Ja’Quan McMillian’s game-clinching touchdown with less than two minutes remaining spoiled the career-night turns by Jameis Winston and Jerry Jeudy as Denver Broncos clinched a 41-32 shootout win over Cleveland Browns.
McMillian returned an interception 44 yards for a game-sealing touchdown with 1:48 remaining, despite career-best performances by Cleveland quarterback Winston and wide receiver Jeudy.
Winston threw for a franchise-record 497 yards and four touchdowns while Jeudy had nine catches for 235 yards – the most in NFL history by a receiver against his former team – and a touchdown.
Jeudy played his first four seasons with Denver and was booed every time he caught the ball.
Winston’s electric night included three picks, two of which were returned for touchdowns, becoming the first NFL quarterback to throw for 400 or more yards with four or more touchdown passes and two pick-sixes.
Nik Bonitto took one 71 yards to the house late in the second quarter.
Bo Nix finished with 294 yards passing, including a deep ball from his own end zone that Marvin Mims Jr hauled in for a 93-yard touchdown. Nix also threw two picks.
The Broncos (8-5) enter their bye week in the seventh and final playoff spot.
Denver has a 76% probability of making the postseason, according to the NFL. The team hasn’t been in the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl after the 2015 season.
“It wasn’t perfect, by any means, but we were able to finish,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said.
Winston surpassed the Browns record of 457 yards set by Josh McCown in 2015 against Baltimore. He threw a 70-yard TD pass to Jeudy and a pair of scores to tight end David Njoku in falling to 2-3 as a starter for the Browns (3-9) since replacing the injured Deshaun Watson.
Cleveland led 32-31 on Winston’s 5-yard TD pass to Nick Chubb when Nix drove the Broncos to the Browns 9. On fourth-and-1, Payton lined up to go for it but changed his mind after a timeout. Wil Lutz kicked a go-ahead 27-yard field goal with 2:54 remaining.
Winston and the Browns had plenty of time to drive for a winning score, but Winston’s throw to Elijah Moore was late and McMillian jumped the route.
He fell to the turf untouched after making the catch, got up and sprinted to the end zone.
“The fact they did it twice was kind of crazy,” Nix said of the interception returns. “It’s pretty nice for the offence when they bail us out like that.”
Jeudy, a first-round draft pick in 2020, was traded to Cleveland this spring after an up-and-down four seasons with Denver.
He paused at the goal line before falling backwards into the end zone on his long TD catch. He also caught a two-point conversion to get the Browns within 28-25.
“Jerry executed the plan really well. Got him open. Jameis made some throws. It’s hard in the losing effort to feel good about anything,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said.
The Broncos relied on their running game in the first half, with Javonte Williams and Michael Burton scoring short touchdowns. It was Burton’s second touchdown of his 10-year career.
The Browns fell to 4-13 in the Mile High City. Dustin Hopkins missed a 47-yard field goal to the left on Cleveland’s opening drive.
