The Denver Broncos defense scored two interception touchdowns to defeat the Browns 41-32 on Monday to spoil a record-setting night for Cleveland’s Jameis Winston and Jerry Jeudy.
Winston passed for a Browns franchise-record 497 yards and four touchdowns, as well as three interceptions, while Jeudy torched his former team, amassing a career-high nine receptions for 235 yards and a TD in the losing effort.
Despite being the first Browns quarterback to pass for over 400 yards since 2015, Winston’s brilliance was overshadowed by his two costly interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.
Trailing 14-10 in the second quarter, the Browns offense was marching down the field, getting to within field goal range. However, Nik Bonitto picked off the gunslinging Winston, taking it to the house for the 71-yard pick-six with 1:38 left in the first half.
Winston quickly made up for the interception, guiding the Browns offense 70 yards down the field, ending with a four-yard touchdown pass to tight end David Njoku.
“In times like this, that is an opportunity to continue to glorify the Lord even through the toughest circumstances,” Winston said after the game. “I know I’m better than this, I’m just praying for the Lord to deliver me from pick-sixes. That’s not me.
“Phenomenal game, offense did some great things, but I messed it up.”
Denver’s offense, led by Rookie of the Year candidate Bo Nix, added to its lead in the third quarter. Nix made a pin-point pass to Marvin Mims Jr., who hauled in the deep ball for the 93-yard touchdown and a 28-17 lead. Nix finished with 294 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
The Browns wasted no time in responding, scoring a touchdown on the first play of the ensuing drive, when Winston connected with Jeudy for a 70-yard touchdown, and a successful two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 28-25.
After being acquired in a trade in March, the former Bronco had a career night against the team that drafted him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Jeudy set a record for the most receiving yards in a player’s first game against their former team in NFL history.
Cleveland took a 32-31 lead in the fourth quarter, after Winston connected with a wide-open Nick Chubb for a five-yard touchdown.
Nix then led the gritty Broncos offense into field goal range, setting up a 27-yarder by kicker Dustin Hopkins and the 34-32 advantage.
Poised with an opportunity to orchestrate a go-ahead drive, Winston threw his second pick-six of the game as Ja’Quan McMillian leaped up and grabbed the pass, returning it 44 yards for the game-sealing score.
“It wasn’t pretty and yet in the end we did what we had to do especially late,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said after the game.
With the victory, the Broncos improved to 8-5 on the season as they stay in the hunt for the team’s first postseason appearance since 2015. Meanwhile, the Browns fall to a 3-9 record, and 2-3 since Winston replaced the injured Deshaun Watson.
