INJURY – B(confused)

Did Bo Nix play well? He threw a 93-yard touchdown and struck again and again.

Did the rookie quarterback play poorly? He threw two interceptions, rejected completions to hit home runs several times and generally didn’t always seem like the calm, methodical operator the Broncos had relied on in recent weeks. But hey, Denver had a pair of 100-yard receivers, got a good performance from Jaleel McLaughlin and totaled 400 yards of offense and 27 offensive points. This is played almost every week. This week it just happened to be a circus game.

DEFENSE – D(astonished)

Did the Broncos defense play poorly? In any case, they did. They gave up 522 yards, let Jerry Jeudy get a pound of flesh, and let Jameis Winston write an all-time Jameis Winston game.

Did the Broncos defense play well? Well, they returned two interceptions for touchdowns and sealed the game with a third-down pick by Winston in the closing moments.

When Broncos defenseman Zach Allen was informed of the yardage in the locker room, he responded with one word and four letters. But that unit has carried Denver at times through the first 13 weeks, making three of the game’s biggest plays even on the night it was dismantled.

SPECIAL TEAMS – C (much more normal)

Riley Dixon mishit a punt but gained 49.6 yards on five attempts, hit a long of 61 yards – Tremon Smith had excellent coverage on that drive – and trapped Cleveland inside the 10-yard line twice.

Wil Lutz continued his steady play, scoring both field goal attempts and all five extra points. All in all, the special teams in this game proved to be pretty normal compared to the rest.