CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Jameis Winston and Jerry Jeudy teamed up to put on once in a lifetime performance in Denver.
Despite the Browns racking up nine more first downs and 552 yards of offense, it wasn’t enough as the Broncos won the shootout 41-32 Monday night.
Here’s a few Brownie Bites from Monday Night Football.
The full Winston experience – The Winston experience was on full display Monday night. Winton set a new Browns single game record with 497 yards passing and four touchdowns, but he also threw two pick-6s that sealed loss No. 9. With less than 2 minutes to play, down 2, Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillen jumped in front of Elijah Moore to make a leaping interception, get up off the turf and run 46 yards for the game-sealing touchdown with 1:48 to play. With the Browns driving late in the second quarter, Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto dropped in coverage and stepped in front of Winston’s pass intended for tight end Jordan Akins and returned it 71 yards for a touchdown and a 21-10 lead with 1:38 to play in the half. Winston came right back with an 11-play, 70-yard drive capped by a 4-yard touchdown to Njoku to get the points back and go to the locker room down 21-17. Winston completed 34 of 58 passes with three interceptions in the loss. Winston surpassed Josh McCown’s 457 yards against the Ravens on October 11, 2015.
Judging Jeudy – Jerry Jeudy returned to Denver, who picked him 15th overall in 2020, and put on a show. Jeudy finished with nine catches for 235 yards and a touchdown. The 235 yards were an NFL record for a player in a game against his former team. The first offensive play of the game for the Browns went to Jeudy for 44 yards. Jeudy hauled in a 70-yard strike and subsequent 2-point conversion from Winston to pull the Browns within 28-25 with 9:50 remaining in the third quarter. Since Winston took over in Week 8, Jeudy hs an NFL-best 614 yards and now ranks fifth in the NFL in receiving yards with 880
Chief slammin’ – Tight end David Njoku doubled his touchdown count by snagging two TDs. Njoku hauled in an 8-yard pass from Winston to tie the game at 7 with 1:09 remaining in the first quarter and he caught a 4-yard pass right before the half to pull the Browns within 21-17. Njoku caught nine passes for 52 yards and two scores.
Moore, please – Elijah Moore had eight catches for 111 yards.
Boom from Bo – Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threaded a beautiful ball over and outstretched Denzel Ward to Marvin Mims Jr. for a 91-yard touchdown and a 28-17 lead. It was the 12th play of over 40 yards allowed by Cleveland’s defense this season.
+/- special teams – The special teams blunders continue for Bubba Ventrone’s unit. Jaelen Dardon had a brain cramp and fielded a 61-yard punt at his own 2 and managed an 8-yard return to the 10. Dustin Hopkins pushed a 47-yard field goal wide left that would’ve given the Browns a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. Hopkins gave the Browns a 10-7 lead with a 45-yard field goal. Punter Corey Bojorquez dropped a punt at the 2 in the third quarter. Bojorquez landed three of his six punts inside the 20.
Writing on the wall – Deshaun Watson’s career in Cleveland should be over. After watching Joe Flacco last year, and now Winston this year, just light up box scores and receivers flourish, it’s plain as day what the problem is. The decision to stick with the guy who couldn’t pass for 200 yards in each of the first seven games was a massive organizational failure because they wasted a season on top of six draft picks and $230 million. The last two years Flacco and Winston have combined to throw for over 300 yards in seven of 10 starts. The prosecution rests.
Threads adjustment – The Browns were originally scheduled to wear their 1946 throwback white jersey with white pants and alternate white helmet in Denver but the Broncos opted to wear their new alternate white helmets with blue jersey and pants so the Browns flipped to their traditional white jersey with orange pants and helmet.
Inactives – S Juan Thornhill, WR Cedric Tillman, RB D’Onta Foreman, CB Chigozie Anusiem, T Jedrick Wills Jr., DT Sam Kamara, DE James Houston