Broncos can end postseason drought by beating the Bengals

Sport

Broncos can end postseason drought by beating the Bengals

2024-12-27 08:40 Last Updated At：08:50

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Denver Broncos could have clinched a playoff spot last week, but let the opportunity slip away when they lost to the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Broncos (9-6) will have another chance to lock up their first postseason appearance since 2015 when they go on the road to play the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday.

Again, if the Broncos win, they're in.

“We know we’re playing a good football team, a team that’s been in the playoffs and kind of been where we’ve aspired to go," Denver coach Sean Payton said. "All the details (matter). We’re going to have to play — not a perfect game — but we’re going to have to play one of our best games. I think our players understand that.”

Is there extra pressure to win this one after blowing a lead against the Chargers?

“There’s definitely pressure, but I think that’s something guys at this level will thrive on as well, the pressure and competition," Broncos tight end Adam Trautman said. “There’s a lot of pressure. We have to get in, first. And we know that. So yeah, there’s definitely pressure. But we welcome it."

The Bengals (7-8) have a chance to make the playoffs, too, although they'll need a lot more help from other teams.

Cincinnati will have to start by beating the Broncos on Saturday and then finish with a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Broncos will be a test for the Bengals, whose seven wins this season have come against teams that currently have sub-.500 records.

Every game is one-and-done for Cincinnati now.

“It feels good to play in big games," quarterback Joe Burrow said.

Burrow and receiver Ja'Marr Chase are in the midst of one of their best seasons. Burrow set an NFL record last week with seven consecutive games throwing for at least 250 yards and three touchdowns. That broke the 2007 mark set by former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during their 16-0 regular season.

The fifth-year quarterback is among the NFL leaders in most passing categories. Meanwhile, Chase has a chance to win the receiver's triple crown — most catches, yards and touchdowns.

Chase said he has his priorities in order.

“I gotta worry about winning the game to be in the playoffs,” the fourth-year pro said. “Me running a triple crown is not putting money in my pocket. Me making playoffs, that’ll put some money in my pocket.”

The game features one of the best matchups of the NFL season with Chase facing Broncos superstar cornerback Patrick Surtain II.

Surtain got the better of Chase the only other time they squared off in the NFL, back in 2021 when Surtain held Chase to a single catch for 3 yards. But the Bengals won 15-10, a springboard to their Super Bowl run.

“That was early in my career. Rookie year? Yeah, it was a good game,” Surtain said. “They came in with a high-striking offense and we knew that we had to eliminate the explosives, eliminate their top threat. Ja’Marr, he’s a great player, one of, if not the best, receivers in the league.”

Both Chase and Surtain are having career years.

Surtain has allowed just 234 receiving yards. That’s the fewest allowed by any cornerback through 16 weeks in a season since at least 2016. He’s tied his career high with four interceptions and has only been targeted an average of 3.4 times a game while giving up an average of two catches per game.

Chase Brown is staking his claim to be the Bengals No. 1 running back of the future. The second-year back took over as the featured runner after Zack Moss, who was signed as a free agent to replace Joe Mixon, went on injured reserve on Nov. 5 with a neck injury. Brown has a combined 188 yards and a touchdown in the past two games. He's averaging 4.4 yards per carry and is just 77 yards away from a 1,000-yard season.

Entering Week 17, Denver leads the NFL with 51 sacks this season, including seven players with three or more sacks, five of which have at least five sacks this season. They're led by linebacker Nik Bonitto with 11 1/2 sacks and linebacker Jonathan Cooper with eight. Meanwhile, Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson leads the NFL with 13 1/2 sacks.

AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton contributed to this report.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Alex Ovechkin is on track to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record

2024-12-28 01:36 Last Updated At：01:40

Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is closing in on the NHL career goals record of 894 held by Wayne Gretzky.

Ovechkin has 868 goals after scoring 15 in the first 18 games this season. He needs 27 to set a new record.

Ovechkin entered the season 42 short of breaking a record by “The Great One” that long seemed unapproachable. The 39-year-old Russian is in his 20th NHL season and was on pace to get to 895 in February before breaking his left leg in a shin-on-shin collision in November. Ovechkin could resume his pursuit as soon as Saturday night at Toronto in the Capitals' first game out of the Christmas break.

Ovechkin scored twice in a 6-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Nov. 18, getting goals 867 and 868 in his first game in Salt Lake City before leaving in the third period.

Ovechkin seems on track to play Saturday at the Maple Leafs. He has scored 44 goals against them during his career, tied for the fifth-most among all opponents.

If not Saturday, the Capitals visit Detroit on Sunday and host Boston on Tuesday in a New Year's Eve matinee.

Ovechkin already owns the NHL records for power-play goals with 316 and shots on goal with 6,690.

He also has 132 game-winning goals, four away from breaking Jaromir Jagr's mark (135).

Ovechkin has scored on 178 different goaltenders and counting, tying Jagr.

Ovechkin has 177 multi-goal games, second to Gretzky (189).

Ovechkin earlier this season became the 60th player to record 700 career assists and is now at 707. He joined Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jagr, Marcel Dionne and Phil Esposito as the only players with 700 goals and 700 assists.

Ovechkin, after climbing past Mike Gartner (708), Esposito (717), Dionne (731), Brett Hull (741) and Jagr (766), scored goal No. 802 on Dec. 23, 2022, to move into second all time behind Gretzky (894).

Gretzky has held the record since scoring his 802nd goal on March 23, 1994, to pass Howe. He added 92 more before retiring in 1999 after a total of 1,487 games over 20 seasons. Ovechkin has played in 1,444 total games so far.

Gretzky holds 55 NHL records and even if his goals mark falls to Ovechkin — which he has said he is excited about — two seem truly untouchable: 2,857 total points and 1,963 assists, which is more than anyone else has in goals and assists combined.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl