The Jameis Winston curler coaster was on full show in Browns’ loss to Broncos

DENVER — Jerry Jeudy nearly bought to be homecoming king.

He solely slowed down Monday evening to take in the jeers of followers who as soon as rooted for him, however the Jameis Winston curler coaster fell off the tracks with two picks within the ultimate two minutes.

The Cleveland Browns rewrote some data however not the general story of their disappointing season, as Winston threw for a franchise-best 497 yards and 4 touchdowns but in addition had a pair of interceptions that the host Denver Broncos returned for scores.

The Browns, not boring however nonetheless dangerous, couldn’t overcome their sloppiness and Winston’s three turnovers. Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian’s 44-yard interception return with 1:48 remaining got here when the Browns have been driving to arrange a possible go-ahead discipline purpose try.

However that Winston whiplash solely led to extra disappointment because the Broncos scored the ultimate 10 factors to safe a 41-32 win in a recreation that featured 5 lead modifications and 163 yards price of landing passes in 11 seconds within the third quarter.

The Broncos improved to 8-5 and moved a step nearer to securing a playoff berth. The Browns suffered their fifth straight street loss and fell to 3-9.

“I messed it up for us in entrance of the entire extensive world,” Winston stated.

MCMILLIAN PICK-SIX TO POSSIBLY ICE IT.

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Jeudy had 9 receptions for 235 yards, essentially the most yards by a receiver dealing with his former staff in NFL historical past. He repeatedly sprinted previous the Broncos’ secondary and in addition blew previous his earlier career-best recreation of 154 receiving yards within the 2022 season finale.

Winston and Jeudy related on a 70-yard landing early within the third quarter to get Cleveland inside three. Within the fourth quarter, Jeudy joined Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase as the one gamers to publish 200-yard receiving video games this season. Winston bested his single-game report of 458 passing yards in 2019 and Josh McCown’s Browns report of 457 in 2015. However after the Broncos settled for a discipline purpose and a two-point lead inside the ultimate three minutes, the McMillian interception on a sideline route primarily ended the possibilities of Winston main a comeback on his massive evening.

“Dangerous throw,” Winston stated, making it clear he didn’t need to get into additional particulars.

Regardless of Jeudy’s domination of a number of Denver coverages, Cleveland didn’t have him on the sphere when McMillian made the interception. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski stated Jeudy was taking a play to relaxation. Possibly it wouldn’t have mattered, however that’s the form of unusual resolution — the choose occurred on the primary play out of the two-minute warning — that’s been tied to this Browns staff all 12 months. In early October, Stefanski stated a number of occasions that Deshaun Watson gave them the perfect probability to win, and he caught with Watson regardless of the quarterback by no means throwing for 200 yards in a recreation and Cleveland by no means reaching 20 factors in his seven begins.

Watson solely threw for 421 whole yards over his final three begins and solely had 5 landing passes all season. Winston was a few choices away from surpassing that landing whole in a single recreation Monday evening.

Jeudy backed up his earlier assertion that he’s “been open my whole profession” with one other explosive efficiency in opposition to the staff that traded him to Cleveland in March.

He had only one reception in every of Watson’s final three begins. Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman have turn into playmakers within the Winston-led offense, too. It’s clear that the hesitance to alter quarterbacks ended any probability of the Browns salvaging this season, and what was a joyless and comparatively hopeless offensive operation had its finest exhibiting Monday evening with 552 yards and 28 first downs earlier than the enjoyable ended with Winston’s late interceptions.

The Browns bought to the 2-yard line whereas trailing by two scores with 44 seconds remaining earlier than Winston threw into visitors and was intercepted a 3rd time by Cody Barton.

“I believe we performed our butts off throughout,” Jeudy stated. “We simply couldn’t end how we have been presupposed to. That was an ideal staff we confronted. We simply bought to discover a method to end.”

Moore, the supposed receiver on the McMillian interception, stated the Broncos cornerback undercut the route. Moore blamed himself for hesitating and never ensuring he touched McMillian instantly afterward, which allowed McMillian to return to his toes and dash for the landing.

Late within the first half, Nik Bonitto learn Winston’s eyes on a go that he stepped in entrance of and returned for a 71-yard rating.

BRONCOS PICK SIX

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“I’m simply praying for the Lord to ship me from choose sixes,” Winston stated.

Sure, he actually stated that. He actually did all that, too, releasing six passes that resulted in touchdowns — 4 to his staff and two to the Broncos. He went to Jeudy on the Browns’ first play of the evening for a achieve of 44 and properly saved going again. Jeudy inspired the house crowd to boo louder after his first reception, and after his landing and ensuing two-point conversion, he posed and invited the hate.

“They solely boo after they know there’s one thing nice in you,” Jeudy stated.

Coming into Monday evening, Jeudy was twenty ninth within the NFL with 645 receiving yards and tied for twenty fifth at 14.3 yards per reception. Now, he’s tied with CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys for fifth with 880 receiving yards and ninth at 16.3 yards per reception.

For a lot of the evening, it seemed like Winston would additionally take a leap — and possibly even into Cleveland’s future plans. He carried an ideal passer score into the second quarter. On his first two touchdowns, he confirmed some contact in putting the ball to completely different elements of the top zone the place solely David Njoku may get it. The second to Njoku got here late within the first half and adopted Bonitto’s interception, permitting the Browns to maintain it a one-score recreation.

Early within the third quarter, Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix threw a 93-yard landing strike to Marvin Mims Jr. The Browns answered on the subsequent play with the 70-yarder from Winston to Jeudy.

In the end, although, protecting it shut — and Winston being near an evening for the ages — ended with Cleveland doing the perfect it may. Even with the protection twice forcing the Broncos into second-half discipline objectives and twice intercepting Nix, Denver bought its defenders into the proper locations on the most important occasions.

“The staff doesn’t deserve that,” Winston stated. “Dangerous throws. I’ve to be higher.”

(Picture: David Zalubowski / Related Press)