Murray had a big game against the Los Angeles Chargers and Jerry Rosburg was the interim head coach. I would say good times, but we all know that's not the truth.
JK Dobbins has been a tremendous addition to the Denver Broncos, and it's looking like teams were foolish to let him sit around in free agency as long as they did. Dobbins averaged over six yards per run with 101 yards on the ground on 16 total carries. He's been doing such a great job picking up yards after contact, and creating offense for the Broncos in key moments.
Broncos loser: Luke Wattenberg, center
It was an ugly night at the office for Denver Broncos center Luke Wattenberg. Especially in a contract year, you hate to see guys have tough games like this, but Wattenberg's struggles go back to last season. If it were only for his errant snaps, the performance we saw against the Bengals might be forgivable. But with Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis on deck?
Wattenberg was flagged four times against the Bengals; twice for illegal man downfield, once for holding, and once for an illegal snap. The Broncos were called for too many penalties overall, but if Wattenberg would have played a clean game, it would have cut them down considerably.
There's a conversation to be had about whether or not he needs to be replaced after a game like this.
Broncos winner: Bo Nix, QB
If it wasn't for an interception on 4th down in the tight red zone, we'd probably be talking about a perfect game from Bo Nix. Even Nix's "misses" in this game against the Bengals included plays to be made. He finished 29-of-42 passing on the night with 326 yards in the air, a touchdown to RJ Harvey (more on that momentarily), and a rushing touchdown to get the Broncos on the board.
Nix had two good throws to Troy Franklin that were dropped in this game, and another potential touchdown to RJ Harvey that hit Harvey in the hands. It isn't out of the realm of possibility that he could have had 400 or more yards passing if those balls get caught.
At any rate, the offensive operation was much cleaner in this game and Nix did his part to make plays. His drive right before the end of the first half was a thing of beauty with outstanding throws to Marvin Mims Jr. and Courtland Sutton.
Broncos winner: Marvin Mims Jr., WR
The Denver Broncos' offense took a shift into the "dynamic" category last season when Marvin Mims Jr. started getting going. There's really no explanation for why he wasn't involved until after the trade deadline last year, and the Broncos knew they were going to have to get him going earlier this season as well.
Mims had six receptions on six targets against the Bengals for 69 yards, and added a 16-yard touchdown run on a nice jet sweep. Rookie receiver Pat Bryant deserves a ton of credit for his block on that play, as well.
Mims bobbled a punt at one point in this game, but overall, his dynamic presence for the offense was exactly what we needed to see after a quiet Week 3 against the Chargers. And by quiet, we mean a week of missed chances. Mims took advantage of his opportunities against the Bengals.
Broncos winner: RJ Harvey, RB
The rookie running back out of UCF hasn't received his "Joker" wings just yet, according to Sean Payton, but this was his biggest step in that direction. Harvey finished the game with 58 rushing yards on 14 carries, and he should have had even more than that, but a nice run was wiped off the board by Luke Wattenberg.
He added 4 receptions for 40 yards, giving him 98 yards from scrimmage in this game and plenty of meat left on the bone with a play that could have gone for six early on. Harvey got his first NFL touchdown anyway, and capped off a really nice performance where the Broncos were making a concerted effort to get him the ball and let him be dynamic in space.
Broncos winner: Nik Bonitto, EDGE
As good as the defense was in this game, Nik Bonitto is the only one getting recognition here. The Broncos kept the Bengals out of scoring range after their first drive of the game, and Bonitto was a big reason why.
He finished the game against the Bengals with six pressures, a pair of QB hits, and 1.5 sacks. He shared a sack with Jonathon Cooper in this game and now has 4.5 sacks on the season overall. With 4.5 sacks in four games, Bonitto is on pace to potentially challenge for 20 sacks this year. He's been getting to the quarterback with relative ease, and if he can start turning some of those chances into forced fumbles/strip sacks, he's likely going to shoot up to the top of the DPOY conversation.