Fumble Recovery Seals Denver Victory

DeMarcus Ware put the clamps on the loose football and punched Denver's ticket to the playoffs.

"The ball was on the ground and I was feeling like, 'There's no way somebody's going to take this ball from me,'" Ware said after his fumble recovery in overtime sealed Denver's 20-17 victory over Cincinnati on Monday night.

Russell Bodine's catchable shotgun snap eluded AJ McCarron, who was making his second start in place of Andy Dalton. McCarron raced to recover it, but Ware swept past right tackle Andre Smith and secured Denver's fifth consecutive trip to the postseason.

"It was my fault. I told the team that," McCarron said. "I looked up to see the coverage, and the snap caught me by surprise."

McCarron also hurt his left wrist on the play and had it wrapped afterward. He said he wasn't sure how bad it's hurt but added, "I'll get it checked out tomorrow and we'll see."

This was just the big play Ware has been looking for ever since he missed a month with a bad back.

"Felt great to finish the game that way," Ware said. "We thought we were going to finish it with the field goal, but at the end of the game, it's all about that win."

Ware's recovery followed a 37-yard field goal by Brandon McManus, whose shanked 45-yarder at the end of regulation made necessary the extra drama.

"I'm 24 years old, and I don't think I've ever kicked the ball like that in my life: grade school, elementary school or anything like that," McManus said. "I just wrapped my toe around it, and I knew I had to bounce back."

He did, helping the Broncos (11-4) overcome a 14-0 first-half deficit and denying the Bengals (11-4) their first road win on a Monday night since 1990.

Sunday, January 3 Schedule (All Times Central)

New York at Buffalo, noon

New England at Miami, noon

New Orleans at Atlanta, noon

Baltimore at Cincinnati, noon

Pittsburgh at Cleveland, noon

Jacksonville at Houston, noon

Tennessee at Indianapolis, noon

Washington at Dallas, noon

Philadelphia at New York, noon

Detroit at Chicago, noon

Tampa Bay at Carolina, 3:25 p.m.

Oakland at Kansas City, 3:25 p.m.

San Diego at Denver, 3:25 p.m.

Seattle at Arizona, 3:25 p.m.

St. Louis at San Francisco, 3:25 p.m.

Minnesota at Green Bay, 7:30 p.m.