CINCINNATI – After a couple of subpar games, Peyton Manning has a perfect chance to regain his touch and get ready for the playoffs.
And earn some time off, too.
It’s his pedigree. Whenever he plays Cincinnati, he becomes Perfect Peyton.
Manning takes an 8-0 mark against the Bengals into their Monday night game at Paul Brown Stadium, where he won as recently as two years ago. And it’s not just how often he’s won, but how he’s done it.
Manning has thrown 20 touchdown passes and only five interceptions against Cincinnati (9-4-1). He’s thrown at least three touchdown passes in five of the eight games. His career passer rating against the Bengals is 106.8.
Yep. He’s basically owned the Bengals. And a few other teams, too.
“He’s one of those guys that’s been around it his whole life and breathed it, ate it and slept it,” Bengals defensive end Wallace Gilberry said. “So you’re getting the best.”
The Broncos (11-3) have handled the Bengals regardless of who was the quarterback, winning the last four in their series. And they’ll have them right where they want them this time: Playing in prime time.
Cincinnati has played its worst games under the brightest lights. They’ve lost in the first round of the playoffs each of the last three seasons. They’re 18-41 all-time in night games, including 10-20 on Monday night.
Two of the Bengals’ worst games this season have come in prime time, a 43-17 loss at New England on a Sunday night and a 24-3 loss at home to Cleveland on a Thursday night.
“It doesn’t matter what we’ve done in the past, it’s what we’re going to do on Monday night and that’s our focus,” said Andy Dalton, who is 2-6 in prime time games.
Some things to watch on Monday night:
The Broncos have clinched the AFC West for the fourth consecutive season. A win on Monday would secure a first-round bye. They finish the regular season at home against Oakland. The Bengals would clinch a fourth consecutive playoff berth with a victory. They finish the season in Pittsburgh.
The Broncos have put more of an emphasis on their running game in the past few weeks, using C.J. Anderson and Juwan Thompson to take some of the load off Manning. Anderson had 709 yards from scrimmage in November, the most by any NFL player in the month. He ran for 167 and 168 yards in back-to-back games.
The Broncos will be without top tackler Brandon Marshall, sidelined by a foot injury. Linebacker Danny Trevathan went on injured reserve with a knee injury, forcing the Broncos to rely on undrafted third-year pro Steven Johnson and newcomer Todd Davis, claimed off waivers from New Orleans a month ago. “We’ve faced a lot of adversity,” nose tackle Terrance Knighton said. “We faced a lot of adversity last year and still made a Super Bowl. We have a lot of depth.”
How will Dalton handle the spotlight? During the Thursday night loss to Cleveland, he completed only 10 passes, threw three interceptions and finished with a career-low passer rating of 2.0. He’s played poorly in all three playoff games as well, turning the ball over with interceptions and fumbles. How well he handles the pressure will be one of the determining factors.
The Bengals would love to let rookie Jeremy Hill take the lead and take the pressure off Dalton. He ran for 148 yards in a 30-0 win at Cleveland last week, making him the first rookie since Tampa Bay’s Cadillac Williams in 2005 to have three games of rushing for more than 140 yards. Hill leads all NFL rookies with 877 yards rushing and is tied for the lead with eight touchdowns. Note: All times are Mountain; all events are subject to change.
Today on the Radio
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Today on the TV
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Local Schedule
MONDAY, DECEMBER 22
No events scheduled.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23
No events scheduled.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24
No events scheduled.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25
No events scheduled.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26
No events scheduled.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27
No events scheduled.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28
No events scheduled.
National Basketball Association
WEST Northwest W L Pct GB
Portland 22 6 .786 –
Oklahoma City 13 14 .481 8½
Denver 12 15 .444 9½
Utah 8 20 .286 14
Minnesota 5 20 .200 15½
WEST Southwest W L Pct GB
Memphis 21 5 .808 –
Houston 19 7 .731 2
Dallas 20 8 .714 2
San Antonio 17 11 .607 5
New Orleans 13 13 .500 8
WEST Pacific W L Pct GB
Golden State 22 3 .880 –
L.A. Clippers 18 8 .692 4½
Phoenix 14 14 .500 9½
Sacramento 11 15 .423 11½
L.A. Lakers 8 18 .308 14½
EAST Atlantic W L Pct GB
Toronto 21 6 .778 –
Boston 10 14 .417 9½
Brooklyn 10 15 .400 10
New York 5 24 .172 17
Philadelphia 2 23 .080 18
EAST Central W L Pct GB
Chicago 17 9 .654 –
Cleveland 15 10 .600 1½
Milwaukee 14 13 .519 3½
Indiana 8 19 .296 9½
Detroit 5 22 .185 12½
EAST Southeast W L Pct GB
Washington 19 6 .760 –
Atlanta 19 7 .731 ½
Miami 12 15 .444 8
Orlando 10 19 .345 11
Charlotte 8 19 .296 12
Late Friday, Dec. 19
Oklahoma City 104, L.A. Lakers 103
Saturday, Dec. 20
Phoenix 99, New York 90
Portland 114, New Orleans 88
Charlotte 104, Utah 86
Atlanta 104, Houston 97
Dallas 99, San Antonio 93
Denver 76, Indiana 73
Milwaukee at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 21
New York at Toronto, 1:30 p.m.
Memphis at Cleveland, 2:30 p.m.
L.A. Lakers at Sacramento, 4 p.m.
Phoenix at Washington, 4 p.m.
Boston at Miami, 4 p.m.
Philadelphia at Orlando, 4 p.m.
Detroit at Brooklyn, 4 p.m.
New Orleans at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m.
Indiana at Minnesota, 5 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 22
Denver at Charlotte, 5 p.m. (Altitude; KIUP 930 AM, 97.3 FM)
Toronto at Chicago, 6 p.m.
Portland at Houston, 6 p.m.
Utah at Memphis, 6 p.m.
Atlanta at Dallas, 6:30 p.m.
L.A. Clippers at San Antonio, 6:30 p.m.
Sacramento at Golden State, 8:30 p.m.
College Basketball
Associated Press Top 25
Sunday, Dec. 21
Women’s College Basketball
Associated Press Top 25
Sunday, Dec. 21
National Football League
x-clinched playoff spot
y-clinched division
AFC West W L T Pct PF PA
y-Denver 11 3 0 .786 407 303
San Diego 9 6 0 .600 341 329
Kansas City 8 6 0 .571 322 254
Oakland 2 12 0 .143 213 381
AFC South W L T Pct PF PA
y-Indianapolis 10 4 0 .714 424 317
Houston 7 7 0 .500 324 277
Jacksonville 3 12 0 .200 232 389
Tennessee 2 13 0 .133 244 411
AFC North W L T Pct PF PA
Cincinnati 9 4 1 .679 311 289
Pittsburgh 9 5 0 .643 389 339
Baltimore 9 5 0 .643 376 267
Cleveland 7 7 0 .500 276 300
AFC East W L T Pct PF PA
y-New England 11 3 0 .786 442 280
Buffalo 8 6 0 .571 302 254
Miami 7 7 0 .500 327 301
N.Y. Jets 3 11 0 .214 230 360
NFC West W L T Pct PF PA
x-Arizona 11 3 0 .786 287 244
Seattle 10 4 0 .714 339 242
San Francisco 7 8 0 .467 286 323
St. Louis 6 8 0 .429 291 297
NFC South W L T Pct PF PA
New Orleans 6 8 0 .429 364 374
Carolina 5 8 1 .393 288 358
Atlanta 5 9 0 .357 348 369
Tampa Bay 2 12 0 .143 254 367
NFC North W L T Pct PF PA
Detroit 10 4 0 .714 281 238
Green Bay 10 4 0 .714 436 325
Minnesota 6 8 0 .429 277 297
Chicago 5 9 0 .357 296 409
NFC East W L T Pct PF PA
Dallas 10 4 0 .714 381 328
Philadelphia 9 6 0 .600 440 374
N.Y. Giants 5 9 0 .357 317 339
Washington 4 11 0 .267 284 394
Week 16
Thursday, Dec. 18
Jacksonville 21, Tennessee 13
Saturday, Dec. 20
Washington 27, Philadelphia 24
San Diego 38, San Francisco 35, OT
Sunday, Dec. 21
Baltimore at Houston, 11 a.m.
Detroit at Chicago, 11 a.m.
Atlanta at New Orleans, 11 a.m.
Minnesota at Miami, 11 a.m.
Cleveland at Carolina, 11 a.m.
Green Bay at Tampa Bay, 11 a.m.
Kansas City at Pittsburgh, 11 a.m. (KCNC, KREZ)
New England at N.Y. Jets, 11 a.m.
N.Y. Giants at St. Louis, 2:05 p.m.
Buffalo at Oakland, 2:25 p.m.
Indianapolis at Dallas, 2:25 p.m. (KCNC, KREZ)
Seattle at Arizona, 6:30 p.m. (KOBF, KUSA)
Monday, Dec. 22
Denver at Cincinnati, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN, KRSJ 100.5 FM)
Week 17
Sunday, Dec. 28
Indianapolis at Tennessee, 11 a.m.
Detroit at Green Bay, 11 a.m.
Jacksonville at Houston, 11 a.m.
San Diego at Kansas City, 11 a.m.
Chicago at Minnesota, 11 a.m.
Carolina at Atlanta, 11 a.m.
Cleveland at Baltimore, 11 a.m.
Dallas at Washington, 11 a.m.
N.Y. Jets at Miami, 11 a.m.
Buffalo at New England, 11 a.m. Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants, 11 a.m.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 11 a.m.
New Orleans at Tampa Bay, 11 a.m.
Arizona at San Francisco, 2:25 p.m.
St. Louis at Seattle, 2:25 p.m.
Oakland at Denver, 2:25 p.m. (KCNC, KREZ, KRSJ 100.5 FM)
Denver Broncos (11-3)
Note: All games will be broadcast locally on KRSJ 100.5 FM.
Sept. 7 – Denver 31, Indianapolis 24
Sept. 14 – Denver 24, Kansas City 17
Sept. 21 – Seattle 26, Denver 20, OT
Sept. 28 – BYE
Oct. 5 – Denver 41, Arizona 20
Oct. 12 – Denver 31, N.Y. Jets 17
Oct. 19 – Denver 42, San Francisco 17
Oct. 23 – Denver 35, San Diego 21
Nov. 2 – New England 43, Denver 21
Nov. 9 – Denver 41, Oakland 17
Nov. 16 – St. Louis 22, Denver 7
Nov. 23 – Denver 39, Miami 36
Nov. 30 – Denver 29, Kansas City 16
Dec. 7 – Denver 24, Buffalo 17
Dec. 14 – Denver 22, San Diego 10
Dec. 22 – at Cincinnati, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Dec. 28 – Oakland, 2:25 p.m. (KCNC, KREZ)
College Football
FBS Bowl Schedule
Saturday, Dec. 20
New Orleans Bowl
Louisiana-Lafayette 16, Nevada 3
New Mexico Bowl
Albuquerque
Utah State 21, Texas-El Paso 6
Las Vegas Bowl
Utah 45, Colorado State 10
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Boise
Air Force 38, Western Michigan 24
Camelia Bowl
Montgomery, Alabama
Bowling Green (7-6) vs. South Alabama (6-6), (n) (ESPN)
Monday, Dec. 22
Miami Beach Bowl
BYU (8-4) vs. Memphis (9-3), 12 p.m. (ESPN)
Tuesday, Dec. 23
Boca Raton (Fla.) Bowl
Marshall (12-1) vs. Northern Illinois (11-2), 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Poinsettia Bowl
San Diego
Navy (6-5) vs. San Diego State (7-5), 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Wednesday, Dec. 24
Bahamas Bowl
Western Kentucky (7-5) vs. Central Michigan (7-5), 10 a.m. (ESPN)
Hawaii Bowl
Honolulu
Rice (7-5) vs. Fresno State (6-7), 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, Dec. 26
Heart of Dallas Bowl
Illinois (6-6) vs. Louisiana Tech (8-4), 11 a.m. (ESPN)
Quick Lane Bowl
Detroit
Rutgers (7-5) vs. North Carolina (6-6), 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
St. Petersburg (Fla.) Bowl
UCF (9-3) vs. N.C. State (7-5), 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, Dec. 27
Military Bowl
Annapolis, Maryland
Virginia Tech (6-6) vs. Cincinnati (9-3), 11 a.m. (ESPN)
Sun Bowl
El Paso, Texas
Duke (9-3) vs. Arizona State (9-3), 2 p.m. (KCNC, KREZ)
Independence Bowl
Shreveport, La.
Miami (6-6) vs. South Carolina (6-6), 2 p.m. (ESPN2)
Pinstripe Bowl
Bronx, New York
Boston College (7-5) vs. Penn State (6-6), 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Holiday Bowl
San Diego
Nebraska (9-3) vs. Southern Cal (8-4), 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Monday, Dec. 29
Liberty Bowl
Memphis, Tennessee
West Virginia (7-5) vs. Texas A&M (7-5), 12 p.m. (ESPN)
Russell Athletic Bowl
Orlando, Fla.
Clemson (9-3) vs. Oklahoma (8-4), 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Texas Bowl
Houston
Texas (6-6) vs. Arkansas (6-6), 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Tuesday, Dec. 30
Music City Bowl
Nashville, Tennessee
Notre Dame (7-5) vs. LSU (8-4), 1 p.m. (ESPN)
Belk Bowl
Charlotte, North Carolina
Louisville (9-3) vs. Georgia (9-3), 4:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Fosters Farm Bowl
Santa Clara, California
Stanford (7-5) vs. Maryland (7-5), 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Wednesday, Dec. 31
Peach Bowl
Atlanta
Mississippi (9-3) vs. TCU (11-1), 10:30 a.m. (ESPN)
Fiesta Bowl
Glendale, Arizona
Boise State (11-2) vs. Arizona (10-3), 2 p.m. (ESPN)
Orange Bowl
Miami
Mississippi State (10-2) vs. Georgia Tech (10-3), 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Thursday, Jan. 1
Outback Bowl
Tampa, Fla.
Wisconsin (10-3) vs. Auburn (8-4), 10 a.m. (ESPN2)
Cotton Bowl Classic
Arlington, Texas
Michigan State (10-2) vs. Baylor (11-1), 10:30 a.m. (ESPN)
Capital One Bowl
Orlando, Fla.
Minnesota (8-4) vs. Missouri (10-3), 1 p.m. (KMGH, KOAT)
Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California
Playoff semifinal: Oregon (12-1) vs. Florida State (13-0), 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Sugar Bowl
New Orleans
Playoff semifinal: Alabama (12-1) vs. Ohio State (12-1), 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, Jan. 2
Armed Forces Bowl
Fort Worth, Texas
Pittsburgh (6-6) vs. Houston (7-5), 10 a.m. (ESPN)
TaxSlayer Bowl
Jacksonville, Florida
Iowa (7-5) vs. Tennessee (6-6), 1:20 p.m. (ESPN)
Alamo Bowl
San Antonio
UCLA (9-3) vs. Kansas State (9-3), 4:45 p.m. (ESPN)
Cactus Bowl
Tempe, Arizona
Oklahoma State (6-6) vs. Washington (8-5), 8:15 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, Jan. 3
Birmingham (Ala.) Bowl
Florida (6-5) vs. East Carolina (8-4), 11 a.m. (ESPN2)
GoDaddy Bowl
Mobile, Alabama
Toledo (8-4) vs. Arkansas State (7-5), 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, Jan. 10
Medal of Honor Bowl
Charleston, South Carolina
American vs. National, 12:30 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 12
College Football Championship
Arlington, Texas
Rose Bowl winner vs. Sugar Bowl winner, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Football Championship Subdivision
Semifinals
Friday, Dec. 19
North Dakota State 35, Sam Houston State 3
Saturday, Dec. 20
Illinois State 21, New Hampshire 18
Division II
Playoffs
Note: CSU-Pueblo is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Championship
Saturday, Dec. 20
At Sporting Park
Kansas City, Kan.
Colorado State-Pueblo 13, Minnesota State-Mankato 0
Division III
Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl
Friday, Dec. 19
At Salem Stadium
Salem, Va.
Wisconsin-Whitewater 43, Mount Union 34
NAIA
Playoffs
Championship
Friday, Dec. 19 at Municipal Stadium
Daytona Beach, Fla.
Southern Oregon 55, Marian (Ind.) 31
National Hockey League
Note: Two points for a win, one point for an overtime loss.
WEST Central GP W L OT Pts GF GA
Chicago 33 22 9 2 46 102 67
St. Louis 32 21 9 2 44 98 78
Nashville 30 20 8 2 42 81 59
Winnipeg 33 17 10 6 40 80 76
Minnesota 30 16 12 2 34 86 78
Dallas 31 13 13 5 31 89 104
Colorado 32 11 13 8 30 83 100
WEST Pacific GP W L OT Pts GF GA
Anaheim 35 22 8 5 49 101 96
San Jose 33 18 11 4 40 94 85
Los Angeles 34 17 11 6 40 94 84
Vancouver 31 18 11 2 38 89 88
Calgary 34 17 15 2 36 98 92
Arizona 32 11 17 4 26 74 104
Edmonton 33 7 20 6 20 69 110
EAST Atlantic GP W L OT Pts GF GA
Montreal 34 21 11 2 44 92 83
Tampa Bay 35 20 11 4 44 113 93
Detroit 33 17 8 8 42 93 82
Toronto 33 19 11 3 41 114 98
Florida 31 14 9 8 36 69 79
Boston 33 16 14 3 35 82 85
Ottawa 33 14 13 6 34 89 92
Buffalo 33 13 18 2 28 63 105
EAST Metro GP W L OT Pts GF GA
Pittsburgh 32 22 6 4 48 102 72
N.Y. Islanders 33 23 10 0 46 104 91
Washington 32 16 10 6 38 95 85
N.Y. Rangers 30 16 10 4 36 92 81
Columbus 32 14 15 3 31 79 102
Philadelphia 32 12 14 6 30 88 96
New Jersey 35 12 17 6 30 77 102
Carolina 32 9 19 4 22 68 91
Saturday, Dec. 20
N.Y. Rangers 3, Carolina 2, SO
Columbus 3, Chicago 2, SO
Los Angeles 4, Arizona 2
Colorado 5, Buffalo 1
Philadelphia 7, Toronto 4
Montreal 4, Ottawa 1
Washington 4, New Jersey 0
N.Y. Islanders 3, Tampa Bay 1
Pittsburgh 3, Florida 1
Nashville 6, Minnesota 5, OT
Calgary at Vancouver, (n)
St. Louis at San Jose, (n)
Sunday, Dec. 21
Colorado at Detroit, 4 p.m. (Altitude, KRSJ 100.5 FM)
Dallas at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Buffalo at Boston, 5 p.m.
Carolina at N.Y. Rangers, 5 p.m.
Toronto at Chicago, 5 p.m.
Philadelphia at Winnipeg, 7 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 22
Ottawa at Washington, 5 p.m.
Nashville at Columbus, 5 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Florida, 5:30 p.m.
Arizona at Vancouver, 8 p.m.
San Jose at Anaheim, 8 p.m.
Calgary at Los Angeles, 8:30 p.m.
