National Football League

By The Numbers: Broncos look to bully the Browns again on Thursday night

Published Oct. 21, 2021 9:16 a.m. ET

The Denver Broncos have made a habit of bullying the Cleveland Browns in recent years. And with the beaten-up Browns missing several key players, Thursday night's matchup could bring more of the same.

The Broncos head to Cleveland to take on the Browns on Thursday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET on FOX), with Denver (3-3) looking to snap a three-game losing streak.

Cleveland hopes to end a two-game skid, but the Browns will be trying to do so without star running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt (both out with calf injuries) and quarterback Baker Mayfield, who is out with a left (non-throwing) shoulder injury.

Here are the numbers that will define Thursday's game.

Matchup: The Broncos are 12-1 against the Browns since 1991, including a 24-19 victory in their most recent meeting in Week 9 of 2019. If everybody were healthy, this would be a matchup of strength vs. strength: The Browns have the NFL's best rushing offense (168.5 YPG), while the Broncos have the fourth-best rushing defense (85.5 YPG allowed). But having Hunt, Chubb and Mayfield sidelined changes the situation significantly.

6-2: The Broncos are 6-2 in Thursday games since 2014. The Browns are 3-0 in their past three Thursday games.

2: The Broncos are one of two teams (Panthers) to start this season 3-0 and then lose their next three.

3: Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater threw three interceptions in last week's loss to the Raiders. He has thrown three picks in a game only one other time: Week 6 of 2014, when he played for the Vikings. Bridgewater is 0-2 in Thursday starts.

8: Cleveland's Myles Garrett leads the NFL with eight sacks.

28.0: That's how many average points the Broncos have allowed during their three-game losing streak. They allowed 8.7 PPG during their 3-0 start.

29.9%: The Broncos have converted only 23 of 77 third-down attempts (29.9%), the worst mark in the NFL.

42.0: The Browns have allowed 42.0 PPG during their two-game losing streak.

3: Cleveland running back D'Ernest Johnson and quarterback Case Keenum are tied for the team lead among active players in rushing attempts, with just three each. Injured players Chubb (90), Hunt (69) and Mayfield (20) were the team leaders in that category heading into this week.