The Denver Broncos continue their unlikely playoff push against the Cleveland Browns on “Monday Night Football.”
Broncos neophyte passer Bo Nix is seemingly coming into his own under the tutelage of Sean Payton in recent weeks. Nix has thrown 16 touchdowns to six interceptions and is just two weeks removed from a four-touchdown performance versus the Falcons. In Week 12, Nix notched another two touchdowns in a win over the Raiders, helping the Broncos stay in the AFC playoff hunt.
The Browns are all but out of it in that same hunt, but quarterback Jameis Winston has an opportunity to help Cleveland play spoiler through the last six weeks of the season. Winston already has more passing yards and touchdowns than the injured Deshaun Watson through just four games, and he has offered a small bit of a spark for Cleveland’s offense.
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The Browns have only two 20-plus point performances this year, and both came with Winston under center. Their offense may still not pose a challenge for the Broncos’ top-five defense, but stranger things have happened: Look no further than Cleveland’s most recent victory over the Steelers.
That makes for another must-watch installment of “MNF” – even if the matchup isn’t overly sexy on paper.
USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates, highlights and more from the Week 13 “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Broncos and Browns below.
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Bo Nix interception: Denzel Ward deflects ball to teammate Greg Newsome
The Browns come up with the first turnover of Monday night’s game, and it came in bizarre fashion.
Ward was covering Troy Franklin and managed to get his hand in front of Bo Nix’s pass. Somehow, Ward’s deflection ricocheted into the air pop-fly style, and Newsome was able to get under it to create the turnover.
Ja’Quan McMillian breaks up pass intended for Elijah Moore, forces punt
The Broncos forced the Browns to punt for the first time on Cleveland’s third drive of the game. The Browns picked up an initial first down on a connection between Jameis Winston and Moore, but the two couldn’t rekindle their magic on a deeper pass that was broken up by McMillian.
Corey Bojorquez’s punt only went 39 yards in the thin Denver air, so the Broncos will get the ball back in good field position.
Broncos, Browns tied at 7 after first quarter
The Week 13 “Monday Night Football” matchup is off to a fast start, as the first quarter featured 212 total yards of offense.
Jameis Winston has started the game hot, completing 5-of-6 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown while Bo Nix has been streakier. The Broncos rookie has completed just 5-of-11 passes for 52 yards, but he put together a strong second drive to help Denver open the scoring.
Cleveland has been positioned to score on each of its first two drives but failed to do so on its first because of a missed field goal by Dustin Hopkins. His performance will bear watching, as he has made just two of his last six field goal attempts.
What is 5280 on Broncos helmets?
The figure references the city of Denver’s elevation of 5,280 feet. That’s also the origin of the Broncos’ “Mile High” Stadium (which is presently known as Empower Field at Mile High).
Broncos go three-and-out again
Bo Nix attempted three passes on Denver’s third drive of the game. None of them were completed. That forced the Broncos to punt the ball back to the Browns, who will look to score on back-to-back possessions.
David Njoku answers Broncos touchdown with 9-yard score
Jameis Winston got the Browns into the red-zone by connecting with Elijah Moore on a 44-yard pass before following that up with a 9-yard toss to Njoku. Dustin Hopkins atoned for his missed field goal by making the ensuing extra point to tie the game at 7-all.
A fun stat: Winston now has two completions of exactly 44 yards on his first two drives. His first went to Jerry Jeudy on the first drive while his second went to Moore.
Who is Bo Nix’s father?
Bo Nix’s father is Patrick Nix, who played quarterback at Auburn from 1992-95. After his college career, the elder Nix became a coach, starting as a running backs coach at Jacksonville State in 1996.
Nix eventually became Georgia Tech’s offensive coordinator in 2004, and helped turn Calvin Johnson into one of the NCAA’s most productive receivers. He held that role through the 2006 season before taking on the same role for two seasons at Miami (FL).
Since 2013, Nix has been a head high school football coach in Alabama. He has worked for three different schools, the most recent of which has been Phenix City Central.
Javonte Williams opens scoring with 1-yard TD run
The Broncos capitalized on the good field position provided to them by Dustin Hopkins’ miss. Bo Nix enjoyed a quality drive, finding Courtland Sutton and Devaughn Vele for big downfield gains.
A particularly nice sliding grab by Vele set up the Broncos at the 1-yard line. After a few tries, Denver managed to punch it in with Williams. Wil Lutz made the ensuing extra point to give the Broncos a 7-0 lead.
Why did the Broncos trade Jerry Jeudy?
The Broncos traded Jerry Jeudy to recoup a draft asset for the 2021 first-round pick and give him a change of scenery. He struggled with consistency and drops during his time with the Broncos, so the team decided to move on from him and reset its receiver room.
Courtland Sutton has continued to be the team’s No. 1 receiver while DeVaughn Vele, Marvin Mims and Lil’Jordan Humphrey have worked to help replace Jeudy.
Dustin Hopkins stats
Hopkins is now 15 of 22 on the season after he missed his first field goal attempt from 47 yards against the Broncos. He has endured a rough patch of late, as he is now just 2-for-6 over his last three-plus games kicking.
Most of Hopkins misses have come from 50-plus yards, as he is just 4-of-8 from that distance. He is now 4-of-6 on kicks between 40 and 49 yards.
Dustin Hopkins misses 47-yard field goal
The Browns got off to a strong start on offense, as Jameis Winston found Jerry Jeudy for a 44-yard gain on the first play of the game. However, after a handful of solid runs, Winston failed to connect on a third-and-4 pass in the direction of David Njoku.
The Browns called upon Hopkins to put them ahead, but Hopkins missed the kick wide left. He is now just 15-of-22 on field goal attempts this season.
Broncos go three-and-out to start game
The Broncos went pass-pass-run on their first drive but were stuffed on a third-and-3 Javonte Williams carry.
Denver punted the ball inside the 5-yard line where return man Jaelon Darden inexplicably decided to return it. Jameis Winston’s first drive will start at his own 10-yard line.
Broncos vs. Browns start time
Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT)
Location: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
The Broncos and Browns will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Broncos vs. Browns TV channel
TV channel: ESPN
ESPN again is the broadcast home of “Monday Night Football.” The longtime team of Joe Buck (play-by-play) and Troy Aikman (color) will be on the call, with Lisa Salters adding reports from the sideline.
There will be no “ManningCast” featuring Peyton and Eli Manning for this matchup.
Broncos vs. Browns picks, predictions
Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports staff feels the Broncos-Browns “MNF” matchup will go:
Lorenzo Reyes: Broncos 28, Browns 13
Tyler Dragon: Broncos 21, Browns 20
Richard Morin: Broncos 29, Browns 22
Jordan Mendoza: Broncos 27, Browns 20
Broncos vs. Browns live stream
Live stream: Fubo TV | ESPN+
Cord-cutters looking for a live stream of the matchup can turn to Fubo TV. Fubo TV carries NBC, CBS, FOX, NFL Network and the ESPN family of networks, meaning you can catch NFL action through the remainder of the season.
ESPN+, ESPN’s proprietary streaming service, will also carry the game.
Jameis Winston gives speech before ‘Monday Night Football’
Winston’s pregame speeches have fascinated NFL fans, especially since he became Cleveland’s starting quarterback in place of the injured Deshaun Watson.
He was measured ahead of his Week 13 matchup with the Broncos, but he did do his best to mimic the iconic, “Monday Night Football” theme.
Patrick Surtain rocks Travis Hunter shirt
One of the NFL’s best defensive players is showing some love to the best two-way player in college football.
Surtain, the Broncos star, warmed up for Denver’s home game against the Browns rocking a shirt featuring Hunter, a star receiver/cornerback who plays for Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes.
Colorado is located in Boulder, which is about 28 miles away from Denver.
Browns inactives vs. Broncos
S Juan Thornhill
WR Cedric Tillman
RB D’Onta Foreman
CB Chigozie Anusiem
OT Jedrick Wills Jr.
DT Sam Kamara
DE James Houston
Broncos inactives vs. Browns
QB Zach Wilson (emergency third QB)
CB Riley Moss
LB Drew Sanders
OG Nick Gargiulo
OT Frank Crum
DL Eyioma Uwazurike
Broncos vs. Browns odds, moneyline, over/under
The Broncos are favorites to defeat the Browns, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Not interested in this game? Check out expert picks and best bets for every NFL game this week.
Spread: Broncos (-6.5)
Moneyline: Broncos (-300); Browns (+240)
Over/under: 41.5
Where is Broncos vs. Browns being played?
The Browns vs. Broncos game on “Monday Night Football” is being held at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. Empower Field at Mile High opened in 2001, replacing the Broncos’ original home, Mile High Stadium.
Empower Field at Mile High has hosted three AFC championship games (2005, 2013 and 2015 seasons). It also has hosted numerous international soccer games, including the U.S. men’s national team’s in over Mexico in the 2021 Concacaf Nations League final.
➤ Ranking NFL’s stadiums from 1 to 30: Where does Broncos’ Empower Field at Mile High rate?
Browns vs. Broncos weather updates
According to AccuWeather, temperatures around kickoff will be in the mid-40s with no chance for precipitation. Temperatures will drop into the mid- to-high-30s by game’s end at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver.
©Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports
Jan. 15, 2024: Snow covers Highmark Stadium before the AFC wild-card playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills. The Bills won the game, 31-17, after the contest was postponed a day due to a massive winter storm.
AFC North standings
The Browns won’t be able to challenge for the AFC North in 2024, but they can play spoiler down the stretch against teams who are jockeying for playoff position. Here’s how they stand entering “MNF:”
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)
Baltimore Ravens (8-5)
Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
Cleveland Browns (3-8)
AFC West standings
The Chiefs are running away with the division, but the Broncos are still in the playoff hunt. Here’s how they stack up entering “MNF:”
Kansas City Chiefs (11-1)
Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
Denver Broncos (7-5)
Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)
Broncos playoff odds
FanDuel Sportsbook has set the Broncos’ odds to make the playoffs at -154. The sportsbook also offers odds for Denver to miss the playoffs at +126.
FanDuel’s odds imply a 60.6% chance of making the postseason.
Which NFL team has the most Super Bowl wins?
The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are tied for the most Super Bowl wins with six.
Pittsburgh and Dallas have the unique distinction of playing each other more than any other team combination in Super Bowl history with three matchups.
The Broncos have three Super Bowl victories in eight appearances, with the most recent Lombardi Trophy captured in Super Bowl 50 during the 2015 season. The Browns are among four NFL teams that have never appeared in a Super Bowl. Cleveland has Denver partially to blame for having no Super Bowl appearances, as the Broncos defeated the Browns three times in AFC championship games during the 1980s, including two famous games with names seared into NFL lore: “The Drive” and “The Fumble.”
NFL franchises with most Super Bowl wins:
New England Patriots — 6
Pittsburgh Steelers — 6
Dallas Cowboys — 5
San Francisco 49ers — 5
Green Bay Packers — 4
Kansas City Chiefs — 4
New York Giants — 4
➤ Super Bowl winners: All-time scores, results for NFL title game
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