Geoff Hobson

DENVER _ A quick look at the Bengals' 28-3 loss to the Broncos on Monday Night Football.

WHAT's NEXT

The Bengals fell to 2-2 and are in second place, a game behind the Steelers in the AFC North, and it sets up Sunday's 4:25 p.m. game at Paycor Stadium against NFC power Detroit.

A short week, but left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., a captain, suggested his teammates are going to have a long one trying to figure out what they have to change to reverse the last two games. He indicated they could meet as a team.

"I imagine we will," Brown said. "We have to figure out the intent that we have in practice, game, whatever it may be. So we can come out here and flourish. In my opinion, we're so much better than what we've put on tape the last two weeks I believe in every man in here. We'll figure it out."

GAME-CHANGER

The Bengals moved the ball early and often. Quarterback Jake Browning hit four of his first five passes and the Bengals were off on a 12-play opening drive. Evan McPherson kicked a chip-shot field goal to give them a 7-3 lead.

Then, early in the second quarter and the Bengals trailing, 7-3, Browning let wide receiver Tee Higgins go climb down the right sideline for a 37-yarder and the Bengals were in business at the Broncos 14. But right tackle Amarius Mims was called for not being on the ball and it set off a run of four flags in the next six snaps and a punt.

"I'm not going to stand up here and say one play changed it. You can always look at a game and says there were a lot of plays," Browning said.

Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase had one that might have been bigger than that. The Bengals, up 3-0 on their second drive, faced a fourth-and-two from the Bengals 45. They tried to draw the Broncos offsides and appeared to do it, but it was center Ted Karras who was called for a false start. They punted and Denver went ahead four minutes later.

"We drew them offsides and didn't get that call," Chase said. "It was pretty obvious on our iPad. You see it."

PLAY OF THE GAME

Bengals rookie linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. made the play of the game for both sides. Staring at a fourth-and-one from the Bengals 2 with 2:04 left in the first half and the Broncos leading, 14-3, Knight read quarterback Bo Nix's throw into the end zone, and he tipped it to himself before diving on it and tucking it well enough for the refs to give him his first NFL interception despite grabbing some turf, too.

It was a huge play. But the Bengals couldn't take advantage. They went three-and-out, and Nix responded to his mistake going 80 yards in 61 seconds to give Denver a 21-3 lead.

"What a way to step up and make a play," said Knight, who staked his claim for Bengals rookie of the year with the pick and a game-high ten tackles. "Way to step up and try to create momentum. It's a game of momentum. When you have it, you have it. When you don't, you don't."

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Jake Browning on the Bengals going for 159 yards after being held to ten points in Minnesota:

"After two offensive games like that, you have to look at it as we're all part of the reason and we're also all part of the solution ."