The New York Jets beat the Cleveland Browns 23-16 on Sunday; with the Jacksonville Jaguars losing again, the Jets (2-13) are locked into the second overall pick in next year’s draft. The Trevor Lawrence dream is dead.
For the second straight week, Gang Green came out scorching hot against a very good team and then nearly blew a huge lead.
The Jets opened the scoring with a gorgeous trick play that absolutely bamboozled the Browns. Sam Darnold gave a deceptive handoff to Ty Johnson, who pitched it to Jamison Crowder, who hit a wide-open Braxton Berrios for a 43-yard touchdown.
The Jets poured it on from there, leading by as much as 20-3 late in the third quarter. The Browns offense was anemic to that point. Linebacker B.J. Goodson, who tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday, had been in a recovery tub with the Browns’ top four wide receivers and another starting LB earlier in the week, knocking all six out for Sunday’s game. Two other linemen were out with an unrelated illness and injury, and all that appeared to be enough to drag the Browns below even the Jets’ level.
But then Cleveland began to show some life on offense, grinding out consecutive long touchdown drives to cut the lead to 20-16. (Cody Parkey doinked an extra point after the second one.) They got the ball back down 23-16 and with a chance to tie the game.
After Sam Ficken sent the kickoff out of bounds, Baker Mayfield led his team down to the Jets’ 15-yard-line. On 4th & 1, Mayfield attempted a QB sneak and fumbled into Kareem Hunt’s hands. Since it was in the final two minutes, only the fumbler could advance a fumble, and Mayfield was short.
It was a reminder that while the Jets are a cursed franchise, the Browns still hold the crown in that department, until further notice. With a Steelers win Sunday, all the Browns had to do to clinch their first playoff spot in 18 years was beat the 1-13 Jets. They couldn’t do it. Browns and Jets fans might be ruing that hot tub for years.
