Jets quarterback Justin Fields had a miserable day against the Browns, but he came up with one big play in the fourth quarter.
Fields dumped the ball off to running back Breece Hall while under heavy pressure and Hall turned it into a 42-yard touchdown. The score broke a 17-17 tie and the Jets would extend it to 27-17 with a field goal before Browns moved back within seven points. They kicked deep with the hope of forcing a punt, but a pair of mistakes by their defense make sure that the Jets’ lead would hold up.
On a third-and-long from the Jets’ 39-yard-line with just under two minutes left, linebacker Devin Bush was flagged for holding on a play that ended with Fields sliding down for a short loss. The Jets then had a 4th-and-5 with a minute left and lined up to try to draw the Browns offside before punting. Defensive lineman Cameron Thomas gave the Jets what they wanted and the 27-20 win was in the bag.
It’s two straight wins for the Jets and Hall’s big second half was a key part of it. Hall had 96 yards in the final 30 minutes, which doesn’t sound like all that much until you notice that the Jets had just 169 yards for the entire game. Fields was 5-of-10 for 12 yards outside of the play that Hall turned into a touchdown and the Jets’ special teams were the only reason why they were in the game long enough to win it.
Kene Nwangwu returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and Isaiah Williams took a punt 74 yards for another score as the Jets jumped out to a 14-7 lead. The Browns were able to tie the score 17-17 at halftime, but their own quarterback issues helped keep them from making a real push to win the game. Dillon Gabriel’s two touchdown passes look good on the stat sheet, but he missed receivers by big margins throughout the afternoon and the Browns’ 13th straight road loss was no surprise after watching his overall effort.
Gabriel was also sacked six times and Jets defensive end Will McDonald led the way with four of them. He’s up to seven on the season and the overall defensive performance likely quieted some fears about the Jets’ ability to compete in the wake of trading cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams this week.
The Jets will try to make it three in a row in New England on Thursday night while the 2-7 Browns will try to pick up a home win over the Ravens.
The Jets got wide receiver Garrett Wilson back on the field to start Sunday’s game against the Browns, but it looks like they’ll have to finish it without him.
Wilson left the game to get checked out by medical personnel after a diving attempt to reel in a deep shot from quarterback Justin Fields in the third quarter. Wilson remained on the sideline riding a stationary bike and the Jets are calling him questionable to return with a knee injury.
The knee is the reason why Wilson missed the Jets’ final two games before their Week 9 bye. Wilson has not caught any passes on Sunday and Fields was picked off on one of the three throws in his general direction.
The Jets and Browns were tied 17-17 at halftime and the score did not change before the start of the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium.
The Browns had to run a fire drill before halftime in order to get a field goal off before time expired and they pulled it off.
Andre Szmyt and the kicking unit had to hustle on the field after Will McDonald sacked Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel on a third down with no timeouts left. They got in position to snap the ball with a second left on the clock and Szmyt nailed the 45-yard kick to make it 17-17 at halftime.
It was McDonald’s third sack of the game, but Gabriel has remained upright long enough to throw a pair of touchdowns to tight end David Njoku and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. The rest of the rookie’s work has been quite uneven, but the Browns are still the better offensive team through 30 minutes.
Justin Fields is 3-of-6 for five yards and and interception. He’s also lost 10 yards on a pair of sacks, so the Jets passing game has been nonexistent so far on Sunday. They have 67 yards on 12 runs, but the only touchdowns have come on special teams.
Kene Nwangwu returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score after Njoku’s touchdown and Isaiah Williams had a 74-yard punt return after the Jets forced a three-and-out on the ensuing drive. The Jets will receive the opening kickoff in the second half and may need some more fireworks from Nwangwu to find their way back into the end zone.
The Jets offense has barely been on the field in the first quarter against the Browns, but that’s working out just fine for the home team.
Isaiah Williams returned a punt 74 yards for a score and the Jets now lead the Browns 14-7 with 5:45 left in the first quarter. The score came shortly after Kene Nwangwu returned a kickoff 99 yards for the first Jets points of the day.
Williams had a costly fumble on a punt return earlier this season, but Sunday’s play was a much more positive contribution. There was a flag thrown on the play and celebration was muted until referee Shaun Smith announced it was a hold by the Browns.
It’s the first Jets punt return touchdown since 2023 and the special teams explosion has the Jets feeling good about their bid for a second straight win.
The Browns scored the first points of Sunday’s game against the Jets, but they didn’t get much time to enjoy their lead.
Jets kick returner Kene Nwangwu took the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown that tied the score 7-7 with 6:21 to play in the first quarter. It was the fifth career kickoff return for a touchdown for Nwangwu.
The Browns had a 95-yard drive for their score. A 29-yard pass interference penalty on Jets cornerback Azareye’h Thomas got them going and former Jet Malachi Corley had a 13-yard run to pick up another first down. Dillon Gabriel also connected with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy for a solid gain before finding tight end David Njoku in the end zone.
The Jets only managed two yards on three plays on their first offensive possession, but their special teams helped make that a little easier to swallow.
