The Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns just played the game of the year so far. It was a back and forth game filled with big plays, turnovers, drama, poor play and some heartbreaking drama at the end of the game. In the end, however, the Broncos came out on top, improving to 8-5 on the year.

My heart is still racing.

There are many winners and losers. There was a lot of good and a lot of bad here. The Broncos are ahead so I’m confident, but there will definitely be some losers (LEVI WALLACE).

With all that said, here are your winners and losers from the Denver Broncos’ 41-32 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Bo Nix – Winner

The Broncos win, so Bo Nix gets the winning nod from here. However, it wasn’t a great game for the rookie. He made mistakes, had two interceptions and struggled to convert some third downs. However, he had a 93-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims Jr. that was the highlight of his game.

He still made some good throws and continued to show his connection with Courtland Sutton, so it ended up being a positive night for the Broncos rookie. Again, he’s still a rookie, so there will be some bumps along the way, but he’s done enough to get the Broncos to 8-5 this year.

Levi Wallace – LOSER

I don’t normally call a player job. These are people who are living their dream and doing something I can’t even dream of. Still, Levi Wallace didn’t deserve a spot in the squad after that game.

He was regularly targeted throughout the game by Jameis Winston, Jerry Jeudy and the Browns’ offense. They targeted him at crucial moments in coverage and were always successful.

The veteran cornerback started in place of the injured Riley Moss and hopefully this will be his only start going forward. He looked slow, lost in coverage and was a liability for the Broncos in coverage.

Nik Bonitto – WINNER

We have a good one in Bonitto.

The Broncos pass rusher got his 10th sack of the season in the game and continued to put pressure on Winston throughout the game. However, that wasn’t the highlight of his game. Bonitto skipped a pass from Jameis Winston for his first career interception and returned it to the end zone for a touchdown.

This was the first of several important big plays in the game for the Broncos. Bonitto dropped into coverage, jumped in front of Njoku and showed his athleticism on the return for the touchdown.

Bonitto has developed into one of the Broncos’ best players and they will need him to make impressive plays like this in the future.

Jaleel McLaughlin – WINNER

The Broncos’ running game was mostly non-existent in this game, but McLaughlin took over the game in the second half. The second-year back sliced ​​and diced 14 carries for 84 yards and was by far the Broncos’ most productive back.

Sean Payton probably should have relied on him more in this game, but it was an encouraging performance for the Broncos and McLaughlin

Ja’Quan McMillian – WINNER

What a big piece.

Things looked bleak for the Broncos. They simply settled for a field goal and the Browns went for the game-winning drive. However, Ja’Quan McMillian skipped a pass from Jameis Winston that missed its target outside of the target and fended it off for the game-winning touchdown.

One of the biggest plays of the season so far for the Broncos.

McMillian has had an up-and-down year as the Broncos’ slot corner after having somewhat of a breakout season last year. Well, he saved his best game for when the Broncos needed him most. He was solid the entire game, but this play was the highlight of the game and one of the best plays of the year for the Broncos.

Courtland Sutton – WINNER

You know a game is wild when you wait that long before mentioning one of your 100-yard wide receivers.

Courtland Sutton also played at a high level in this game, catching six passes for 102 yards. He didn’t find the end zone, but made several key plays on third down and continues to be Bo Nix’s most trusted target when he needs to make a play.

Marvin Mims Jr. – WINNER

The former second-round pick was on his way to bust at the start of the season, but in recent weeks Sean Payton has begun to use his playmaking weapon in a variety of ways. In this case, he caught a nice hit from Bo Nix and took it 93 yards for a touchdown.

This was the early “play” for the Broncos. It was a beautiful throw and hit by Bo Nix and a great catch by Mims, showcasing his ability to be a great receiver for the Broncos.

I love seeing Mims being used in different ways on offense and finding the end zone in different ways. He has been a key playing weapon for the Broncos in recent weeks and will need to continue to be that player for them in the future if they want to have success.

Vance Joseph – LOSER

What the hell was that?

Joseph deserves a ton of credit for the way his defense has played this season. It’s a unit that many said at the start of the year was lacking talent and playing like an elite unit.

That wasn’t the case tonight.

Jameis Winston passed for 497 yards and had 4 touchdowns tonight. Jerry Jeudy had 9 receptions for 235 yards and 1 touchdown and honestly there should have been more if Winston had been able to hit him earlier in the game when he was wide open.

He continued to use Levi Wallace despite the veteran being praised on every play, and waited until the final drive to finally bench him. Heck, he left Jeudy and other receivers completely open. On the Browns’ final touchdown play, they had no one covering Nick Chubb, and Winston easily scored because he was wide open.

This was a home game against a team with a backup quarterback that still has three wins and traded away its top receiver. A worrying performance from Joseph and the Broncos defense.

We saw his defense commit three key turnovers, including two pick-6s, a couple of key sacks and a game-winning and game-winning interception late in the fourth quarter. So it wasn’t all bad, but we can’t ignore how bad the defense, especially coverage, was in this game.

Other winners and losers

Loser – Javonte Williams: If this game wasn’t drunk, I would have featured Javonte more often. He had 4 runs for 1 yard and 1 touchdown. Sometimes he looks like he did before the injury and sometimes he looks like an unplayable player.

Winner – Cody Barton: Had the game-winning interception.

Winners – Jonathon Cooper and Jonah Ellis: Both edge rushers had sacks in this game and Cooper made plays there regularly.

Winner – Riley Moss: His absence showed how important he is to this defense.

Loser – Refs: Missed an obvious facemask on McLaughlin and an obvious false start on a 4th-and-1. They looked the other way because the passer might also tackle Cooper later in the game, so they were bad for both sides.

Loser – Levi Wallace: Mention it again because it’s deserved.

Winner – Broncos postseason hopes: At 8-5, they control their own destiny and appear poised to make the playoffs for the first time since Super Bowl 50.