With 1 minute, 48 seconds left, JaQuan McMillian ran in a 44-yard intercepted pass for the winning touchdown. The Denver Broncos ruined the best performances ever from Cleveland quarterback Jameis Winston and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, beating the Browns 41-32 on Monday night.
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Winston threw for a franchise-record 497 yards and four touchdowns, while Jeudy finished with nine catches for 235 yards and a TD, the most in NFL history by a receiver against a former team. Jeudy played his first four seasons in Denver, but was booed every time he caught the ball. "It just didn't work," Jeudy said. "We've got to find a way to finish it, a way to win." Winston's great night included three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Nick Bonit ran for 71 yards late in the second quarter.
Winston became the first NFL quarterback to throw for more than 400 yards with four or more touchdown passes and two pick-sixes. Bo Nix passed for 294 yards, including a beautiful long pass from his own end zone that Marvin Mims Jr. caught for a 93-yard touchdown. Nix also threw two picks. The Broncos (8-5) are in the seventh and final playoff spot and will have a week off. According to the NFL, Denver has a 76% chance of making the playoffs.
The team hasn't been to the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl in the 2015 season. Broncos coach Sean Payton said, "We weren't perfect by any means, but we got it done." Winston surpassed the Browns record of 457 receptions set by Josh McCown in 2015 against Baltimore. He threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Jeudy and two touchdowns to tight end David Njoku as the starter in place of an injured Deshaun Watson for the Browns (3-9), who fell to 2-3.
Winston's 5-yard touchdown pass to Nick Chubb gave Cleveland a 32-31 lead before the Knicks led the Broncos to a nine-point lead over the Browns. On fourth-and-1, Payton wanted to try the ball, but changed his mind after a timeout. Wil Lutz put the Browns ahead with a 27-yard field goal with 2 minutes, 54 seconds left. Winston and the Browns still had plenty of time to score the winning goal, but Winston threw to Elijah Moore too late and McMillian jumped over the edge.
After the catch, he fell to the grass, but got up and sprinted for the end zone. "The fact that they did it twice was kind of crazy," Nix said of the interception return. "I'm sitting on the bench there, and there's a heater there, and I don't even have to move. It's very nice for the offense to have that bail us out like that." Jeudy, a first-round draft pick in 2020, was traded to Cleveland this spring after four shaky seasons with Denver.
He stopped at the goal line and then fell backwards into the end zone for a long touchdown catch, which he also converted to bring the Browns to within 28-25. "We were making plans to release him. "I thought the plan was solid," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. "Jerry executed the plan really well. We gave him space. Jameis made some throws. It's hard to feel good when you lose." Jeudy's play came just 11 seconds after Nix made a laser throw from about 4 yards deep in the end zone to Mims about 42 yards out. Mims caught the ball on a run, raced into the end zone and jumped into the stands to celebrate.
The Broncos relied on their running game in the first half, with Javonte Williams and Michael Burton scoring short touchdowns. It was Burton's second touchdown of his 10-year career. The Browns fell to 4-13 in the Mile High City. Dustin Hopkins missed a 47-yard field goal attempt wide left on Cleveland's first drive. Knicks, who was named NFL Rookie of the Week for the third straight time, threw his first interception since November. 3. With Myles Garrett on the roster, the Knicks tried to force a pass over the middle from Tony Franklin. Denzel Ward reached forward and blasted the ball into the air, where it was caught by Greg Newsome II.
Winston and Jeudy got going early, catching a 44-yard pass on the Browns' first offensive play. Pregame Speech Winston gave an impassioned speech to his teammates before the game, exclaiming, "It's got to come from the heart." "I'm not worried about Mile High. I'm interested to see what the Browns do." Injury report Broncos: WR Jamari Thrash (shoulder) out. ... CB Denzel Ward (calf) and S Grant Delpit (head) both left the field as Denver made a game-winning field goal late in the game.
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