The rain was falling all game, which meant that offense would be hard to come by for the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets. The Jets took advantage of a hot opening drive, before the Browns’ defense shut them down the rest of the game. Cleveland used a few early field goals to stay in it. Ultimately, it set up another fourth quarter situation where Deshaun Watson needed to lead a go-ahead drive.
It was a crazy fourth quarter where the offense took the lead, and the defense forced a turnover. But
then the offense ran out no clock, fumbled the snap on the punt in the rain, and the Jets went back ahead with three minutes to go. Ultimately, New York held on for the 17-12 win.
Let’s get to the full game recap.
1st Quarter – Browns vs. Jets
With the rain falling to start the game, the Browns’ first play was a handoff to RB Quinshon Judkins that went for a loss of 4 yards, pretty much killing the drive immediately with the conditions the way they are. The next two plays were short screen passes by QB Deshaun Watson that only got back to the original line of scrimmage. P Corey Bojorquez came on for a punt that went into the end zone for a touchback.
The Jets got a negative play to start things off with a holding penalty that made it 1st-and-18. But WR Garrett Wilson caught a crossing route underneath in zone coverage to pick up 17 yards, and then a short run by RB Braelon Allen moved the chains. On the next play, QB Geno Smith had all day to throw, and found Wilson wide open again across the field for a gain of 21 yards, as New York was showing no issues moving the ball early in the rain. A few plays later, Wilson continued to burn the Browns on crossing routes, as he caught it from the slot wide open, made a man miss, and went in for the 32-yard touchdown to give the Jets a 7-0 lead.
On the Browns’ next drive, they started with a negative play again. Watson lined up in Shotgun, and he dropped the snap, picked up the ball, and then was sacked for a loss of 6 yards. On second down, Judkins ran up the middle, was bottled up, and then bounced to the outside for 14 yards to set up 3rd-and-2. Judkins got the ball again and had enough for a first down.
A short crossing route to WR KC Concepcion saw S Minkah Fitzpatrick get flagged for a 15-yard facemask penalty to put the Browns in Jets territory. After two run plays, Cleveland faced 3rd-and-5 at the 34 yard line. Watson found WR Denzel Boston for 9 yards on the outside for another first down, now at the 25 yard line. On the next play, Watson found Concepcion on a nice pass, but Fitzpatrick absolutely drilled him for another personal foul (and the ball came loose), and the young wide receiver looked completely knocked out.
Now facing 1st-and-10 at the 12 yard line, Watson kept it on a quarterback sweep for 4 yards to the 8 yard line. On second down, an inside screen to Judkins set up 3rd-and-5 at the 7 yard line. The Jets brought a big blitz on third down, and Watson tried getting it to Boston over the middle, but the defensive back was glued to him and helped break up the pass. K Andre Szmyt came on for a 25-yard field goal and connected to make it a 7-3 game with 3:27 left in the opening quarter.
Cleveland’s defense responded much better on the second drive, forcing a three-and-out. That included on third down, when they showed a clear double team on Wilson, and then Smith was confused and sacked for a loss of 10 yards by the duo of DT Maliek Collins and DT Adin Huntington. On the punt, with Concepcion ruled out, Boston fielded it and returned it 13 yards to the Browns’ 35 yard line.
Cleveland couldn’t move the ball on their third drive, as RB Jaleel McLaughlin dropped a promising first down pass, and then Harold Fannin slipped on third down to lead to a punt. Bojorquez got a nice punt downed at the 9 yard line, but to end the quarter, Cleveland had some sloppy tackling on Allen, who picked up 8 and 17 yards on back-to-back runs out to the 34 yard line.
2nd Quarter – Browns vs. Jets
The Jets lost their momentum to begin the second quarter. They had a false start, then Collins immediately beat his man for a sack, and DE Isaiah McGuire read a screen pass to force an incomplete pass.
Two plays later, the Jets punted to Boston, who called for a fair catch (even though it was hard for me to see that), and the Jets tackled him for a fair catch interference penalty. That gave the Browns the ball at their own 46 yard line to start their next drive.
After a first down completion to WR Jerry Jeudy, Watson was sacked for a loss of 6 yards. He got some of it back on a run, setting up 3rd-and-11. Watson then avoided a free rusher, escaped, and found WR Isaiah Bond wide open for a 20-yard gain to the Jets 24 yard line.
On second down, Watson stepped up in the pocket and found Bond open in the end zone, but the pass was just out in front of him for a diving incomplete pass. On third down, Watson couldn’t connect with Fannin, leading to Szmyt coming out again. From 41 yards out, he connected to make it a 7-6 game with 10:14 left in the half.
The defense got to Smith again to start the next drive. This time it was a coverage sack, and eventually DT Sam Kamara got to him for a loss of 9 yards. On second down, a swing pass got it back to 3rd-and-10, and Smith was dragged down by Collins again as he just got off the incomplete pass in time. The punt unit came out again, and a short 33 yard punt gave the Browns the ball at their own 37 yard line.
Cleveland faced a quick 3rd-and-7, with Watson needing to put the ball through the air again. The Browns sent the rubbing back wide out, and the Jets just brought an edge blitz again, which forced Watson off his spot before any receivers could even turn around, leading to a sack and another punt. Bojorquez now got off a short punt of 37 yards, downed at the Jets’ 31 yard line with 6:13 left in the half.
DE Sam Williams stuffed Allen for a loss of 2 yards on the ground to start the next drive. Allen found more success on second down, getting to the edge for 11 yards to set up 3rd-and-1. Smith kept it for a quarterback sneak to get a first down. After an 8-yard run by the Jets, LB Quincy Williams forced a fumble on second down that the Jets recovered. A false start pushed it to 3rd-and-7, and Smith got a crossing route to TE Mason Taylor for 9 yards and a first down.
Heading into the two-minute warning, the Browns were flagged for 12 men, but then the Jets were flagged for a hold, making it 1st-and-15. A jet sweep picked on 3 yards, and then on second down, Smith threw the ball in the dirt as pressure came up the middle. On 3rd-and-12, Smith had to wait, then found Wilson late, but S Grant Delpit had time to dart in and punch it out for an incomplete pass. The Jets punted from midfield, and Boston made a fair catch at the 11 yard line with 1:22 and three timeouts.
Cleveland tried a screen pass on first down, but a holding penalty pushed the Browns back to a 1st-and-15 at the 6 yard line. A couple plays later, Watson found Bond downfield for 24 yards. An 8-yard pass to Jeudy had the drive looking promising, but then Watson was sacked and Cleveland had to punt with a few seconds left in the half to end it.
3rd Quarter – Browns vs. Jets
Williams forced another fumble early in the Jets’ first drive, but with several Browns around it, the lucky bounce went back to a member of a Jets. New York tried to maintain tempo, and on 3rd-and-3, Smith’s pass was incomplete, leading to a punt that was downed at the 9 yard line.
After a pair of runs, the Browns were behind on 3rd-and-8 again. Watson hit Bond up the seam, but he dropped it, leading to another punt. The Jets started with great field position at the Browns’ 49 yard line after the punt and return. After an incomplete pass, a hold by the Jets on second down made it 2nd-and-20. Smith found a receiver for 16 yards to set up 3rd-and-4. Smith escaped the pocket and was able to use his legs to get the first down, as CB Myles Harden stayed back instead of pursuing him.
The Jets got a big run from Allen for 18 yards after bouncing to the outside again, setting up 1st-and-10 at the 11 yard line. Two plays later, the Jets faced a 3rd-and-9. Smith found a received underneath, and Williams forced his third fumble of the game. This time, S Ronnie Hickman recovered at the 7 yard line to prevent points and give the ball back to Cleveland with 5:49 left in the third quarter.
On offense, the Browns couldn’t take advantage. Facing a 3rd-and-2, RB Raheim Sanders dropped the exchange with Watson, and then couldn’t get the yards needed after picking the ball up. After the punt, the Jets took over at their own 37 yard line. They picked up a couple first downs to end the third quarter, facing a 2nd-and-12 at the Browns’ 41 yard line.
4th Quarter – Browns vs. Jets
Smith’s pass to open the fourth quarter for Allen was in front and incomplete, leading to a 3rd-and-12. The Browns jumped offsides, leading to a free play for the Jets. Smith took a shot downfield, but it was intercepted (and didn’t count), setting up 3rd-and-7. Smith threw it deep, but no one was there, and the Jets sent K Jason Sanders out to try a 54-yard field goal. He drilled it to give the Jets a 10-6 lead.
Watson escaped the pocket and got a big 30-yard completion off to Bond, down to the Jets’ 45 yard line.
Things went horrible after that, leading to a 4th-and-38 after a holding penalty, delay of game, and sacks. There was an open opportunity downfield to Jeudy mixed in there, but Fitzpatrick closed at the last second to knock it away.
After the Browns’ punt, the Jets took over at the 31 yard line. After two run plays, the Jets faced 3rd-and-1. They went for a pass, but Williams came underneath to help deflect the pass and force a punt. Boston made a fair catch at the 14 yard line with 10:38 to go in the game. Two runs by Judkins made it 3rd-and-3, and then the Jets were flagged for pass interference as Watson tried to connect with Boston to put the ball at their own 35 yard line.
A sideline pass to Boston and then a give to Judkins up the middle pushed the ball beyond midfield. Two plays later, Watson evaded pressure and took off up the middle for 20 yards to the Jets 29 yard line. Two passes were then batted at the line, setting up 3rd-and-10. Before a delay of game, Todd Monken called a timeout, and it paid off. Watson took a shot one-on-one to Boston in the end zone, and Boston won for the 29-yard touchdown pass. Unfortunately, Szmyt’s extra point was off the upright and no good, but the Browns were up 12-10 with 6:15 to go in the game.
The Jets had a big kickoff return to get out to their own 45 yard line, with the defense now needing to stop even a field goal. After two plays, the Jets had a 3rd-and-4. Smith completed the slant to Wilson for 10 yards to the Browns’ 39 yard line, now in long field goal range. But then, a massive momentum change came! Off of a playaction fake, LB Carson Schwesinger came off the edge and stripped Smith, with Huntington picking the ball up and returning it to the Jets 43 yard line with 4:13 to go.
Unfortunately, Judkins ran out of bounds on the first play to stop the clock for no gain. Two quick incomplete passes also took off no clock, so the Browns had to punt and try to pin New York. With the rain falling as hard as it has, the snap on the punt sailed way over Bojorquez, and the Jets recovered at the 23 yard line, easily in field goal range. What a turn of events.
Then, on a 3rd-and-9, the Jets got an opening for a 22-yard touchdown run to re-take the lead at 17-12 with 3:01 to go.
Watson started the Browns drive with an 11-yard run. Then, he was sacked for a loss of 9 yards on second down, setting up 2nd-and-19. Watson found Bond open again over the middle, but he couldn’t hang on. Watson’s shot for Boston on the sideline was incomplete, so on fourth down, Monken had to punt. It was a short punt, out of bounds at the 24 yard line with 2:06 to go.
The Browns’ defense faced 3rd-and-6 with one timeout left, needing a stop to give them a chance. Cleveland stopped the run and called their final timeout with 1:48 to go. Unfortunately, after one short completion, Watson couldn’t get anything off, and on 4th-and-11, he tried taking off and was taken down for a turnover on downs.
Quick Hitters
- QB Deshaun Watson: 15-of-33 for 155 yards, 1 TD.
- WR Denzel Boston: 3 catches, 46 yards, 1 TD.
- It’s a game that the Browns had a chance to win, but with the rain, there are a lot of elements you have to throw out the window to a degree. It’s unfortunate, because the Browns being 4-1 would’ve felt a lot better than being 3-2 as they face a division rival next week.
Up next, the Browns go back home for a big divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens.
