In a battle of mostly rookies it was Nick Chubb who seemed to be the ringer.

Two Kliff Kingsbury disciples walk into a bar...

No...

Kobe Bryant flies to Denver to give an inspirational speech to the Cleveland Browns and no one associated remembered the trick to comedy...

Timing.

First Quarter

The Denver Broncos could not get anything going on their first two drives, but:

Mayfield would only have one more complete pass until deep into the second quarter.

Second Quarter

With 1:41 left in the 2nd quarter Baker Mayfield was only 4 of 14 for 81 yards, but one of those four completions was the touchdown. Denver and Cleveland exchanged possession three times with less than two minutes remaining in the first half and that is kind of how the first half went.

Case Keenum threw his first interception in over 200 passes, but Mayfield was picked off too. Mayfield had an end zone pass intercepted by Dymonte Thomas who was playing ahead of Su’a Cravens in recognition of Thomas’s superior play. Cravens and Shane Ray were both inactive in favor of Thomas (whom head coach Vance Joseph said has been outperforming Cravens) and Jeff Holland.

Joseph called this a ‘Must win game’ according to KMGH’s Troy Renck whom pointed out that Thomas had moved ahead of Cravens on the depth chart.

Third Quarter

Mayfield orchestrated a 15 play drive which lasted 9:01, but then...

Timing...

Denver’s first possession of the second half began with 5:59 in the 3rd quarter and a 13-10 lead.

Fourth Quarter

After a Confederacy of Onces, which saw Bradley Roby leave due to injury and new corner Jamar Taylor ejected, the Broncos struggled to field a secondary let-alone defend a Mayfield aerial assault. But, Von Miller was right on time and he was wearing his cape.

The sack was a big deal.

This was Nick Chubb’s game though and it wasn’t until 9:10 in the 4th quarter that Broncos fans got to see much of Chubb or their own Phillip Lindsay. Lindsay finally took a pass for 16 yards with 9:10 left in the game.

The major knock against Vance Joseph this season has been his decisions, and here is a major example of a decision which cost him a victory.

Cleveland’s Nick Chubb hit a 40-yard run immediately on the next play. He would finish the day with 100 yards on 20 carries. Chubb pushed the Browns immediately into field goal range. With the lead to protect, Cleveland called Chubb’s number on the next five plays to varying degrees of success before the game hit the two-minute warning.

Out of the two-minute warning on 3rd & 6 Mayfield hit tight end David Njoku for five yards and a review upholding the call. Denver was forced to use their third timeout with 1:53 left in the game. On 4th and 1, Domata Peko jumped offsides, but Browns coach Gregg Williams ran on the field to call a timeout. After the timeout, Chubb ran the ball, but was gobbled up behind the line of scrimmage by Adam Gotsis for a loss of two yards.

Denver’s ball and Keenum was driving.

Keenum hit tight end Matt LaCosse for 14 yards, DaeSean Hamilton for positive 8 and then missed him deep.

On 3rd & 2 Keenum hit Hamilton for no gain, but on 4th & 2 Keenum hit Devontae Booker for 15 yards. He spiked the ball on 1st & 10 and that was the closest he would get to scoring. The drive died on 4th & 10.

Lindsay entered this game with 970 yards, needing only 30 more to hit that allusive 1,000 yard mark. He would end the game with only 24 yards rushing.

The Broncos find themselves with the tiniest of playoff eligibility, but really no real chance. We’ll see some of them in 2019.

Timing.