Heading into the 2026 season, the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets were seen as prime contenders to land the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft and have their choice from the top of the talented quarterback class. With the teams about to play each other in Week 5, that outlook has changed considerably.
The Browns are instead playoff contenders, at least at this point, sitting in first place in the AFC North. Meanwhile, the Jets still look like one of the worst teams in the league after their latest humbling loss.
With that in mind, the Browns already have reason for confidence ahead of the road matchup against the Jets, as they had great success last year against current New York quarterback Geno Smith.
“The Browns next Sunday visit the Jets, who lost 23-12 to the Bears in Week 4 to fall to 1-3. The Jets were outgained 492 yards to 157, and Geno Smith was limited to 8 of 15 passing for 119 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions for a 101.8 rating. During a 24-10 victory over the Raiders in Week 12 of last season, the Browns sacked Smith 10 times for 77 yards, including three by former Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett,” Cabot wrote.
Now in his 13th NFL season, Smith defeated the Browns in two starts prior to last season’s meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders, when he completed 30 of 44 passes for 285 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. In 2023 with the Seattle Seahawks, he was 23-of-37 for 254 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in Cleveland’s 24-20 Week 8 loss. Back in 2013 with the Jets, Smith was 20-of-36 for 214 yards and two touchdowns in the Browns’ 24-13 Week 16 loss.
More important is the Browns’ recent history against the Jets, which includes a 27-20 loss at MetLife Stadium last Nov. 9, when New York used two special teams touchdowns within 36 seconds to defeat Cleveland, which dominated the game on defense. The Browns also lost to the Jets in 2020 and 2022 before defeating them in 2023.
Even though the Browns seem to be an ascending team with three straight wins and the Jets are on the decline with three straight losses, this can be a tricky “trap game” for Cleveland. Coming off an emotional 27-24 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, and with a meeting with the Baltimore Ravens coming up in Week 6, the Jets could prove to be a dangerous opponent as they are desperate for a victory that would keep their season from spiraling out of control.
Still seen as a betting underdog, having his team properly motivated will be another test for Browns head coach Todd Monken, and they need to respond to the challenge to keep their winning streak intact.
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