It was safe to assume that a Joe Burrow-less Bengals team would look very different in Week 3, but not many saw their complete and total drop-off coming. The Bengals were absolutely housed by the Vikings this past week, despite the Vikings starting a backup of their own.
With the Broncos now 1-2, a 1-3 start could do massive damage to any playoff aspirations that the team could reasonably have. Denver is probably two fewer Adam Trautman penalties away from 3-0, but the reality is that the team is not.
Coming off an absolute drubbing at the hands of the Vikings, the Broncos are in a position where they now need to beat up on this depleted Bengals team and capitalize on an unexpected situation that was presented to them.
Week 4 against the Bengals is now a must-win for the Denver Broncos
The Broncos, for roughly 105 of their 120 total minutes of play so far this year, have played like an undefeated team. Their 15 other minutes are the reason the team now sits at 1-2, and is in a must-win situation heading into Week 4. Thankfully for them, no team looked worse in Week 3 than the Bengals, who now head to Denver.
Now led by Jake Browning, the Bengals' offense looked awful against the Vikings. Browning went 19 for 27 through the air, added a garbage-time touchdown to Drew Sample, but threw a pair of interceptions before. Overall, the Bengals offense turned the ball over a staggering five times, including a pair of defensive scores for Isaiah Rogers. The offensive turnovers came from all angles, including a rare fumble from superstar receiver Ja'Marr Chase.
The biggest issue, however, came in their rushing attack. Cincinnati totaled 53 rushing yards, only nine of which came from Chase Brown. If the Bengals are going to be ineffective on the ground and turn the ball over in the air, it should be open-field for the Broncos defense this upcoming week. This week could present a solid opportunity for Denver to improve its rushing defense and limit the Bengals on the ground again.
The Bengals' offense is clearly something different without Joe Burrow, but no one saw this drop-off coming. If Denver loses at home to this Bengals team, Sean Payton's seat could get very hot very quickly, and the Broncos could kiss their playoff hopes goodbye. Denver absolutely needs to come away from Week 4 with a victory, especially considering their trip to the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles shortly after.