Takeaways as Broncos rout Bengals 28-3 on Monday Night Football – NBC Los Angeles

Both the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals are 2-2, but one looked much superior than the other.

Denver ended Week 4’s Monday Night Football doubleheader with a 28-3 home rout of Cincinnati in a game that never showed signs of being close.

Cincinnati opened the game with a 12-play, 62-yard drive that ended in a 26-yard Evan McPherson field goal, but that would be the last time it put points on the scoreboard.

The Broncos, meanwhile, saw a three-total-touchdown performance from Bo Nix in a solid confidence-building game for the sophomore quarterback.

Let’s dive into the contest further with takeaways:

Bengals have a QB1 problem

There’s easily no replacing Joe Burrow with the snap of a finger. But with the Bengals’ star QB1 out until at least December, there’s real worries on the team missing out on yet another playoff push without positive play under center.

Jake Browning had his moments in the past, but he seems to have been figured out by legitimate opposing defenses. He threw for just 125 yards, no touchdowns and no picks on 14 of 25 completions while taking three sacks.

Cincinnati doesn’t have the best cap space for a quality answer considering it’s top heavy, but Browning’s spot should be in jeopardy moving forward. Cincinnati may be 2-2, but with the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers all coming up, 2-5 is a high possibility.

Bo Nix shines when needed

The Bengals’ defense isn’t going to scare the elite teams, but this was a game that Nix needed to do well in. The sophomore quarterback had some blips, but ended with 326 passing yards, two touchdowns and a pick on 29 of 42 completions.

He also ran for a touchdown to make it three total on the night. Fullback Adam Prentice ran home the other from four yards out.

Of course, more tests will come for Nix in what’s been a mostly iffy start to the year. The undefeated Philadelphia Eagles are next, for example. But it’d be more worrisome for Nix if he couldn’t stand out and lead the way in a game like this.

Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are being wasted

Not that it’s their fault that Burrow suffered another long-term setback, but two of the league’s best wideouts are not being optimized.

Higgins led the Bengals with just three catches on six targets for 32 yards, while Chase recorded five catches on eight targets for 23 yards.

The longer Cincinnati’s struggles continue, especially with their stars, the more pressure there will be on head coach Zac Taylor to put his players in positions to succeed or possibly be replaced.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will reportedly miss at least three months with a toe injury that will require surgery.