Do the Browns have the aptitude to win in the Denver altitude?

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is an analyst of the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.

DENVER, CO

Four downs on Browns (3-8) v. Denver Broncos (7-5)

First down: Rocky Mountain high.

This venue has tortured Browns teams forever. It’s a shame because Denver is a nice visit. The air feels so clean, the mountains in the distance so beautiful. You just feel healthy here. But the very reason you feel good is the reason you wear down on the football field. It’s the altitude. They don’t call it the Mile High City for nothing. “You have to prepare for it mentally, more than anything,” said linebacker Jordan Hicks. “Physically, you do everything possible to get your body in the best condition. If there’s a long drive, it’s tough. You try to get off the field as quick as possible.” It’s not an insurmountable challenge, but the Broncos want you to think it is. They implant it in the minds of visiting teams. They post a sign above the visiting locker room entrance with the exact altitude. They play a video emphasizing the altitude at the start of every fourth quarter. Divisional foes coming here once a year get used to it. But an infrequent visitor like the Browns has trouble with it. To acclimate the Browns to altitude, Kevin Stefanski brought the team here a day early, on Saturday. He also encouraged players to do cardio training in a special “altitude room” in the team’s facility. It’s not impossible to win here, of course. The Broncos are only 106-72 (.595) since they moved into Empower Field at Mile High in 2001. Altitude was a much bigger factor in old Mile High Stadium, where the Broncos were 202-111-7 (.642).

Second down: Jerry Jeudy’s revenge.

The Browns’ wide receiver spent four frustrating years in Denver, but contrary to public perception, he was not disliked by teammates. So when Jeudy told TheLandOnDemand he was looking to “whip their ass” upon his return, it brought smiles to some of the Broncos. “That sounds like Jeu,” said Denver receiver Courtland Sutton. “He’s a competitor. That’s my brother, man. I have so much love and respect for Jerry. I think he’s one of the most talented guys that I’ve shared the field with from any level of football that I’ve been able to play. I’m just happy to see him have the success he’s having now. … [But] he’s got a tough match-up with that boy [Number] 2 over there. Everybody knows that’s Cornerback 1.” Sutton was referring to Denver All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain, who followed Jeudy from south Florida to Alabama, where they were teammates for two years, and to Denver. “I’ve known Pat since Little League, been competing against him my whole life. Finally get the opportunity to go against him on this big stage, it’s going to be fun,” Jeudy said.  “I think [Jeudy's] going to be fired up,” Surtain said. “Obviously, this was his past team, so I think he’s going to have a lot of juice flowing. That’s just the type of player he is. He’s very competitive, and he’s going to be looking to get after it. I’m looking forward to the matchup. It’s going to be a great matchup. I already know the type of person he is, his competitive structure. He’s going to be ready.” Add the Monday night lights and cameras and this should be fun to watch. Through 12 games, Surtain has surrendered 177 receiving yards to receivers he has covered. That’s less than 15 yards per game!

Third down: Bo knows.

Denver quarterback Bo Nix has long exceeded rookie passing numbers posted by former Bronco greats John Elway and Jay Cutler. Since Week 5, Nix’s 104.4 passer rating trails only those of Lamar Jackson, Jared Goff and Joe Burrow. The Broncos are 5-3 in that span and have positioned themselves as the No. 7 AFC seed with a two-game lead. “Nix has been one of those guys that’s just improved over the course of the season,” said defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. “He’s got very good mobility. It’s sort of sneaky. Makes a lot of guys miss, scrambles for a lot of first downs. He’s elusive back there. Throws a really nice deep ball and they’ve done a good job of just sort of playing to his strengths. He’s been taking care of the ball and over the last few games, he’s been really hot.”

Fourth down: No snow expected. (Welp.)

Forecasts for Denver on Monday night call for sunny skies, temperatures approaching 50 degrees, light wind and zero percent chance of precipitation. So, no back-to-back snow games for the Browns. It’s a shame, because the Browns’ offensive line could use a sloppy field to help its cause. The Broncos lead the NFL with 44 sacks. Edge rusher Nick Bonitto leads with 10, and 13 other players have at least a portion of a sack. “It’s a great challenge,” said offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. “And you’ve got to be on your point. You got to be on top of your stuff. You got to be able to get in and out of the huddle quickly to give yourself time at the line of scrimmage and do those types of things to make sure that you’re maximizing your opportunities.” Jameis Winston was sacked, and stripped of the ball, one time by the Steelers on a sloppy, snow-covered field last Thursday night. He’ll probably have Germain Ifedi again protecting his blind side at left tackle in Denver.

The pick: Broncos 23, Browns 20.

My record: 6-5.