With Sunday’s victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Broncos extended their win-streak to 3 games and brought their record to 6-6. For the first time in 7 weeks, Denver no longer has a losing record.

After the soul-crushing loss to the Jets in week 5, the third-in-a-row, .500 football suddenly felt like too lofty a goal. The secondary gave up big plays. The offense was stagnant. Playcalling was putrid. Game management was even worse. I was so heartbroken that I went so far as to say that this Denver Broncos squad had given up. The upcoming schedule loomed large before Denver and I was terrified that the Jets game was the best that the Broncos could offer. My God, could it be that the standard in Denver was slipping?

I was wrong.

With 4 games to go in the 2018 season, Denver has shot up the playoff picture and is truly a team in the hunt. I know that the Broncos have plenty of work to do to get to the postseason and there’s a good chance they falter, but all we can ask for as fans is for the team to improve from season to season. Every franchise experiences ups and downs, but the truly great NFL franchises actively work to improve their station and don’t except failure. It’s tremendously encouraging to see that the Broncos still hold to that ideal (you know, unlike the Raiders and the embarrassing tank-a-thon they have going this year).

Denver can’t go to the Super Bowl every year. I wish they could, but the league just isn’t setup for that sort of thing. In between Super Bowls, though, we need to take these moments, these win-streaks, these wins, and enjoy them for what they are. Shoot, we all know how awful losing is and if you can’t enjoy the little moments, why bother? Let’s see hold on tight and see where this ride takes us. Go Broncos.

HORSE TRACKS

Why it happened: Broncos 24, Bengals 10
The Broncos won the turnover battle -- again -- and eschewed the pass on a gusty day in Cincinnati, dominating on the ground to earn their third consecutive win.

NFL executives: Kareem Hunt will play in NFL again but not this season - CBSSports.com
The NFL will conduct a formal interview with Hunt as the next part of its investigation

Woody Paige: Broncos could be the AFC team currently hovering around .500 to make playoffs | Premium | gazette.com
The Broncos’ journey on a road to the playoffs. It’s as precarious as Wolf Creek Pass in a snowstorm and hard as I-25 from Colorado Springs to Denver during the

Cover 4: Broncos' win streak reaches three games with 24-10 road win over Bengals
The Broncos broke out in the second half to improve to 6-6.

As Chris Harris Jr. recovers, Broncos 'won't flinch' during time without their All-Pro cornerback
Chris Harris maintained he could return for the playoffs, but Head Coach Vance Joseph did not provide a definitive answer on whether he would be finished for the year after suffering a lower-leg injury.

#DENvsCIN: Instant Analysis
Phil Milani and Matt Boyer offer analysis of and highlights from the Broncos' 24-10 victory over the Bengals on Sunday.

Broncos Steal Driskel's debut
Jeff Driskel in his first NFL start threw for 236 yards with one touchdown and one interception as the Bengals fell to the Denver Broncos 24-10.

Broncos win third in a row to get to .500 – ProFootballTalk
After beating the Chargers and Steelers in back-to-back weeks, the Broncos faced a lesser challenge in the Bengals. Cincinnati entered the game without quarterback Andy Dalton and lost receiver A.J. Green to a foot injury in the first half.

Phillip Lindsay’s Mom Changed His Opinion On Signing With Denver « CBS Denver
The Denver Broncos’ undrafted rookie running back has been blowing minds with his prolific production and underdog story.

Final: Denver Broncos roll past Cincinnati Bengals
Updates and commentary from Cincinnati Bengals-Denver Broncos.

Broncos cling to spot in playoff race, but win comes at a cost - Denver Broncos Blog- ESPN
Denver's win streak came with a dominant defensive performance, but likely losing Chris Harris Jr. for the season will cause problems down the stretch.

Chris Harris thinks he can return this season – ProFootballTalk
Broncos cornerback Chris Harris left Sunday's game after breaking a bone in his leg, but he doesn't think it will be a season-ending injury. Harris said after the game that he thinks it will be "probably like a month" before he's able to return to the field.

Chiefs bringing in C.J. Anderson for a physical, likely contract – ProFootballTalk
The Chiefs need help at the tailback position, given the weekend release of Kareem Hunt. They could soon be adding C.J. Anderson. Per a league source, the Chiefs will bring in Anderson for a physical, with the intent of signing him to a contract if he passes the exam.

Green Bay Packers fire Mike McCarthy after horrible loss to Cardinals, Joe Philbin named interim coach - CBSSports.com
The Packers "parted ways" with their longtime head coach

Frank Reich 'sure thought' Colts should have had a final play
The Indianapolis Colts thought tight end Erik Swoope got out of bounds and the clock should have been stopped on the final play of their 6-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Tom Brady, New England Patriots quarterback, hits 1,000-yard rushing milestone
It took him 19 seasons, but Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has finally rushed for 1,000 yards in his career.

Rams beat Lions, clinch second straight NFC West title - NFL.com
The Los Angeles Rams are the first team in 2018 to punch its ticket to the postseason. The Rams clinched the NFC West Division title Sunday with a win over the Detroit Lions.

Greg Olsen suffers season-ending foot injury in loss - NFL.com
The Carolina Panthers' treacherous trek to a potential postseason berth will have to be made without Greg Olsen on the field. Olsen suffered a ruptured plantar fascia during Sunday's loss.

Bills' Jerry Hughes confronts, shouts at refs after loss - NFL.com
Buffalo Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes confronted referees and yelled at them in the tunnel at Hard Rock Stadium after the team's 21-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Greedy Williams declares for NFL draft – ProFootballTalk
LSU cornerback Greedy Williams declared for the NFL draft on Sunday. It is not a surprise given Williams is expected to be a top pick this spring. Williams, a third-year sophomore, made 71 tackles, eight interceptions and 19 pass breakups in his two seasons in action for the Tigers.

Adam Thielen, Bill Belichick exchange pleasantries – ProFootballTalk
Vikings receiver Adam Thielen didn't speak to Patriots coach Bill Belichick after the game. The two exchanged only a few words during the game, but it was enough.

Panthers owner David Tepper getting antsy, mulling new hires if losing continues - CBSSports.com
Tepper has been expressing a growing sense that he may need to shake up the organization

Kareem Hunt apologizes in wake of release: RB lied to Chiefs, says he never spoke to NFL - CBSSports.com
The former Chiefs running back apologized and said he never talked to the NFL and lied to the Chiefs

NFL executives: Kareem Hunt will play in NFL again but not this season - CBSSports.com
The NFL will conduct a formal interview with Hunt as the next part of its investigation