DENVER – Ja’Quan McMillian returned an interception 44 yards for a game-winning touchdown with 1:48 left, and the Denver Broncos wiped out career-best performances from Cleveland quarterback Jameis Winston and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy by beating the Browns by 41 – 32 on Monday evening.

Winston threw for a franchise-record 497 yards and four touchdowns, and Jeudy had nine catches for 235 yards — the most in NFL history by a receiver against his former team — and a TD. 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 TDs. Nik Bonitto brought a ball to the house from 71 yards late in the second quarter. He was the first NFL quarterback to throw for 400 or more yards with four or more TD passes and two pick-sixes.

Bo Nix finished the game with 294 yards passing, including a beautiful 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) begin their bye week in the seventh and final playoff spot. According to the NFL, Denver has a 76% chance of reaching the postseason. The team has not been to the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl following the 2015 season.

Winston surpassed the Browns record of 457 yards set by Josh McCown against Baltimore in 2015. He threw a 70-yard TD pass to Jeudy and two scores to tight end David Njoku, dropping him 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 as Nix drove the Broncos to the Browns’ 9. On fourth-and-1, coach Sean Payton lined up to try, but changed his mind after a timeout. Wil Lutz hit a 27-yard field goal with 2:54 left.

Winston and the Browns had enough time to score the winning goal, but Winston’s throw to Elijah Moore came too late and McMillian skipped the ball. After the catch, he fell untouched to the turf, stood up and sprinted toward the end zone.

Jeudy, a first-round draft pick in 2020, was traded to Cleveland this spring after four tumultuous seasons with Denver. He stopped at the goal line before falling backwards into the end zone on his long TD catch. He also scored a 2-point conversion to put the Browns up 28-25.

That play came just 11 seconds after Nix threw a laser to Mims from about 4 yards deep in his end zone at the 42 mark. Mims caught it brilliantly, ran to the end zone and jumped into the stands to celebrate.

The Broncos relied on their running game in the first half, with Javonte Williams and Michael Burton scores short touchdowns. It was Burton’s second touchdown in his 10-year career.