WEEK 1 · FINAL
THE READ
Sierra Vaughn
Analyst
Broncos run away with it, 49-0
Denver dismantled Cincinnati 49-0, a margin so complete that the Bengals managed just 196 yards of offense to the Broncos' 559. Bo Nix completed 20 of 35 passes for 357 yards and 5 touchdowns, while RJ Harvey rushed 15 times for 147 yards and a score, giving Denver a ground game that outgained Cincinnati 202 to 53. The Broncos' scoring efficiency relative to strength of schedule puts them at an advantage worth 28.9 points per game, a gap that explains why they're 3-0 and Cincinnati sits 1-2. Cincinnati's turnover margin of minus-1 and Nix's 5 passing touchdowns underscore a rout that the underlying numbers suggest could have been wider still.
Sierra Vaughn
Analyst
THE WIDER PICTURE
| Team | SRS | SOS | MARGIN | TO +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | -8.2 | +2.1 | -10.3 | -1 |
| Broncos | +10.8 | -4.4 | +15.2 | +13 |
SRS is how many points a side beats an
average team by once you account for who they played — beat a good
team by 3 and it counts for more than beating a bad one by 20.
SOS is how hard that schedule has been.
Full table.
Broncos —
AFC #1 · division
· 7-2
Playoff picture →
IN THE BOOTH
Riley Parker
The chaos merchant
Denver's 559 yards of total offense decided this one—when you can move the ball that freely against anybody, the scoreboard is just a formality, and Bo Nix throwing 5 touchdowns is what happens when a defense can't catch its breath.
Marcus Reyes
The numbers guy
· replying
Cincinnati's season is in freefall. A 28.9-point talent gap in one afternoon doesn't happen by accident—Denver is built differently, and the Bengals just ran into a team that executes at a level they can't match right now. This isn't a close-game problem; it's a foundational one.
They only ever read the box score and this league's own numbers —
none of them has a source, and none of them can report anything that
did not happen.
Bo Nix
Broncos
20/35, 357 yards, 5 TD
Jaylen Waddle
Broncos
5 catches, 98 yards, 2 TD
RJ Harvey
Broncos
15 carries, 147 yards, 1 TD
WHAT DECIDED IT
Total yards
Broncos 559, Bengals 196
Broncos
Through the air
Broncos 357, Bengals 143
Broncos
On the ground
Broncos 202, Bengals 53
Broncos
Pressure
Broncos 5 sacks, Bengals 3
Broncos
THE ROOM
Final. The recap is below.
THE MATCHUP SCOUT
every number below is counted from the export or read off the roster — nothing is inferred about playcalling
LEAGUE DATA
counted by Madden, and arithmetic on top of it
Pass-heavy
Pass 66% · Rush 34% · 22.6 scored, 32.9 allowed
8.0 yds/att
62.4% completions
4.7 yds/carry
327.8 yds/game
0.9 giveaways/game
9.9% sack rate
last 5: 2-3
SAPPHIRE METRICS
QB efficiency 60 · Efficient
Balance 84
Ball security 75
Back usage 29%
QB runs 2.3/game
Most exposed: pressure -- sacked on 9.9% of dropbacks
PERSONNEL
off the roster — unit averages, best starters only
QB 98
WR 90
TE 76
RB 82
OL 77
DL 86
LB 77
DB 78
Best: Ja'Marr Chase WR 99
Fastest: Ja'Marr Chase WR 96 SPD
3 at star dev or better
YOUR NOTEBOOK
what you wrote about them — private, and never a Sapphire statistic
Sign in as a member of this league to keep private scouting notes on your opponents.
LEAGUE DATA
counted by Madden, and arithmetic on top of it
Pass-heavy
Pass 60% · Rush 40% · 33.3 scored, 18.1 allowed
9.1 yds/att
66.7% completions
5.4 yds/carry
384.9 yds/game
1.0 giveaways/game
6.2% sack rate
last 5: 4-1
SAPPHIRE METRICS
QB efficiency 82 · Efficient
Balance 90
Ball security 72
Back usage 36%
QB runs 1.7/game
PERSONNEL
off the roster — unit averages, best starters only
QB 86
WR 84
TE 78
RB 82
OL 82
DL 86
LB 78
DB 88
Best: Patrick Surtain II CB 98
Fastest: Jaylen Waddle WR 96 SPD
3 at star dev or better
YOUR NOTEBOOK
what you wrote about them — private, and never a Sapphire statistic
Sign in as a member of this league to keep private scouting notes on your opponents.
HOW THEY PLAY
the man, not the franchise — only weeks the record attributes to him, this season
KodakBoppin
Broncos · his last 8 games
Balanced
One back
Pass / run61% / 39%
Points for / against31.4 — 20.4
Margin+11.0
Giveaways a game1.1
Sacks taken5.9% of dropbacks
Lead backRJ Harvey · 14.1/g
Top targetCourtland Sutton · 27%
QB carries1.4 a game
WhoDFCares
Bengals · his last 8 games
Throws it
One back
Takes sacks
Pass / run66% / 34%
Points for / against25.4 — 30.9
Margin-5.5
Giveaways a game1.0
Sacks taken9.4% of dropbacks
Lead backChase Brown · 11.4/g
Top targetJa'Marr Chase · 33%
QB carries1.5 a game
Counted from the weeks each man actually held his team — so a franchise that changed hands is not credited to whoever has it now. Nothing above is a playcall: the export does not carry those, and neither does this.
THE SERIES
WhoDFCares against KodakBoppin — the men, not the teams
KodakBoppin leads it 1-0.
KodakBoppin won the last one.
1 meeting
avg 0.0 — 49.0
biggest: 49 pts to KodakBoppin
S2 · week 1
WhoDFCares 0 — 49 KodakBoppin
KODAKBOPPIN
Only meetings Sapphire can attribute to both men are counted — a Madden export never says who owned a team last season, so the series starts where the record does.
MATCHUP ADVANTAGES
unit averages against each other — inside three points is a push
Bengals receivers vs Broncos secondary
90 v 88
EVEN
Broncos receivers vs Bengals secondary
84 v 78
BRONCOS
Bengals line vs Broncos front
77 v 86
BRONCOS
Broncos line vs Bengals front
82 v 86
BENGALS
Bengals backs vs Broncos run defence
82 v 83
EVEN
Broncos backs vs Bengals run defence
82 v 82
EVEN
Bengals passer vs Broncos secondary
98 v 88
BENGALS
Broncos passer vs Bengals secondary
86 v 78
BRONCOS
TOP PERFORMERS
🎬
The Game Recapthis game as an episode -- the score, the stars, the numbers that decided it -- and a video you can post ›
BOX SCORE
BENGALS
BRONCOS
BENGALS
BRONCOS
BENGALS
BRONCOS
BENGALS
BRONCOS
BENGALS
| PLAYER | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | SCK | LNG | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow QB | 21/31 | 143 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 21 | 77.7 |
BRONCOS
| PLAYER | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | SCK | LNG | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bo Nix QB | 20/35 | 357 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 70 | 131.7 |
BENGALS
| PLAYER | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | BTK | YAC | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown HB | 12 | 34 | 2.8 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 18 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow QB | 3 | 19 | 6.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Tyreek Hill WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki TE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
BRONCOS
| PLAYER | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | BTK | YAC | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RJ Harvey HB | 15 | 147 | 9.8 | 1 | 6 | 90 | 28 | 0 |
| Jonah Coleman HB | 12 | 48 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 16 | 0 |
| Bo Nix QB | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Luke Hasz TE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylen Waddle WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
BENGALS
| PLAYER | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | YAC | DRP | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Gesicki TE | 6 | 67 | 11.2 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 21 |
| Tee Higgins WR | 4 | 27 | 6.8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 12 |
| Tyreek Hill WR | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Ja'Marr Chase WR | 4 | 17 | 4.2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Chase Brown HB | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Erick All Jr TE | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
BRONCOS
| PLAYER | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | YAC | DRP | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Waddle WR | 5 | 98 | 19.6 | 2 | 58 | 0 | 56 |
| Pat Bryant II WR | 2 | 81 | 40.5 | 1 | 55 | 0 | 70 |
| Courtland Sutton WR | 6 | 72 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Luke Hasz TE | 4 | 55 | 13.8 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 17 |
| Justin Joly TE | 2 | 39 | 19.5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| RJ Harvey HB | 1 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
BENGALS
| PLAYER | TKL | SCK | INT | PD | FF | CMP ALW | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Battle SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Deonte Banks CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Matt Milano WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Josh Newton CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell LEDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daijahn Anthony FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe REDG | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shemar Stewart REDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
BRONCOS
| PLAYER | TKL | SCK | INT | PD | FF | CMP ALW | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Jones FS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Riley Moss CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| SirVocea Dennis MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Jahdae Barron CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Alex Singleton MIKE | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Ja'Quan McMillian CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jonathon Cooper LEDG | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nik Bonitto REDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Talanoa Hufanga SS | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Surtain II CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach Allen DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyler Onyedim DT | 1 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
RECENT FORM
Bengals
no games yet
Broncos
no games yet
TEAM STATS
| Bengals | Broncos | |
|---|---|---|
| 196 | TOTAL YARDS | 559 |
| 143 | PASSING YARDS | 357 |
| 53 | RUSHING YARDS | 202 |
| 5 | SACKS ALLOWED | 3 |
| 3 | SACKS MADE | 5 |
| 0 | GIVEAWAYS | 0 |
| 0 | TAKEAWAYS | 0 |
Bold is the side that won that line. Giveaways come off a team's own offensive rows and takeaways off its own defensive rows — two separate payloads, so they need not tie out against each other.
ALL-TIME HEAD-TO-HEAD
0
BENGALS
—
1
BRONCOS