CLEVELAND, Ohio — Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy bursts through the Broncos secondary like the breakout star on whom Denver didn’t wait long enough. Quarterback Jameis Winston launched missiles in every direction enroute to the fifth 400-yard passing game of his career. But the Browns lose, 41-32, to the Broncos anyway. And viewed from a misleading lens, this is the worst-case Cleveland scenario.
C’mon, man. The Browns could have beaten the Broncos in Denver, and they should’ve entered this week with more than three wins. This season is lost because Cleveland waited too long to insert Winston for Deshaun Watson, who tore his Achillies during Week 7.
And next year, plus the year after, is sunk because Watson counts over $73 million against the Browns’ salary cap (in both years), regardless of how much or how well he plays. How can Cleveland win?
Easy. Just look at the opposing sideline, where Broncos coach Sean Payton’s glass looks at least half full just one year after a painful trip to the quarterback debt collector.
Browns fans may be fluent in fatalism. Heck, it might be their native tongue. But after a long, stinky year of football, I’m viewing Cleveland’s latest loss through a hopeful prism that might look unfamiliar to its citizens. I know you’re squinting. You don’t trust your eyes. But if you look hard enough at Payton’s Broncos, you can see a blurry picture of Browns hope.
Denver is paying $53 million this season for a player it doesn’t roster. It owes former quarterback Russell Wilson $32 million more next season, too. And this time last year, the Broncos seemed just as lost as the Browns do now. But after bailing on Wilson for rookie quarterback Bo Nix, they’re 8-5 with a two-game lead for the last AFC playoff spot.
Why can’t the Browns follow suit?
Cleveland is speeding toward a top-10 pick. The upcoming quarterback class lacks hype, but as Denver keeps showing the league, you don’t need an elite prospect to flip your fortunes. Nix watched five quarterback classmates get drafted before him. Draftniks dinged him for age (24) and the quarterback-friendly offense he ran at Oregon.
But guess what? Payton has been inflating quarterback statistics for years. The Broncos cushioned Nix with a defense that ranked second in scoring defense before Monday. And they armed him with a talented top receiver in Courtland Sutton, who ranks eighth in receiving yards after beating Cleveland.
Does that blueprint sound familiar? Browns coach Kevin Stefanski lacks Payton’s postseason success, but he’s won two Coach of the Year awards, in part because he’s helped quarterbacks like Winston, Baker Mayfield, Jacoby Brissett and Joe Flacco post prolific passing numbers.
Cleveland’s defense has regressed in 2024, but it still boasts stars like cornerback Denzel Ward and edge rusher Myles Garrett, who led the NFL’s top defense last season. And did you watch Jeudy catch nine passes for 235 yards and a touchdown on Monday? Have you tracked him since Week 8 (Winston’s first start)? He’s playing like a star pass-catcher.
All he (and this roster) needs is a quarterback that can run the offense on a manageable contract. Maybe that’s Winston, whose four-touchdown, three-interception performance on Monday broke both sides of the Jameis Spectrum. Or maybe a Nix-like rookie exists in next year’s draft, where the Browns entered a four-way tie for the fifth pick on Monday. For what it’s worth, the Broncos found Nix at 12th overall.
See? Not as crazy as you think. The Browns could’ve beaten the Broncos on Monday. They should be chasing a wild card playoff spot. And I get why pessimistic Clevelanders would scoff at a quick turnaround.
But after a long season, I suggest you look across the field at the Nix-Payton partnership. Look at what the Broncos have built despite the truckload of dead money they owe Wilson. Table your shoulds, coulds and woulds for once, and look at what can be possible once you nail an important draft pick.
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