This Sunday, the Cleveland Browns are on the road as they take on the New York Jets in Week 5. To help preview a few topics from the Jets’ perspective, we reached out to MacGregor Wells from Gang Green Nation and exchanged five questions with him.
Chris: “How has Geno Smith looked in his return to the Jets in this offense? Were fans at all excited to have him back?”
MacGregor: “Geno has been a mixed bag. He has played well in a couple of games and poorly in a couple of games. The bottom line with Geno is
he has always had a reasonably strong and accurate arm. His issues have always been with processing what’s in front of him and making good and timely decisions. Keep him well protected for long enough and he can do well. Pressure him or force him into quick decisions and Geno will struggle.
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Most Jets fans were probably somewhat glad to get Geno back, if only because of the absolute dreck the Jets had at quarterback last year. At least Geno can competently run an NFL offense if he’s given time. On the other hand, I don’t think Jets fans were under any illusion they were getting a great quarterback. He’s a legitimate starter but he’s nowhere near an upper tier starter. He is what he is – a decent stopgap until the Jets can draft or trade for a better option.”
Chris: “What do you view as the Jets’ biggest strength and weakness on defense right now?”
MacGregor: “On defense the Jets’ secondary has been surprisingly effective. Going into the season I thought the secondary would be a major liability, but they have held their own fairly well.
The Jets run defense, on the other hand, particularly the defensive line, has not been effective, despite the Jets having spent the offseason accumulating guys whose strength was supposed to be stopping the run. In addition, the defensive line has done a poor job pressuring opposing quarterbacks. It’s been a rough start to the season for the Jets defensive line.”
Chris: “Which of the Jets’ 2026 draft picks has the best chance of making an immediate impact in Week 5?”
MacGregor: “I’ll go with rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq. Sadiq was selected #16 overall in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. He is an insanely athletic dude at tight end, and the Jets have a bunch of receivers currently injured, leaving Sadiq as the second priority target in the Jets passing game behind Garrett Wilson. If the Jets can protect Geno Smith against the Browns pass rush Sadiq has the potential to have a big game.”
Chris: “Tell us about one player who Browns fans may not have heard of, but who could have an impact on this Sunday’s game.”
MacGregor: “Dane Belton might fit the bill. He’s a safety the Jets signed away from the New York Giants in free agency this past offseason. Belton spent most of his Giants career primarily as a special teams guy, but he is starting at safety for the Jets, and he has done a nice job. Belton’s not a star in pass defense, but he is outstanding in run support. He is a very sound tackler, always wraps up, and always seems to be around the ball. He’s no superstar, but he’s just fundamentally sound and he hustles like crazy. A fun guy to watch.”
Chris: “The Browns are underdogs against the Jets on Sunday (Browns +1.5 as of this question, per FanDuel). Who would you pick to win the game?”
MacGregor: “I am a bit shocked that the Browns are underdogs here. The Browns have won three straight and the Jets have lost three straight. The Jets have looked progressively worse with each game played. The Jets aren’t completely devoid of talent like they have been in some recent seasons, but given the trajectory of each team’s season, it’s difficult to understand why the Jets are favored. I suppose it comes down to home team advantage, but the Jets haven’t been particularly good at home in recent years.
I hate to say it, but I’d pick the Browns to win this game.”
Thanks again to MacGregor for taking the time to answer my questions.
