High stakes on a national stage.

That's what the Broncos (7-5) are set to face as they welcome the Cleveland Browns (3-8) for a prime-time matchup.

As the regular season nears its final weeks, Denver finds itself in the thick of the AFC playoff race — but the Broncos know they need to keep stacking wins.

"At this point, we can't drop anything, because we are in control of everything," tight end Adam Trautman said. "We all know how important this game is to us."

With a win, the Broncos' playoff odds will jump to 73.6 percent, according to Next Gen Stats. A loss, though, would drop Denver's postseason chances to 46.5 percent. The 27-percentage-point swing is the largest in the AFC in Week 13.

As Denver looks to earn its third consecutive victory and its fifth win in seven weeks, there may be no better environment than "Monday Night Football."

The Broncos will host a full stadium for a "Monday Night Football" matchup for the first time since 2018, and they'll aim to run off the field — and into their bye week — with an eighth win.

Here, then, are the questions that will decide if the Broncos can earn a prime-time win over Cleveland:

WILL DENVER'S OFFENSE LIMIT REIGNING AFC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK MYLES GARRETT?

Each week, there's another star pass rusher to worry about.

Last week, the Broncos found a way to hold Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby in check and prevent him from notching a sack. On Monday night, Myles Garrett becomes the next challenge.

"They're both elite at their position," Head Coach Sean Payton said of Crosby and Garrett. "They're both Pro Bowl, All-Pro-type caliber players that can take over a game. We have a ton of respect for those guys. It forces you to have a really good plan for them. That requires a little bit more work, a little bit more calories during the evening meetings, but it's necessary."

The former first-overall pick and reigning Defensive Player of the Year has posted seven consecutive double-digit sack seasons, and he is currently tied for third in the NFL — with Denver's Nik Bonitto — with 10 sacks.

Garrett is on the heels of a three-sack performance against the Steelers, and he earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the outing. He is the only player with multiple three-sack games this year, and he ranks second in the NFL with 58 quarterback pressures.

For the Broncos to find success on offense, quarterback Bo Nix and the offense must find an avenue to neutralize Garrett. Nix and the Broncos have allowed the fourth-fewest sacks this season, and Nix has largely avoided negative plays during his rookie campaign.

As he's avoided big losses, Nix has also found a way to make game-changing plays. He's recorded the third-most completions of at least 20 yards through Week 12, and his 8:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio leads all NFL quarterbacks since Week 10.

"All I can focus on is the next game [and] the next opponent," Nix said Friday. "[The focus is on] what I can do to win [and] what I can do to help the team win. And right now, it's just executing."

He's also established a strong connection with wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who leads all NFL receivers with 467 yards since Week 8. He's posted at least 70 receiving yards in each of the last five games, and he notched his third career multi-receiving-touchdown game in Week 12.

The winner of the last three Rookie of the Week awards, Nix could look to Sutton to keep the strong play going. In the process, Nix could become just the sixth rookie quarterback to win each of his first two prime-time starts.

CAN DENVER'S DEFENSE LIMIT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN JAMEIS WINSTON AND JERRY JEUDY?

After the Browns' offense failed to score more than 20 points in each of its first seven games, quarterback Jameis Winston has led Cleveland across that mark in two of its last four contests.

And while Cleveland's nine contests without reaching the 20-point mark still represents the most such games in the NFL this season, Winston engineered more promising performances in upset wins over the Ravens and Steelers.

Winston's presence in the offense has led to an uptick in former Bronco Jerry Jeudy's production, as he's posted 227 yards across the last two games and averaged more than 90 yards over the last four weeks.

Jeudy has nearly twice as many receiving yards as the second-most productive receiver on Cleveland's roster, which means he could draw the attention of his former teammate Pat Surtain II.

"It's going to be fun," Surtain said Friday. "It's going to be like a couple practices we shared here in the past and practices at Bama. It's going to be a lot of good [competition] going on. Obviously with his caliber [of play], I know it's going to be a great matchup. I'm looking forward to it."

According to Next Gen Stats, Surtain did not allow a touchdown in the month of November and did not allow a single reception over 10 air yards from Weeks 9-12. Surtain has also taken many of his opponents out of the game, as he has faced the lowest target rate of cornerbacks with at least 250 coverage snaps.

Among cornerbacks with at least 300 coverage snaps, Surtain also ranks first in passer rating and yards allowed.

And while wide receiver Courtland Sutton said Jeudy is "one of the most talented guys" he's played with, he also recognized the challenge he'll face this weekend.

"He's got a tough matchup with that boy '2' over there," Sutton said. "Everybody knows that's cornerback [number] one."

If Surtain and the Broncos' defense can limit Winston and Jeudy's connection, they'll take a step toward slowing down the Browns' offense.

CAN DENVER'S FRONT CREATE GAME-CHANGING PLAYS?

While Surtain and the Broncos' secondary will look to contain Jeudy, Denver's dominant pass rush can also push the Broncos toward a win.

Denver enters the game with a league-leading 44 sacks — just 13 shy of tying the franchise record — and could have an advantage against a Cleveland offensive line that has given up 47 sacks, which was the most in the league entering Week 13.

While Winston has helped the Browns' offense progress, he's taken an average of three sacks per start and was taken down six times in a Week 9 loss to the Chargers.

In all, Cleveland's offense ranks 32nd in yards per play and third down percentage, while also being among the bottom five in points per game and yards per game. Denver's defense, meanwhile, is first in yards per play and in the top three in points allowed and yards allowed. The Broncos also boast the best red-zone and goal-to-go defense entering Sunday's slate of games.

With defensive lineman Zach Allen expected to be back in the lineup on Monday, the Broncos' defense may again be able to provide a ferocious pass rush. After not sacking Gardner Minshew in the first half of a Week 12 win over the Raiders, Denver posted five sacks and two takeaways in the second half.

Denver's defense has turned said takeaways into victories, as the Broncos are 7-1 this season when forcing a turnover. Winston, meanwhile, turned the ball over twice in Week 12 against Pittsburgh and threw three picks vs. Los Angeles. Winston's lone turnover-free game came in Week 11, but the Browns fell 35-14 to the Saints.

If the Broncos' defense can play to its standard under the lights, pressure Winston and force him into mistakes, Denver may be poised to earn a win.