Jets fall to former teammate Joe Flacco, Browns
Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson is tackled by Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. during the first half of an NFL game Thursday in Cleveland. Credit: AP/Ron Schwane
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns did what the Jets couldn’t do. They started four quarterbacks, endured a large number of injuries on the offensive line and clinched a playoff spot.
The Jets were unable to overcome that kind of adversity and were eliminated from playoff contention for the 13th consecutive year earlier this month. The Browns rose above some tough times and are reaping the rewards while relying on a quarterback who was in the Jets’ building last year — but whom they didn’t try to bring back.
Former Jet Joe Flacco continued his inspired play and led the Browns to a 37-20 win over his old team at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Thursday night.
Flacco passed for 296 yards and three touchdowns in the first half in a game the Browns (11-5) dominated. They led 34-17 at the half. Flacco completed 19 of 29 passes for 309 yards overall to help Cleveland earn its fourth straight win and a playoff berth.
Flacco — who heard his name chanted in the fourth quarter — snapped the Jets’ streak of not allowing a 300-yard passer at 33 games. Making it more impressive, and damning for the Jets, was the fact that the Browns didn’t have top receiver Amari Cooper because of a heel injury.
The Jets looked unprepared on defense and were pushed around early. They gave up 367 yards in the first half and were down by 20 points twice.
“It was horrible,” cornerback D.J. Reed said. “It was probably the worst it can get. We just didn’t execute, man.”
Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian was 32-for-45 for 261 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Breece Hall finished with 126 scrimmage yards on 22 touches and caught a 21-yard touchdown pass. Garrett Wilson had five catches for 50 yards and surpassed 1,000 yards for the second straight season.
Browns running back Jerome Ford had two receiving touchdowns. Former Jet Elijah Moore had five catches for 61 yards and a touchdown before exiting the game with a concussion.
Tight end David Njoku caught six passes for 134 yards. He had three explosive plays on the first two drives — catches that went for 36, 28 and 43 yards. Both ended with touchdowns.
“That first half was horrendous,” Reed said. “It was really just on the players. We just didn’t execute. It was things we normally pick up. I don’t know if the lights were just too bright on this stage.”
The Browns had no trouble moving the ball without Cooper. They’ve been able to adjust in these situations most of the season, unlike the Jets. Losing Aaron Rodgers four snaps into the season, getting poor quarterback play overall and starting 13 different offensive linemen proved too much for them to withstand.
The Browns lost running back Nick Chubb in Week 2. Starting quarterback Deshaun Watson lasted only six games. Both teams have started four quarterbacks and double-digit offensive linemen, but unlike the Jets, the Browns’ season was not lost. Kevin Stefanski is a leading NFL Coach of the Year candidate for the work he’s done.
The bitter irony for Jets fans is that Flacco was on his couch when the Browns signed him on Nov. 20 and he’s enjoying a rebirth. He has played five games with the Browns and is 4-1 with 13 touchdown passes — two more than the Jets’ quarterbacks all season.
Flacco started nine games and played in 12 for the Jets in the previous three seasons. Sauce Gardner never thought he would be the one to break the Jets’ 300-yard streak.
“If I had to pick anybody, he wouldn’t be the guy I would think would do that,” he said. “But he did a great job today.
“He wasn’t even on their team at first. I guess that just makes his story even better, going from not being on the team to doing what he did tonight.”
And more maddening for the Jets.
The Jets scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the first time all season. After that, the offense produced just six points on two Greg Zuerlein field goals. He also had one blocked on the Jets’ first series of the third quarter after the Jets took a delay-of-game penalty.
This game belonged to the Browns pretty quickly.
Hall’s touchdown with 8:06 left in the first quarter made it 7-7. The Jets were down 20-7 six minutes later after Kareem Hunt’s 7-yard rushing touchdown and Ronnie Hickman’s 30-yard pick-6.
Flacco threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Moore with 6:15 left in the half that made it 27-7
“It wasn’t good enough all the way across the board,” Robert Saleh said.
The Jets cut it to 27-14 on Jermaine Johnson’s 37-yard pick-6 with 2:02 to go in the half. He tipped Flacco’s pass, picked it off and returned it for the TD.
On the next series, Flacco evaded Quinnen Williams and threw on the move to Ford. He did the rest, scoring a 50-yard touchdown with some help from the Jets’ defense. They missed several tackles along the way.
“It’s definitely disappointing,” C.J. Mosley said. “We hold our defense to a high standard. That definitely wasn’t our standard in the first half.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
