Road games against struggling opponents can be the trickiest on the schedule. The team with the better record is expected to win, which makes a loss far more damaging than a victory is rewarding. Those are the games that tend to separate legitimate contenders from teams riding a hot streak. The Browns face one of those tests on Sunday, and a Super Bowl-winning coach is backing them to pass it.
Jon Gruden made his pick on The Gruden Family Football Show. He believes the Browns will win this game.
“I love the Browns. They’ve got some injuries that concern me. Mason Graham, defensive tackle, out. Elton Jenkins, center, out. I think Teven Jenkins, guard, out. So, we’ve got some injuries in Cleveland. The Browns haven’t even got anything from Jared Verse yet, the defensive end they traded for in the Myles Garrett acquisition. They got to heat him up. I think this is a game the Browns got to win. You got a three-game winning streak. Now, let’s go do it on the road. Let’s go in New York, the Big Apple, and let’s make a real statement. I like the Browns,” Gruden said.
Gruden’s confidence stands out given the injury list he rattled off. Mason Graham is out with MCL and ankle sprains, removing the team’s sack leader from the interior of the defensive line.
The offensive line picture is more fluid. Elgton Jenkins missed the win over the Pittsburgh Steelers with a concussion, though Mary Kay Cabot reported earlier in the week that he had returned, so his status is worth watching before kickoff. An absence for Teven Jenkins would have less of an impact, since rookie Austin Barber has held on to the starting right guard job.
The Jets have problems of their own. New York enters 1-3, and the Gruden brothers pointed out that the offense managed just 32 plays in its last game while also battling costly penalties on 3rd down and a collision in the secondary.
That sloppiness is something the Browns can relate to. Cleveland enters the week as the most penalized team in the league, and cleaning that up on the road would go a long way toward a 4th straight win.
Gruden’s comments about Jared Verse echo a common theme. Verse is still looking for his first sack since arriving in the Garrett trade, even though the Browns rank among the top 5 in pressure rate thanks in part to the extra blockers he draws. With Graham sidelined, finishing those plays becomes even more important.
His larger point is about making a statement. Only 1 of Cleveland’s 3 wins has come away from home, a 23-19 victory in Tampa Bay. Beating a team they are expected to beat in New Jersey would show this group can handle expectations as well as it has handled adversity.
It would also give the Browns a 4-1 record for the first time since 2020 and keep them alone atop the AFC North heading into next week’s showdown with the Baltimore Ravens.
Gruden has been around long enough to recognize a trap game. A loss would revive every doubt about Cleveland’s close wins and negative point differential, while a convincing road victory would force the rest of the league to take this team seriously.
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