DENVER, COLORADO - DECEMBER 02: Bo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos warms up prior to the game against the Cleveland Browns at Empower Field At Mile High on December 02, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
The Denver Broncos win a wild Monday Night Football game vs the Cleveland Browns 41-32. Below is the recap and postgame interviews:
Broncos lost the coin toss so they started with the ball on offense.
After a quick 7 yard gain to Marvin Mims, Javonte Williams was stuffed on 3rd and 3 for no gain and went 3 and out to start the game.
Riley Dixon's punt pins the Browns inside their 10 yard line to start their drive but on 1st down, Jameis Winston found a wide open Jerry Jeudy over the middle of the field for a huge 44 yard gain into Denver territory. Nick Chubb moved the ball into field goal range but the drive would stall at the 29 yard line. Dustin Hopkins missed the 47 yard attempt so the Broncos offense would go back onto the field at their 37 yard line for their 2nd drive of the game with 10:16 remaining in the 1st quarter.
Bo Nix and the Broncos offense moved the ball much more effectively on the next drive. Jaleel McLaughlin gained 12 yards on first down and then Courtland Sutton helped convert two key 3rd downs to move the ball inside field goal range. Bo Nix hit Devaughn Vele all the way down to the 1 yard line and on 3rd and goal from the 2, Javonte Williams punched it in for the first score of the game. Broncos take an early 7-0 lead with 4:13 remaining in the 1st quarter.
Browns start their next drive from their 30 yard line and get a quick 1st down to David Njoku. On 3rd and 3, Jameis Winston found a wide open Elijah Moore for a 44 yard gain. On the very next play, Jameis found David Njoku for an 8 yard touchdown, tying the game 7-7 with 1:09 remaining in the 1st quarter.
Denver's offense went back to work for their 3rd drive of the game. Adam Trautman dropped a pass over the middle (thankfully because it would've been a fumble recovered for a touchdown) and on 3rd down, Nix took a deep shot to Troy Franklin who had slowed up a bit on his route and the ball went right through his hands. Another 3 and out, and Dixon punted it back to the Browns who took over from their 11 yard line with 48 seconds remaining in the 1st quarter.
Cleveland's offense got a quick first down to their 23 yard line on a pass to Elijah Moore however on 3rd and 10, Ja'Quan McMillian came up with a huge pass breakup while covering Elijah Moore and the defense finally got a quick stop. The Browns punted it back to the Broncos who would start their next drive at their 38 yard line with 14:02 remaining in the 1st half.
The Broncos were quickly into Cleveland territory on a defensive pass interference against Vele. Bo Nix tried to fit a ball into a tight window to Franklin but it was tipped up in the air and Greg Newsome II came up with an interception at the Browns 31 yard line.
Jameis Winston went back to work and on 3rd and 10, he found Michael Woods on the left side for a gain of 16 yards and the Browns were quickly at mid field. Jerome Ford gained 21 yards on the ground and suddenly Cleveland was driving again. The drive stalled and the Browns converted a 45 yard field goal to take the lead 10-7 with 8:49 remaining in the 2nd quarter.
Denver goes 3 and out with 2 incompletions and a screen that went nowhere...Sutton was probably interfered with on a deep pass down the left sideline but no call. Cleveland gets the ball right back at their own 11 yard line. Denver's defense forced a quick 3 and out, getting the ball back to their offense at the Broncos 33 yard line with 7:18 remaining in the 1st half. Broncos caught a break on that drive because Jameis overthrew a wide open Jerry Jeudy over the middle for what would've been a walk in touchdown.
Jaleel McLaughlin gained 8 yards on 1st down and Nix hit Sutton for 17 yards to gain the initial 1st down of the drive. Nix hit Adkins for 16 yards and then Troy Franklin for 23 to get the Broncos down to the 1 yard line. Michael Burton punched it in and the Broncos took the lead 14-10 with 4:03 remaining in the 2nd quarter.
Cleveland got quickly into Denver territory with a 17 yard completion to Jerry Jeudy. The Browns moved all the way down to the Broncos 36 yard line before Jameis Winston threw it right to Nik Bonitto on the left side and he returned to the end zone for a pick six!! Broncos extend their lead 21-10 with 1:38 remaining in the 1st half.
On 3rd and 5, Jameis found Jerry Jeudy for another big gain for 16 yards and Cleveland was quickly into Denver territory. Jeudy and Moore helped the Browns get inside the Red Zone. On 3rd and goal from the 4 yard line, David Njoku caught his 2nd touchdown of the game and pulled the Browns within 4, 21-17 at halftime.
To start the 3rd quarter, Jameis Winston went right back to the air, hitting Elijah Moore for a 1st down. Fortunately, the Broncos defense was able to force an incompletion on 3rd and 3 from midfield and Cleveland punted it to the Broncos who would start their 1st drive of the 2nd half inside their 12 yard line.
Denzel Ward gets called for defensive pass interference on the 1st play and the Broncos move quickly to their 31 yard line. Jaleel gained 9 yards on the next play but the drive didn't go much farther as Shelby Harris stuffed McLaughlin for a 1 yard loss and Nix's 3rd down pass fell incomplete. Browns get the ball back at their 24 yard line, trailing by 4.
The Broncos defense did their job and forced a very quick 3 and out by Cleveland and would start their next drive at their 8 yard line with 10:34 remaining in the 3rd quarter. On 3rd and 12, Bo Nix hits Marvin Mims deep down the middle of the field for a 93 yard touchdown!! Broncos extend their lead 28-17 with 10:01 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
Cleveland started their next drive from their 30 yard line and on the first play, Jameis Winston hits Jerry Jeudy wide open over the middle of the field for a 70 yard touchdown. With the 2 point conversion, Cleveland pulls within 3, 28-25 with 9:50 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
Garett Bolles called for holding and then illegal formation (offsetting) the Broncos next drive was doomed to begin with. Denver gains 10 yards but has to quickly punt it back to Cleveland who started their next drive at their 29 yard with 8:13 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
On the first play, Nick Chubb takes a screen for 19 yards and the Browns are near midfield. Fortunately, that's all the Browns offense was able to do and they punted it back to Denver who would start their next drive at their own 3 yard line.
On 2nd down, Nix found Courtland down the right side for a huge 32 yard gain and then Jaleel McLaughlin ripped off an 18 yard run followed by a 17 yard run that got the Broncos all the way down to the Browns Red Zone. The drive stalled at the 13 yard line and Wil Lutz converted a 36 yard field goal to extend the lead 31-25.
Jameis Winston was able to convert a 4th and inches QB sneak at their own 39 yard line to get the initial 1st down of the drive. Wyatt Teller clearly had a false start but it wasn't called as we headed to the 4th quarter. Two plays later, Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper combined for a HUGE sack on Winston that ended up being a 14 yard loss. The Browns would eventually punt it to Denver who would start at their own 20 yard line with 12:40 remaining in the game.
On the first play of the drive, Nix goes deep to Marvin Mims but Denzel Ward fights for the ball and intercepts Bo Nix at the Cleveland 28 yard line. Winston hits Jeudy wide open Jerry Jeudy over the left side and he takes into Denver territory and went over 200 yards receiving. On 3rd and 15, Winston found Jeudy again for a 17 yard gain. On 2nd and goal, Winston threw is FOURTH TD of the game, this to Nick Chubb for a walk in touchdown and Cleveland went in front 32-31 with 8:57 remaining in the game.
The Broncos offense, now in a hole, went back to work and Bo Nix found Courtland Sutton for 19 yards down the left sideline to get the Broncos into Cleveland territory. Nix found Krull for a 12 yard gain and then Sutton for a 1st down catch to get the Broncos into the Red Zone. The drive stalled and on 4th and 1, Wil Lutz was brought in for a 27 yard field goal to give Denver the lead back 34-32 with 2:54 remaining in the game.
Jonathon Cooper got a huge sack on 1st down but on 3rd and 12, Winston found Elijah Moore down the right sideline for a massive first down to the Cleveland 42 yard line. On the very next play, Ja'Quan McMillian dove in front of a pass to the left sideline and took it back for a pick 6! Broncos lead 41-32 with 1:48 remaining in the game!
The Browns now trailing by two scores got a massive DPI in the end zone against Kris Abrams Draine to be 1st and Goal at the 1 yard line with 50 seconds remaining but Winston rolled out and threw it right to Cody Barton who returned it to mid-field to seal the game. Broncos win 41-32 to improve to 8-5 as they head into the bye week.
The next broadcast is Sunday, December 15th as the Broncos host the Indianapolis Colts. Coverage starts on KOA at 8am.
Below are the postgame interviews with Sean Payton, Bo Nix, Ja'Quan McMillian and Marvin Mims.