In the long run, people may look back at the Cleveland Browns’ Week 5 loss to the New York Jets simply as a lesson learned by a below-average team on its way to getting better. But, depending on how things play out the rest of the way, it could also wind up as the result that costs the Browns a playoff berth.
Cleveland had its chances to put away the ugly contest at MetLife Field on Sunday, particularly after forcing a fourth-quarter turnover while holding the lead. Instead, multiple mistakes down the stretch, particularly a glaring one by punter Corey Bojorquez, led to a 17-12 defeat.
Former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman revealed how costly the Browns’ loss was to the Jets, as they could have remained atop the AFC North heading into a Week 6 showdown against the Baltimore Ravens.
“No question about it. It goes a long way because they’ve been finding a way to win these games, and it looked like they had found a way again because their defense, when you give them a long field, they have been really making it difficult for the Jets to score. I’m sure Todd Monken is kicking himself because that’s one of those games that you would love to have. You’re looking at a Browns team that could have been potentially 4-1. You’re going to have some tough stretches in November and December where you might lose some games that you should have won, and you would have wanted to have a little bit more of a cushion than you do. I’m disappointed by this game from the Browns because we just had them against Pittsburgh and they gutted that game out,” Sherman said.
After taking a 12-10 lead on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Deshaun Watson to Denzel Boston with 6:15 remaining, the Browns got the ball right back on a strip-sack of Geno Smith by linebacker Carson Schwesinger near midfield. But Cleveland was unable to move the ball, and Bojorquez was sent in to punt.
A high snap and a wet ball contributed to it going through his hands, and the Jets took over deep in Browns territory. Facing third-and-9, Braelon Allen scored on a 22-yard run that gave New York the lead.
Needing a touchdown instead of a field goal, Watson could not engineer a fourth straight game-winning drive, despite getting two chances to do so. His fourth-down fumble with a minute to go ended Cleveland’s hopes and three-game winning streak.
The Browns were again unable to run the ball effectively, and Watson completed less than 50 percent of his attempts. However, multiple drops and a Jets pass rush that recorded eight sacks contributed to that.
After hosting the Ravens, the Browns face three straight road games, visiting the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New Orleans Saints, so they need to regroup quickly to keep their surprising campaign on track.
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