- WHERE: Empower Field at Mile High (Denver)
- WHEN: 8:15 p.m. ET | ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, NFL+
To wrap up the holiday weekend NFL fans will get to feast on an AFC matchup with intrigue aplenty.
The Cleveland Browns (3-8) will head to Denver to face the Broncos (7-5) in a game that could have big implications for the way the AFC playoff race shakes out over the final six weeks.
The Broncos are riding a two-game win streak with victories over the Falcons and the Raiders, the latter breaking an eight-game losing streak to the divisional opponent dating back to 2015. Now, Denver and its rapidly improving rookie quarterback Bo Nix will host Cleveland with the chance to further secure their spot within the playoff picture, where they currency sit in the seventh and final slot, albeit multiple games ahead of the next best team.
The Browns have had a rough go of it in 2024, including losing Deshaun Watson to a season-ending Achilles injury. But with backup-turned-starter Jameis Winston taking over there appears to be a little life in Cleveland. With him in charge the Browns have a 2-2 record, taking wins against both the Ravens and Steelers, the two teams at the top of the AFC North. Though their own playoff hopes are slim to none, the Browns will have a chance to play spoiler for a bubble team in the Broncos this week.
This will be the second year in a row the two teams face off, after last year’s 29-12 win by the Broncos. But with new quarterbacks on both sides and various storylines to keep track of, this season’s matchup looks very different.
Here are four things to watch for when the Browns visit the Broncos on Monday night on ESPN and NFL+:
1) Browns find familiar faces in Denver. When Monday’s matchup commences, there will be two reunions happening for major players on the Cleveland squad. Jerry Jeudy was a member of the Broncos for the first four years of his career, making 44 starts and accumulating 3,053 receiving yards but proving unable to fully find his footing in Denver. Jeudy was traded to the Browns this offseason and has seemed to find himself with a new team. He leads Cleveland in receptions and receiving yards, and in the last four game has truly found his stride, averaging 94.75 yards per game, including 142 in Week 11. Now, he’ll return to the city he spent four years in with something to prove. Jeudy’s increase in production also coincided with Jameis Winston taking over at quarterback after Deshaun Watson’s injury. And Winston, who has put together a 2-2 record since taking over, will also find an old friend on the opposing sideline in Broncos head coach Sean Payton. Payton was Winston’s coach in New Orleans from 2020-2021. Now, three years later with both men representing different teams, they’ll meet again as opponents.
2) Can Broncos offense continue to roll led by Nix-Sutton connection? While one storyline in this game is the receiver no longer on the Broncos roster, it’s also worth discussing the ones still contributing in a big way to Denver’s recent success. Over the last few weeks, Bo Nix has appeared to settle in, earning three straight Rookie of the Week awards and coming into Monday’s game looking to extend a two-game win streak. That increased comfort and production has largely been due to a burgeoning partnership with Courtland Sutton. The wideout is on track for his best season since his Pro Bowl campaign in 2019 and has become the go-to target for Nix. Just in the last five weeks, Sutton has 36 catches for 467 yards and three TDs, including his first-career multi-TD game in Week 12. While we’ve also seen an increase in production from players such as Marvin Mims and Devaughn Vele the last couple weeks, Sutton has been the security blanket, and keeping that duo on the same page is needed to keep this offense chugging along.
3) Can Myles Garrett continue recent tear? The Browns’ best defender and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year was hampered at the beginning of the 2024 season with ailments, including injuries to his foot, Achilles and thigh. He did not miss a game with the injuries but seemed to get off to a slower start to the year. However, in the last few weeks Garrett’s slow beginning has given way to a hot streak, as he's gotten healthy and recorded three-sack games in two of the last three outings. This included a trio of takedowns -- one a strip sack -- just in the first half of a Week 12 upset win over the Steelers. If the Browns are to earn a second straight win from the underdog position, Garrett getting pressure on Nix will be key. With that said, the defensive end hasn’t had much success in his limited history facing the Broncos. He has just 1.5 sacks in four regular-season contests and last year was completely shut out in Denver’s dominating win. The Broncos offensive line has been one of the best this year, ranking fourth in sacks allowed and most recently leaving Maxx Crosby without a sack last week. This matchup is one of strength versus strength. We’ll have to see who comes out on top.
4) Broncos defense ready to wreak havoc. Denver’s defense has been ravaging opposing offenses all year, ranking third in the league in points per game allowed (16.8), third in yards per game allowed (296) and first in red-zone touchdown percentage allowed (39.39%). The Broncos also lead the league in sacks recorded (44) and sit at 11th in interceptions. Both of those are areas in which the Browns have struggled, especially with Winston, a QB with a notoriously high turnover rate, under center -- he's had four interceptions and three fumbles since taking over. The Browns offensive line has also allowed the second-most sacks in the league (47), and Winston has taken 12 as a starter, including six versus the Chargers in Week 9. So, with the way this matchup looks on paper, the Broncos could have an opportunity to take advantage of the Browns’ problem areas and make some game-shifting plays. Denver had to play last week’s game versus the Raiders without their star pass rusher Zach Allen, but still recorded five sacks and forced two fumbles in the win. Allen is off the injury report and set to be back on the field Monday, only adding juice to a defense that did just fine without him for a week.