The Denver Broncos defeated the Cleveland Browns 41-32 in a crazy one Monday Night Football Week 13 game. Here are five quick takeaways after the win.
1. Jaleel McLaughlin remains the hot hand: Javonte Williams scored a touchdown on Monday, but finished the day with just four runs for one yard. He has now scored 12 carries for -1 yard in the last two weeks. McLaughlin, meanwhile, led the team with 14 carries for 84 yards against Cleveland. Denver's backfield rotation is difficult to predict from week to week, but McLaughlin has an upside ahead of the bye.
2. Pat Surtain should have followed Jerry Jeudy: Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph chose not to follow PS2 Jeudy on Monday, which was an odd decision. With Riley Moss (Knee) was unavailable, Levi Wallace was repeatedly torched by the Browns. Jeudy finished the day with nine receptions for 235 yards with a touchdown, but on the 34 plays Jeudy covered for him, the receiver barely scored two receptions for 20 yards. PS2 finally started following Jeudy late in the game, and it appeared that Joseph also benched Wallace in favor of newcomer Kris Abrams-Draine late in the contest. Both decisions should have been made earlier.
3. Courtland Sutton remains Mr. Reliable: Sutton finished the day with six receptions for 102 yards and now has 42 receptions for 569 yards and three touchdowns over the last six weeks. He remains Denver's best receiver and a reliable target for rookie quarterback Bo Nix.
4. This was a classic game from Jameis Winston: Winston torched the Broncos' secondary for 497 passing yards and four touchdowns…and three interceptions. It was a typical Winston experience. This may sound like a Browns Wire insight, but it's also notable for Denver, as future opponents may not throw interceptions at this rate. Without a pair of pick-sixes, the Broncos could have easily lost Monday's game. Fans in Denver are hoping Moss recovers during the bye and can return in Week 15.
5. Nik Bonitto is a strong DPOY candidate: Bonitto is the first Broncos defensive back since Von Miller to record double-digit sacks and a pick-six in the same season. That's pretty good company.
Nik Bonitto deserves this contract extension and I bet we'll see his name mentioned more and more in DPOY conversations
– Jordan Lopez (@JordanTLopez)
Bonitto's 11 sacks this season rank second in the NFL, behind only Trey Hendrickson (11.5). He is a strong argument for being named Defensive Player of the Year.
The Broncos will now come into play their bye week with a record of 8-5. After the bye, Denver hosts the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15.
