3 Key Takeaways From Broncos' 29-12 Win Over Browns
Denver, CO — The Denver Broncos remain the hottest team in the league after defeating the Cleveland Browns. The 29-12 finish was the first-final score of that exact combination in NFL history.
The Broncos' fifth consecutive win put them over the .500 mark by one game as. as this team now boasts a 6-5 winning record and remains firmly in the hunt for an AFC Wild Card.
Sunday's win for first-year head coach Sean Payton has Broncos Country surging with excitement, expectations, and joy after a 1-5 start to the season. Before anyone jumps to explain away Denver’s latest victory, consider the fact that the Browns came into the contest at 7-2 with a top-ranked defense, not to mention their own three-game winning streak that has seen them ascend in the AFC North.
Cleveland finished three out of the last four seasons with a winning record in addition to being a playoff team in 2020. Sunday's victory doesn’t crown the Broncos as elite, nor does it signify that they’re Super Bowl bound, but a fifth win in a row means that Denver has officially arrived as a dangerous team that continues to fight for every win and as it grows together.
What did we learn from Sunday's triumph? Here are my three takeaways from an exciting win in the Mile High City.
All Aboard the Russ Bus
Russell Wilson is not going to win MVP honors this season, nor is the former Super Bowl champion and team captain a lock for a Pro Bowl bid. However, he may remain in contention for NFL Comeback Player of the Year if Denver continues to stack wins.
Wilson has been as much a reason for the Broncos’ five-game winning streak as any offensive player on the field. His willingness to accept the task of playing complementary football with an emphasis on running the pigskin paired with short passes has yielded winning results. Even his critics (including me) have to respect the savvy veteran's effort, humility, and production.
With a struggling passing attack in the first half, Wilson was an active participant in the run game against the Browns. He accounted for 34 rushing yards on 11 carries, including a two-yard touchdown, Wilson’s first rushing score of the season.
Later in the second half, Wilson’s arm warmed up as he threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to tight end Adam Trautman on a marvelous broken play, his 20th passing score of the season. Russ finished the day going 13-for-22 for 134 yards and a touchdown with a rating of 91.9.
Wilson is finally playing winning football. Some will continue to poke holes in Russ’ game and would rather daydream about the NFL draft or next season, but I’m hopping on the bandwagon when it comes to this 2023 squad because NFL wins are hard to come by, and Broncos Country deserves it. Let the good times roll.
Payton’s Plan Promises More Wins
What exactly has Payton put in the water at Centura Health Training Center?
The Broncos' fifth consecutive win is clearly the result of complete buy-in from Payton’s players in the locker room, which has continued Denver’s red-hot momentum.
Just a few weeks ago, disgruntled players were popping off on social media and going after Broncos’ legends in addition to bizarre media appearances. Odd behavior paired with pathetic losses led many to wonder whether blockbuster trades would break up the current roster to get an early jump on a roster rebuild that could pay dividends next season.
But Payton must’ve known what he had all along, as the Broncos' head coach remained true to his word about standing relatively pat when it came to the October 31 trade deadline. While I remain stout that the Denver offense would’ve been just as productive without wideout Jerry Jeudy, the winning proof is in Payton's pudding.
This offense has started to click amid complementary football in the run and pass game, while defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has answered Payton’s call of duty. Denver’s defense has logged 15 takeaways in the last four games, the most since 1989.
Hell, the Broncos haven’t lost a football game since Week 6’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs on the road, which was on October 12. Denver has continued to enjoy its holiday season through Halloween and now Thanksgiving as it rolls into the final week of November with a road til against the 6-5 Houston Texans next up.
It's all part of the Payton plan.
Locke Lobbies for Permanent Starting Job
The 'next man up' mentality is regurgitated ad nauseum among football teams at any level. But what happens when a team captain who has been suspended multiple times for egregious hits gets put on notice by his backup, as it happened in the Broncos' win against the Browns?
That’s the conundrum that Payton and Joseph find themselves in after P.J. Locke may have very well played himself into a permanent starting position on Denver’s red-hot defense. The undrafted free agent from Texas, who recently recovered from an ankle injury, played a great game against Cleveland, logging five tackles and a critical strip-sack in the fourth quarter against Browns' QB P.J. Walker.
Locke’s performance wasn’t without flaw after drawing the officials' ire over an unnecessary roughness penalty, which Payton was visibly frustrated with. But when his team needed him, Locke delivered as he stepped in for starting safety Kareem Jackson, who was suspended a second time this season due to repeated egregious helmet-to-helmet contact and hits against opponents.
Jackson, who has been ejected from two games this season, was supported by his defensive secondary teammates pre-game as they donned ‘Free KJack’ t-shirts to protest his suspension. The 14th-year veteran has been fined a total of $89,670 this season, with another $559,889 scheduled to be forfeited during his current suspension.
While I can appreciate Jackson’s contributions in his five seasons as a Bronco, I can’t help but wonder whether he’s more trouble than he’s worth on the field. NFL referees will never give ‘K-Jack’ the benefit of the doubt, and Locke’s level of production level could have very well spelled the end of Jackson’s days as a starter in Denver.
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