Browns @ Broncos
Final Score: Broncos 41 – Browns 32
Writer: Brendan Boe (@BeeBoeFF on Twitter)
This was an absolute shootout with some MASSIVE plays on both sides! Highlight after highlight, bomb after bomb, some of the largest plays of the week came within moments of each other as Bo Nix and Jameis Winston slugged it out in what ended up being a total barn burner. The most significant performance was from Jerry Jeudy, who made a powerful statement against his former team by setting the NFL record for the highest yardage in a revenge match at 235! One of the most fun games to watch all week (albeit a kinda slow start), I highly recommend giving it a watch if you missed it. Or watch it again if you didn’t – It’s. That. Good.
Three Up
- Browns Receivers – Special shoutout to Jerry Jeudy for facing his old team and passing the century mark – twice! All 3 top receiving options on the Browns had an absolute feast, with David Njoku having 2 touchdowns and Elijah Moore garnering 100+ yards.
- Jameis Winston – He’s only here for fantasy numbers, he threw 3 interceptions. But this is the Jameis Winston experience: he posts CRAZY numbers despite his ridiculous blunders. Just watch and enjoy, Winston is a wild ride.
- Courtland Sutton – Mr. Consistent was a stable force on this offense against a tough defense as he helped the team work down the field throughout the game. Aside from Marvin Mims’ 93-yard bomb, Sutton was the only Broncos receiver of note.
Two Down
- Javonte Williams – “RiDe ThE hOt HaNd,” says Sean Payton. He wasn’t kidding… Javonte had 3rd most in total yards across all Denver running backs. Sure, he had a touchdown, but 4 yards on 5 touches is a big yikes.
- Nick Chubb – To his credit, he had a touchdown reception, but he was inefficient at 2.3 yards per carry. He was held out for 25 straight plays after putting up 11 yards on 6 carries (he got 10 yards on 1 of those 6 carries.)
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback
Jameis Winston: 34/58, 497 Yards, 4 TD, 3 INT | 3 Carries, 11 Yards
It’s great to see ol’ Crab Legs out there slinging the ball like a madman! To both teams, no less – I guess you can say he technically had 6 touchdown passes on the night. Seriously, this dude is fun to watch – my theory is that his fear receptors no longer function; he is NOT afraid to throw deep and often and make big plays at all costs. He came into this game with a 7:4 TD-to-INT ratio since taking over as the starter in week 7, and now he’s at 11:7 alongside nearly 500 yards through the air. In the first quarter alone, he had two passes for 44 yards each to Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore, who, to their respective credit, made exceptional moves to get yards after catch. But what’s a Winston game without several errors, the most egregious of which was a short pass STRAIGHT AT the defender, who ran it back 71 yards for the touchdown. His deep shots were mostly accurate (keyword mostly), but even on his short and intermediate routes, he threw fastballs for chunk yardage, keeping the entire offense through the air as they couldn’t get much done on the ground. A truly remarkable specimen. There’s no telling when Winston goes absolute HAMburgers, and I didn’t expect it against a tough Broncos defense. But I guess if you throw 58 times, you’re bound to get some zingers.
Running Back
Nick Chubb: 9 Carries, 21 Yards | 2 Catches, 24 Yards, TD
As a fan of the player, I was so happy to see Nick Chubb ball out last week with 2 touchdowns; however, I was shocked to see his lack of involvement in this one. On one of his few chances, his ability as a power runner was certainly on display as he bulldozed a defender to plow for 10 yards, but then his other 5 carries of the first half were for a total of 1 yard. Yuck. That’s probably why he was taken out for 25 plays before the second half. He salvaged an otherwise lost performance with a wide-open touchdown reception at the goal line, but at 2.3 yards per carry versus Jerome Ford’s 4.6, it’s understandable why they put on the brakes with him in this one.
Jerome Ford: 9 Carries, 41 Yards | 1 Catch, 21 Yards
Matching Nick Chubb for total carries, Jerome Ford made more with his opportunities, though it’s worth noting that 21 yards came on a handoff where he juked a blitzing defender and made a big gain. It was a fantastic run, but not much else happened in the Browns’ running game. The Broncos had their number.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Jerry Jeudy: 9 Catches, 235 Yards, TD
What a return to Denver! Facing his former team, the former Bronco came into the game and set the record for the all-time most yards in a revenge match against a former team. Remarkable! Jerry Jeudy came out ready to make a statement, hauling in a 44-yard wide-open catch and run on the Browns’ first pass of the game. He eclipsed the century mark by a WIDE margin in this match as Jameis Winston found him time and time again at intermediate and deep ranges under heavy coverage by a stingy secondary. Speaking of which, Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain, who was also Jeudy’s teammate in college at ‘Bama, spent a decent part of the night covering him – a fascinating matchup to see after many years of them working practice drills against one another at both collegiate and pro levels. Of course, when someone else covered him, Jeudy booked it for a massive 70-yard touchdown, then capped it off with the 2-point conversion. An odd choice by the Broncos not to keep this matchup, but hey, it made for a great revenge narrative on the back of a career night for Jeudy. This was not only a career performance for Jeudy himself, but he set a massive benchmark for any player seeking revenge on a former team.
Elijah Moore: 8 Catches, 111 Yards
An excellent performance that was overshadowed by Jerry Jeudy bringing an absolute onslaught, Elijah Moore also crossed the century mark with a whopping 14 targets on the night! This receiving core was feasting as the ever-persistent Jameis Winston threw pass after pass in hopes of overcoming the steady pace set by the Broncos. And Moore was a crucial component in making this possible as he caught multiple first downs, with a particularly stunning grab on the edge with a toe tap to stay in bounds. Whether or not this was a byproduct of the Browns’ need to be pass-heavy, this was easily Moore’s best performance of the year.
David Njoku: 9 Catches, 52 Yards, 2 TD
He led the team with 17 targets, holy smokes! No surprise he had 2 touchdowns in this contest – and to his credit, both were on great plays in tight windows. The first one was over the middle in a sea of defenders, where he made a jumping catch for an 8-yard score, and the second was just at the end of the first half, where he backpedaled with a defender all over him, then he looked back and saw an arching pass coming right for him. Phenomenal plays that kept the Browns within a one-score game. Well, until it wasn’t – but that’s not Njoku’s fault, as he did his part and did it very well.
Michael Woods: 3 Catches, 43 Yards
Kadarius Toney: 1 Carry, 3 Yards | 0 Receptions
Jamari Thrash: 2 Catches, 11 Yards
Denver Broncos
Quarterback
Bo Nix: 294 Yards, 1 TD, 2 INT | 3 Carries, 4 Yards
The Broncos finally got it right with their quarterback pick, as Bo Nix, the #7 on the season coming into this game, has been a revelation for a team that sorely needed a good passer. In the last nine games, he’s only had two where he’s had less than 200 yards, with Courtland Sutton being the primary beneficiary. Ok, so he only got the 1 touchdown here, but he showed a willingness to go deep against a tough secondary, which paid off when Marvin Mims booked it for a 93-yard score in open field. However, he made a few questionable rookie decisions: on multiple plays, he threw it across his body instead of taking the easy yardage with a wide-open receiver on short passes, hence he was intercepted twice – and nearly a 3rd time on a deep shot downfield to Sutton. Begrudgingly, Nix knocked me out of playoff contention in my favorite league – but you didn’t come here to read about my fantasy woes. The truth is, Bo Nix is talented and super fun to watch. I’m happy for the Broncos for getting their future franchise QB.
Running Back
Jaleel McLaughlin: 14 Carries, 84 Yards | 1 Catch, 0 Yards
Hang on, maybe he’s the RB1?? Yeah, yeah, hot hand ‘n what not. The truth is, Jaleel McLaughlin was their key to gaining yards on the ground – at 6 yards per carry, this was one of the most efficient rushing performances by a Denver running back all season. He found open lanes, made dramatic cutbacks, and powered down for multiple gains of 10+ yards. Forty-three of his yards came on a single drive in the 3rd quarter, where they gave it to him back-to-back-to-back, and why not? It worked! He didn’t see the end zone and was stymied on an early red zone carry, but Sean Payton truly committed to feeding a different runner depending on… Eh, who knows what goes on in his head? The Broncos won, so it clearly worked out.
Javonte Williams: 4 Carries, 1 Yard, TD | 1 Catch, 3 Yards
Coming into this one, I thought Javonte Williams was the #1. Truth is, he’s a true committee back, but usually, a committee requires more involvement from multiple participants (see Lions and Buccaneers backfield). He did get 2 goal line carries in a row and earned a short touchdown after Jaleel McLaughlin failed to break the plane on 1st and 1… But that was it. Four total yards in this one. Don’t be surprised if Sean Payton decides to switch it up, but please don’t take my advice on it. For all we know, Audric Estime gets all the work next week.
Audric Estime: 3 Carries, 12 Yards
Man… Remember when he was supposed to be their new starter? He still had more yards than Javonte Williams. Lol.
Michael Burton: 1 Carry, 1 Yard, TD
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Courtland Sutton: 6 Catches, 102 Yards
A revelation for this team: Courtland Sutton is having his best season since 2019 and comes into this contest as the WR12 in Half-PPR leagues. To no surprise, he kept up the pace by crossing the century mark yet again. He made tough catches and displayed great athleticism: on a short strike thrown behind him, he managed to turn and make the catch while converting a 3rd down. He later had a beautiful spinning jump catch beyond a defender for a big 32-yard gain, then followed up by beating a defender for a contested catch on a perfectly run route and a gain of 19 yards. Sutton has always been more talented than his quarterbacks have allowed him to be, but with Bo Nix looking like the real deal, Sutton is set to continue being a majorly impactful player.
Marvin Mims: 3 Catches, 105 Yards, TD
This man had the highlight of the game! Or so I thought – it turns out there were a lot of those in this game. But give the man his dues, it was perfect ball placement in tight coverage, and he booked it for an easy 93-yard touchdown. He didn’t do much else, but his big play was a large contribution to what made this game so exciting – gotta love a shootout.
Troy Franklin: 2 Catches, 28 Yards
Devaughn Vele: 1 Catch, 16 Yards
Lucas Krull: 3 Catches, 24 Yards
Nate Adkins: 1 Catch, 16 Yards
Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)