Here’s how the Denver Broncos take down the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 13.
The Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns don’t face off often, but their head-to-head history dates back to the 1970’s. And we can’t forget one of the most iconic moments in NFL history, The Drive, coming in January of 1987 when John Elway lead a 98-yard, game-tying drive in the final seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime. Which, of course, the Broncos would go on to win.
And over the years the Broncos have been able to get a 25-7 advantage in the head-to-head record thanks to 10 and 11-game winning streaks, but recent history has come with mixed success with both teams winning two of the last four games against each other.
Last year the Broncos were able to take down the Browns during that miraculous 5-game winning streak, but this year is different. This year the Broncos are actually a good time, while the Browns are struggling relative to where they were this time last season.
Here is how the Broncos take out the Browns on primetime.
1. Keep the offensive momentum going
The Denver offense has been on a roll lately, and a big reason why is because of how many people have been involved on that side of the ball.
Four players have more than 250 receiving yards, three have 30+ receptions (LJH has 29), five players have at least 10 carries (Mims has nine), and 11 have at least one touchdown on the year. That’s a wide spread of offensive contribution, and it seems like the roles of some of these guys is only being expanded as the year goes on (look at Mims, Vele, and Estime).
The Broncos, while they may lack start power on paper, constantly give opposing defenses a lot to have to contain, and always at least one offensive player breaks free and has a big game.
2. Keep Jameis Winston contained
The only thing that is keeping the Browns alive in games is what can only be described as Jameis Magic. Some of the stuff that he pulls off blows my mind.
A way to stop that is to pressure him quickly and beat him up. The Broncos pass rush has to come to play on Monday, and hopefully Zach Allen will be back contributing to that rush. Nik Bonitto will continue to put together the best season of any Broncos pass rusher since Von Miller, and Vance Joseph will find a way to bully Ken Dorsey and that Cleveland offense.
With the Broncos leading the league in sacks with 42, Nik Bonitto being just 1.5 sacks behind the league leader, and Joseph dialing up the most blitzes out of anyone, if the defense can force third and longs, then it will be a painful night for Cleveland.
3. Keep Bo Nix clean
There is only one true bright spot on this Cleveland defense, and only one that can likely wreck a game, and that is Myles Garrett. He is still a freak of nature on the edge and someone that will always make me anxious.
The good news here is that the last time these two teams met, Garett Bolles and the rest of the offensive line locked Garrett down all game. And with Bolles having a career-year I hope he can repeat the performance he had last season.
It also wouldn’t be a bad thing to keep Javonte Williams in on key passing downs and to chip Garrett every little bit when Trautman goes on a route. And with Nix having a much improved pocket presence and ability to get the ball out than what Russell Wilson had, I think the Broncos will be able to handle this threat.