Elway, Broncos Stop Browns’ Winning Streak : AFC: Denver quarterback passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns in 26-14 victory over Cleveland, which had won five games in a row.

John Elway treated the Cleveland Browns as if this were another AFC championship game.

Elway, regarded as a villain in Cleveland after beating the Browns in three conference championships, completed 30 of 41 passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns Sunday in the Denver Broncos’ 26-14 victory that ended the Browns’ five-game winning streak.

Denver (3-5), defeating a division leader for the second week in a row, ended a four-game home losing streak and defeated the Browns (6-2) for the fourth consecutive time.

“We’re slowly clawing our way back into this thing,” Elway said. “But we’ve got to get to .500 before we even think about the playoffs.”

The Broncos generated 457 total yards, and Elway became the first quarterback this season to throw for 300 yards against a defense that had allowed the fewest points in the NFL.

Elway completed 18 of 20 passes in the first half, leading Denver to a 14-6 lead. Two field goals by Jason Elam in the third quarter made it 20-6.

Mark Rypien, who replaced a dazed Vinny Testaverde as Browns’ quarterback late in the first half, engineered a 60-yard scoring drive and a two-point conversion that cut the deficit to 20-14 early in the final quarter.

But Denver responded with a 74-yard, six-play drive for the clinching score. Derek Russell caught a short pass and turned it into a 43-yard gain. Two plays later, Elway connected with Glyn Milburn on a 17-yard touchdown pass play with 11:35 left.