It’s gameday, with the Broncos desperate for a bounce back revenge game against a Bengals team that just got beat up and blown out by the Vikings. It’s not a bitter rivalry game, but the two franchises have a notable history with some significant moments.
The Bengals have won 2 of the last 3 battles - including last year’s overtime thriller - but historically the Broncos are dominating the series 22-12.
Lets take a look back at some of the iconic matches between the two as we prepare for Monday Night Football.
Highlights from the Broncos and Bengals rivalry
The Brandon Stokely Miracle
In the 2009 season opener, Broncos fans were treated to one of the more unforgettable plays in recent history. With 28 seconds left, down 6 to 7, Kyle Orton threw a deep ball along the left sideline. The targeted receiver couldn’t get it, and instead the deflected ball flew up and into the hands of Brandon Stokely, who took it to the house for an 87-yard game-winning score.
It was a sight to behold, but even more iconic was Gus Johnson's reaction: “Batted up… Oh god! Stokely! Down the sideline! Can they catch him?! Stokely! Wow! Touchdown! Denver! Unbelievable! Oh my goodness! What a play!”
Spoiler Alert
A common thread between the two teams has been Cincinnati playing the spoiler, beating Denver in games that negatively affected their playoff seeding (2000, 2004, 2014, and 2024). In a 2014 Monday Night Football showdown, the Bengals picked off Peyton Manning four times and secured their fourth straight playoff berth.
In 2024, the Bengals overtime win didn’t help the Broncos seeding, but Denver got the last laugh when they whooped the Kansas City Chiefs backups and crushed Cincinnati’s playoff dreams.
Ancient History
Further back in the timeline, Randy Gradishar and the Orange Crush faced off against Ken Anderson and the Bengals. The Broncos defense shut Anderson down in a victory that was part of Denver’s magical 1977 season that ended in their first Super Bowl appearance.
In 1984, John Elway was still in his second year and still growing into his leadership role. A close, gritty game that set the tone for his early battles - Denver pulled out a tight 20-17 win against the Bengals at Mile High.
For the Record Books
2000 was a forgettable year for both teams, but the Bengals stunned Denver with a 287-yard rushing game from Corey Dillon - an NFL record at the time. The Bengals won 31-21.
In 2016, Trevor Siemian wrote his name in the record books with a 312 yard 4 TD game - a first for an NFL QB in his first road start. Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders torched Cincinnati’s secondary as the Broncos won 29-17.
Though not a record breaking game, Terrell Davis ran like a god unleashed against the Bengals in their Super Bowl winning season. Davis racked up 215 yards and 3 TDs as the Broncos won 38-20.