The Cleveland Browns' Cinderella run ended on Sunday against the New York Jets.
The rain made it hard to take anything away from the game, but one thing was clear: The offensive line played its worst game of the year. The Jets' defensive front had their way with the Browns in the trenches to the tune of containing the Browns to just 96 rushing yards and a whopping eight sacks on Deshaun Watson. This offense will have a lot of adjustments to make before playing a tough Ravens' defense in Week 6.
Despite the weather making things tough to evaluate, we do have some instant takeaways to share.
The run game is a serious problem
The offensive line has done the running game no favors in 2026, but Quinshon Judkins is also struggling to make plays on his own. Having a good offensive line is expected
but never guaranteed in the NFL. The top backs in the league are all able to create in space, and it allows them to overcome blocking deficiencies. Judkins just hasn't shown us anything in 2026 to make us believe he can be anything more than part of a rotation in the backfield. We saw what happens when the run game isn't respected, as they were able to be a bit more aggressive by forcing the Browns to pass, and that wasn't a winning plan for the Browns.
Carson Schwesinger can only do so much
In 2026, Schwesinger has 43 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and five pressures. In terms of the linebacker group, he is the clear, undisputed leader, but he needs more balanced play from those around him. Quincy Williams is a fun linebacker when you let him fly around, but he can be reckless. Schwesinger can operate in structure and outside of it. They need to either see someone like Williams step up and do the same thing, or they need to address that during the 2027 offseason in free agency or in the draft.
Deshaun Watson still has a long way to go
Deshaun Watson has made several comebacks over the last couple of weeks, but he has not played a complete game. We have written this time and again, and he needed to have one in Week 5. What he turned in, in the rain, was a dreadful performance. He was contained today, and it showed because what was allowing him to thrive was taken away. He is still a below-average quarterback most of the time, and he benefits from a defense that keeps him in games. Drafting one should remain on this team's radar through the rest of the season and into draft season.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: 3 Instant takeaways from the Browns' Week 5 loss
