Who won the NFL game last night? Result and score from Thursday Night Football ft. Broncos and Browns

Week 7 of the NFL season kicked off with a game between two teams desperate to get back to winning ways. The Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos faced each other on Thursday Night Football. The home team survived a close 17-14 win without their starter quarterback.

With Baker Mayfield sidelined with a shoulder injury, it was up to Case Keenum to lead the Browns against his former team in primetime. Keenum did a good job of taking care of the ball and not committing big mistakes, which is exactly what you need from your backup quarterback.

Wow. @casekeenum is laser accurate.

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NFL Thursday Night Football: Cleveland Browns beat Denver Broncos

The two teams were 3-3 before the game and were desperate to get back to winning ways, especially Denver, who had lost three straight games and had doubts about whether quarterback Teddy Bridgewater would be fit to play.

Bridgewater started, but he wasn't much of a factor overall, as the entire Broncos offense had a disappointing night against Cleveland. The defense did its part, holding out the Browns for only 17 points, but this was to be expected considering the slew of injuries that the home team was facing. Denver's offense, on the other hand, was extremely disappointing.

The highlight of the game was Browns running back D'Ernest Johnson, who stepped up in the absence of both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to injury. Johnson finished with 146 rushing yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, a great number from a backup running back. It also shows how much of an effect the offensive line can produce. Keenum, the backup quarterback, was kept clean for most of the night as the protection was excellent for the day.

D'Ernest Johnson was impressive in his first career start, gaining a career-high +53 rushing yards over expected.

Johnson outgained his expectation on 15 of his 22 carries (68.2%), the 2nd-highest rate in a game since 2018 (min. 20 carries).

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The Browns steadied their ship right before two straight divisional games. They'll have a win to keep things cool as Mayfield and other important offensive starters return from injuries in the next ten days. For the Broncos, it's difficult to see how they can create something positive out of this season after four straight losses and lots of ground lost in the AFC West battle.

Final score: Denver Broncos 14-17 Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos' top performers:

QB: Teddy Bridgewater (23/33, 187 yards, 2 TDs, INT)
RB: Javonte Williams (4 carries, 20 yards)
WR: Courtland Sutton (5 catches, 6 yards)

Cleveland Browns' top performers:

QB: Case Keenum (21/33, 199 yards, TD)
RB: D'Ernest Johnson (22 carries, 146 yards, 1 TD)
WR: Jarvis Landry (5 catches, 37 yards)

Also check out: Complete Thursday Night Football Schedule 2021