Broncos-Bengals Instant Reaction: Bo Nix leads Denver to blowout win over Cincinnati

DENVER — It’s only Week 4, but this felt like a must-win game for Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos. Thankfully, they delivered.

Nix passed for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns and J.K. Dobbins rushed for 101 yards, becoming the first Broncos player to rush for 100+ yards since 2022, as the Broncos rolled past the Joe Burrow-less Bengals 28-3 on Monday Night Football.

Denver got out to a 21-3 halftime lead. From there, the Broncos defense shut down a tepid Bengals attack.

Courtland Sutton caught 5 passes for 81 yards and 1 touchdown to lead all Broncos receivers.

Denver is now 2-2 on the season with a highly-anticipated visit to Philadelphia coming in Week 5.

Here’s what stood out throughout the game.

J.K. Dobbins breaks bad Broncos streak

Before Monday Night Football, the Broncos hadn’t had a 100-yard rusher in a game in the Sean Payton era.

In fact, you have to go back to Latavius Murray in the 2022 season to find Denver’s last 100-yard rusher. It has been 37-straight games without a Bronco running for 100 yards in a game.

J.K. Dobbins broke that streak on primetime. Dobbins did it by averaging over six yards per carry. He broke through the 100-yard mark on the longest run of the night

J.K. Dobbins is the first 100-yard rusher for the @Broncos in the last 38 games

CINvsDEN on ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/ObRtdMIIf2

— NFL (@NFL) September 30, 2025

New week, same start

For the fourth-straight week, the Broncos looked the exact same to start the game. And it actually started before the game.

The Broncos’ won the coin toss for the fourth-straight game and deferred, putting their defense on the field to start the game.

But, as they’ve done every game this year, Denver’s stout defense allowed Jake Browning and the Bengals to score on their first possession.

On the other side of the ball, not only did Denver not get a first down on their first series, Bo Nix had to burn a timeout on the third play.

Broncos turn on the burners

After the slow start, however, Denver’s defense and offense took off. On the second offensive series, Bo Nix scored the first touchdown of the game on a six-yard scramble.

Nix runs it in for 6️⃣

CINvsDEN on ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/bFj6mfwWVN

— NFL (@NFL) September 30, 2025

The Broncos’ offense carried that momentum into their third series with another touchdown drive, this one clocking in at nine plays and 80 yards.

Courtland Sutton had two big-time catches on the drive that was capped off by a Marvin Mims Jr. 16-yard touchdown run.

He's fast. 💨@marvindmims | 📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/QbDZqX0nWS

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 30, 2025

Just before halftime, Sutton was rewarded with a touchdown of his own with eight seconds left in the first half.

Nix to Sutton for the TD right before half!

CINvsDEN on ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/djHAJTyqO1

— NFL (@NFL) September 30, 2025

At halftime, the game was all but over. Not only were the Broncos up 21-3, but they had 305 yards at halftime to only 94 for the Bengals.

Only one game back of the AFC West crown

Don’t write off the AFC West title just yet.

After most of Broncos Country wrote off the AFC West title following Denver’s heartbreaking Week 3 loss to the Chargers, the Broncos only sit one game back of Los Angeles following Monday Night Football.

As of now, the Chargers do hold the tiebreaker over the Broncos, but with 13 games left, there’s plenty of time for that to change.

The 2-2 Broncos tied with the 2-2 Kansas City Chiefs for second in the AFC West, only one game back of the 3-1 Chargers.