In a wet and wild game at times, the Jets offense was anemic until late, when Breece Hall sparked the offense with a 42-yard touchdown catch and run to combat one of the best defenses in the NFL and ultimately lift the Jets to a 27-20 win at MetLife Stadium — their second straight after starting the season with seven straight losses.
The fourth quarter touchdown by Hall, who ran for 83 yards on 21 carries, gave the Jets a 24-17 lead after it was tied at 17 at halftime — with both Jets’ first-half touchdowns coming on returns.
With the Browns trying to answer, Will McDonald IV’s fourth sack of the game — a first of his career and only the fourth time in franchise history the Jets have witnessed such a performance — stopped the Browns. Nick Folk followed with a 37-yard field goal to give the Jets a 10-point lead.
The Browns closed within a touchdown on Andre Szmyt’s 29-yard field foal with 2:47 left, but the Jets were able to run out the clock — thanks to two brutal Cleveland penalties, first for defensive holding on a third-and-16, and then on a neutral zone infraction on a fourth-and-5 when the Jets seemed to have no intention of actually snapping the ball.
Justin Fields, who’s status as the starter wasn’t confirmed until shortly before kickoff, completed 6 of 11 passes for just 54 yards — with 42 coming on the touchdown to Hall. He was without Garrett Wilson for most of the second half after the star wideout limped off the field with a knee injury. It was Wilson’s first game back after missing two games with a knee injury.
Wilson didn’t have a single catch on Sunday — a first of his career.
Cornerback Azareye’h Thomas, who took the place of Sauce Gardner on Sunday, was also ruled out with a head injury after colliding with Jamien Sherwood while trying to tackle Browns’ Cedric Tillman.
The late-game heroics made up for an ugly, punt-happy first half.
The Browns took a 7-0 lead with just over eight minutes into the game on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Dillon Gabriel to tight end David Njoku.
However, the Jets had two surprisingly quick answers.
Kene Nwangwu returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards to tie up the game, and after forcing a three-and-out, Isaiah Williams followed with a a 74-yard punt return touchdown for the 14-7 lead.
Who needs to figure out offense?
Gabriel then found Jerry Jeudy in front of Brandon Stephens in the back corner for a 22-yard touchdown, tying the game up 14-14.
Midway through the second quarter, the Jets retook a 17-14 lead after settling for a 26-yard Folk field goal.
The Browns kicked a field goal to tie the game 17-17 with the Jets booed as they headed for the locker room.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
