Cincinnati Bengals punish Broncos' Peyton Manning to reach play-offs
The Cincinnati Bengals intercepted Peyton Manning four times to clinch a play-off berth with a big-play-filled 37-28 victory over the Denver Broncos.
Playing in pouring rain, the Bengals staged a fourth-quarter recovery after blowing a 13-point lead to earn a fourth straight trip to the postseason.
"This one was big. We knew what we were up against ... at home, playing on Monday Night in prime time," Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said.
I had four interceptions. You're not going to beat very many good football teams [that way]
In a wild affair, the Broncos woke up in the second half, with Manning tossing two third-quart
"Our defence played great, especially when it counted."
Dre Kirkpatrick caught two interceptions for Cincinnati, who also enjoyed a big day on kick returns. The Bengals (10-4-1) can now seal the AFC North Division with a season-finale win against Pittsburgh next week.
Denver (11-4), who had already clinched the AFC West, were hoping to maintain their push to enter the play-offs as the conference top seeds but the loss conceded the number one spot to the New England Patriots.