The Denver Broncos will be in the friendly confines of Empower Field on Monday night to battle the Cincinnati Bengals in a game where both teams will be fairly desperate for a victory.
The Bengals were able to beat the Broncos in overtime last December in Cincinnati but they have won just four times in 17 tries in Denver in their history. The Broncos will be looking to avenge last year's loss while also getting back in the win column after losing two games in a row on walk-off field goals.
But none of those are the main reasons the team needs to beat this Bengals team in this game. Some will say it's too early in the season to call a game a "must-win", but it's absolutely not.
3 reasons Broncos must beat Bengals in Week 4
The Bengals are reeling
The Bengals have Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but they don't have Joe Burrow to throw them the ball. Instead, it's Jake Browning. The Bengals were blasted by the Minnesota Vikings last week, losing 48-10. They will be anxious to get that taste out of their mouths but the Broncos need to see if they can force the same kind of negative plays against this offense that the Vikings did.
Broncos must keep pace in the division
The Chargers are off to a 3-0 start and are facing a winless New York Giants team on Sunday with a good chance to get to 4-0. The Broncos can't drop to 1-3 and fall three games behind them, especially having already lost to them.
If the Broncos lose this game, winning the division will become quite the chore.
The schedule won't get any easier
A record of 2-2 will look so much better than 1-3 when you have the Philadelphia Eagles on the road in Week 5. The Broncos need to get a win to gain some momentum before having to face the team many feel is the best in the league right now.
Read: Broncos vs. Bengals Week 4 expert picks
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