Fastballs in a barnburner: How ESPN did with Cleveland Browns-Denver Broncos game

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Fans tuning into ESPN were treated to a barnburner as the Cleveland Browns traveled to face the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.

“This is a 3-8 team playing like they are 8-3,” play-by-play announcer Joe Buck said when the Browns took a one-point lead in the fourth quarter. But it wasn’t to be, as Denver won, 41-32.

Note: For occasional nationally televised games, we analyze how networks do with coverage. We’re on the lookout for potential bias, smart graphics, quips, quotes and more. Here’s our look at the Monday Night Football game between the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos.

Related: Shirtless guys, classic snowy game: How Amazon Prime did with Steelers-Browns coverage

The announcers

Buck (play by play), Troy Aikman (analyst), Lisa Salters (sideline reporter) and Russel Yurk (rules analyst). Yurk is not a household name like Mike Pereria or Gene Steratore, but he is the former NFL vice president of replay.

The storyline

The Browns came in at 3-8 hoping to try to salvage a season. Denver is much closer to the playoffs than Cleveland. The Broncos entered the game 7-5. It was a case of whether the Browns could turn things around against a team with a hot quarterback in rookie Bo Nix.

Overview

Buck and Aikman are solid. Buck takes heat occasionally for alleged bias, but it’s more controlled excitement for good plays on either side. He has a nice habit of shutting up for a few seconds on big plays. Steady coverage with no camera screwups.

Touch of Cleveland

Boxer-entrepreneur Jake Paul, who grew up in Westlake, was part of the network’s pregame hype video. Chris Stapleton was shown singing Phil Collins’ song “In the Air Tonight,” which was Paul’s walk-out song for his fight last month against Mike Tyson.

Numbers game

• Surprised we didn’t hear that Nix was the sixth quarterback taken among the first 12 players in this year’s draft. Aikman said later Nix made 61 starts in college – a record.

• Aikman noted that Cleveland has had 11 different offensive linemen play a minimum of 75 snaps – most in the NFL.

• Dustin Hopkins’ pulled field-goal attempt in the first quarter dropped the Browns kicker’s efficiency rate. The miss moved him to 15 of 22 on the season.

• It’s the 24th year the Broncos have played in Empower Field at Mile High, we heard. Very close to the Browns in Huntington Bank Field, which opened in 1999.

• Interesting observation: Aikman said defensive end Myles Garrett lines up over the opposing tackle about 80 percent of the time.

• The Browns tallied 298 yards in the first half – most of any half for them all season.

• On Denver’s 93-yard touchdown pass play in the third quarter, Aikman pointed out it was one of the few times Garrett had been double-teamed – a smart call to give Nix and his receivers just a little more time.

Sights and sounds

• Love the pregame shot of a crazed, passionate Jameis Winston firing up his troops.

• Good shot showing drone-created images in the Denver sky.

• Great audio to pick up Nix’s “Jump offsides!” comment as he tried to draw the Browns’ defense. Winston tried it in the Browns’ last game, against Pittsburgh. It didn’t work then, either, though Aikman noted the play.

Hits …

• Salters had a good quick story on the Browns adding an altitude room in Berea to simulate the thinner air in Denver.

• Aikman noted Garrett’s pressure on Nix helped lead to Greg Newsome’s second-quarter interception.

… and Misses

• There’s got to be a bit more of an explainer on the nomenclature announcers use. When Aikman referred to “a simple dig route,” he should have briefly explained that it’s when a receiver races downfield and cuts in sharply.

• Buck said Winston hit 97 mph as a reliever at Florida State. Fine, but Buck used the “fastball” reference four times in the first half to describe Winston’s throws and at least twice in the second half regarding Nix. Enough.

• The Browns finished the first half with 25 consecutive plays without Nick Chubb. Would have liked more probing about specifically why he was out.

Quote of the night

“Cleveland has taken this defense behind the woodshed.” – Aikman.

Quotes of the game

• “I think fun just follows Jameis Winston everywhere he goes.” – Aikman.

• “It was the most fun I ever had playing in a game.” – Aikman on his sole snow game, which took place on Thanksgiving in Dallas in 1993. He referenced it after a recap of the Steelers-Browns game on Nov. 21 in Cleveland. (In that ’93 game, Dallas lost, 16-14.)

• “This is not your typical three-win team that’s mailed it in on the year. That’s the effect that Jameis Winston has had on this unit.” – Aikman.

• “Jeudy, Jeudy, Jeudy.” – Buck on the Browns receiver, who had a career night. The repetition is a riff on a line from a 1939 movie, “Only Angels Have Wings.” It’s similar to a quote Cary Grant’s character Geoff Carter says to Rita Hayworth’s Judy MacPherson. For those of a certain age.

Trivia of the game

Jeudy’s 235 yards receiving were the most by a player against his former team, Buck said. The Browns receiver spent his first four seasons with Denver.

Image of the game …

… actually comes from Cleveland.com’s Dan Labbe:

Next up

Cleveland plays at Pittsburgh at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8. Denver hosts Indianapolis at 4:25 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15. Next Monday Night Football game: Cincinnati at Dallas on Dec. 9.