CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Joe Flacco eclipsed 300 passing yards for the fourth straight game, Jerome Ford made two touchdown catches and the Cleveland Browns clinched their second playoff berth in 21 years by beating the visiting New York Jets 37-20 on Thursday night.

Cleveland (11-5) won its fourth straight game and improved to 4-1 with Flacco starting at quarterback. The 38-year-old former Jet, a midseason signing, finished 19-of-29 passing for 309 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

The Browns used a high-octane first half to take control. Flacco piled up 296 of his 309 passing yards in the first half, and tight end David Njoku had 113 of his team-high 134 receiving yards in the first quarter.

Browns receiver Amari Cooper (heel) did not play four days after his 11-catch, 265-yard, two-touchdown performance in a win over Houston.

Another former Jet, receiver Elijah Moore, had an 8-yard touchdown catch Thursday to make it 27-7 Cleveland before suffering a head injury late in the first half. He did not return.

Trevor Siemian completed 32 of 45 passes for 262 yards, one touchdown and one pick for the Jets (6-10). Breece Hall had 84 rushing yards on 13 attempts, and 42 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions.

Flacco engineered a quick seven-play drive to open the game, culminating in a 7-yard scoring pass to Ford. The Jets responded when Hall caught a pass and sprinted in for a 21-yard tying score.

Njoku’s 43-yard reception brought the Browns to New York’s 7-yard line, and Kareem Hunt rushed to paydirt on the next play. With new kicker Riley Patterson missing the extra point, it was 13-7 Cleveland.

New York’s night went from bad to worse when Siemian threw straight to Browns safety Ronnie Hickman, who followed his blockers 30 yards for a touchdown and a 20-7 edge late in the first quarter.

After Flacco’s touchdown pass to Moore, Jermaine Johnson batted a throw by Flacco, corralled the interception and returned it 37 yards for a Jets touchdown to cut it to 27-14 with 2:02 before halftime.

Flacco responded by creating the play of the night. He escaped a rush, rolled left and completed a pass to an open Ford, who made multiple defenders miss en route to a 50-yard touchdown and a 34-14 lead.

Greg Zuerlein gave the Jets a 46-yard field goal as time expired in the half. He then had a 31-yard field-goal try blocked by Shelby Harris on the first possession of the second half.

The Browns’ offense slowed down after halftime. But after Zuerlein tacked on a 44-yard field goal with 8:50 remaining, the Browns took advantage of a New York turnover on downs and got a 33-yard field goal from Patterson with three minutes to go.

–Field Level Media

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CLEVELAND – (Wire Service Report) – All the New York Jets wanted in 2023 was one healthy and productive quarterback. Looking back, they might wish they had answered when Joe Flacco knocked in September. Flacco instead played catch with his brother an hour away from the Jets’ facility and waited three more months for the Cleveland Browns to call.

And did he ever answer.

Flacco has the Browns (10-5) on the doorstep of an improbable playoff bid and gets a visit from his old team, the Jets (6-9), on Thursday night with a chance to hand-deliver a reminder of what might have been for the beleaguered New York franchise.

Beat the Jets, and the Browns can clinch a spot in the playoffs.

“We talked about it a little bit this past week. Every week you look at the game and you’re like, ‘Man, it’s a big win. Another big one,’” Flacco said.

QUICK PICK
Journeyman Trevor Siemian is the Jets’ fourth starting quarterback of the year and his experience is very valuable, especially behind an inconsistent offensive line. However, that will be put to the ultimate test on the road, on a short week and against Cleveland’s top-ranked defense with the Browns trying to clinch a playoff spot.

Prediction: Browns 23, Jets 13

TRENDING
The Browns are consensus 7.5-point favorites. That includes at BetMGM, where the line moved from opening at 7.0 with Cleveland backed by 73 percent of the bets and 67 percent of the money.

The Browns’ Money line has also been popular, with it shifting from -300 to -350 while drawing 78 percent of the money. However, the Jets have been backed by 52 percent of the total bets at +280.

The Over/Under has been split with the point total settling at 34.5 by Thursday. The Over has drawn 57 percent of the bets and 51 percent of the money at the book.

PROP PICK
Browns TE David Njoku Anytime TD (+185 at DraftKings): Njoku has found quick chemistry with Flacco, catching 22 passes for 239 yards and four touchdowns over the past three games. He’s also averaging 10.3 targets over that span. Njoku has been a popular player in the prop market at both books, but you’ll get a slightly better payout at DraftKings than the same prop at +160 at BetMGM.

THE NEWS
The fourth quarterback to start for the Browns this season, Flacco took over in Week 13. Since then, he leads the NFL with 1,307 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Jets have 10 total TD passes in 2023.

When New York and 30 other teams passed, Flacco said he fell right into the ideal spot with the Browns.

“You think you are coming into a good situation,” Flacco said of signing with the Browns. “There’s a possibility for this. I think you assume from the outside this is a pretty good situation. When you get here it’s an even better situation than you’ve imagined.”

The Jets expected to be in this position but with another heavily seasoned quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, at the controls. Without Rodgers, a championship-caliber defense wasn’t enough to consistently generate wins using Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle and Siemian at quarterback.

Running back Breece Hall is proving to be a lifeline for the Jets’ offense with 39 receptions in the past six games. Hall had 191 yards from scrimmage (95 rushing, 96 receiving) in last week’s win against the Commanders.

The Browns’ defense has allowed fewer than 300 yards in five of its past six games. Cleveland is first against the pass (160.1 yards per game), total defense (260.3 yards per game), yards per play (4.46 yards) and interception rate (3.46 percent).

“I think the fans are going to bring the energy, I think we’re going to bring the energy,” Browns guard Joel Bitonio said.

KEY STAT
Defensive end Myles Garrett has 13 of the Browns’ 44 sacks in 2023.

INJURY REPORT
Wilson will not play because of a concussion. Siemian is expected to get his second consecutive start after throwing for 217 yards and a touchdown during Sunday’s 30-28 victory over Washington.

The Jets will also be without offensive tackle Duane Brown (back) and tight end Jeremy Ruckert, while running back Israel Abanikanda (ankle), wide receiver Allen Lazard (illness) and kicker Greg Zuerlein (right quadriceps) are questionable.

The Browns have lost multiple quarterbacks to season-ending injuries. Deshaun Watson (shoulder) and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson (hip) are on injured reserve along with running back Nick Chubb (knee) and both of the Browns’ starting offensive tackles.

Also out for Cleveland are defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (pectoral) and linebacker Anthony Walker (knee). Punter Corey Bojorquez (left quad) is doubtful, while wide receivers Amari Cooper (heel) and Marquise Goodwin (knee) and free safety Juan Thornhill (calf) are questionable.

THEY SAID IT
Jets head coach Robert Saleh, who interviewed to be Cleveland’s head coach in 2020 and coached Flacco in New York, isn’t surprised by Flacco steering the Browns into the playoff picture.

“I’ve said it before, he’s like a Ford pickup truck. You might not like it in the summer but in the winter months that son of a gun starts humming,” Saleh said.

–Field Level Media

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CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb will undergo season-ending knee surgery, coach Kevin Stefanski said. The Browns believe Chubb injured multiple ligaments in his knee during Monday’s 26-22 setback to the host Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Like we talked about last night, Nick has a knee injury that will require surgery that will end his season,” Stefanski said in a Zoom call Tuesday. “… Very disappointed for Nick. He means a lot to this team, he means a lot to this organization. So, he will be missed but he will bounce back, I have no doubt of that.”

Stefanski confirmed Jerome Ford will serve as the featured back while the team looks to add another rusher. As for possibly reconnecting with free-agent Kareem Hunt, who was Cleveland’s second-leading rusher last season, Stefanski said the following:

“We’re [in the] early stages at looking at different options right now, so I can’t really speak on to anybody specific.”

Chubb rushed up the middle for a gain of 5 yards with 14:14 left in the second quarter and was in the process of being tackled by Pittsburgh linebacker Cole Holcomb when safety Minkah Fitzpatrick dropped his shoulder and ran directly into Chubb’s left knee.

The hit by Fitzpatrick caused Chubb’s leg to bend, and Chubb sat up and grabbed his knee and could be heard yelling in anguish through the field microphones.

Chubb, 27, rushed for 64 yards on 10 carries before exiting. He has 170 yards on 28 carries this season.

The four-time Pro Bowl selection topped 1,000 rushing yards in each of the past four seasons, including a career-high 1,525 last season. Chubb had 996 yards as a rookie in 2018 before beginning his streak of 1,000-yard seasons.

Ford, 24, replaced Chubb on Monday and gained 106 yards on 16 carries and also caught a touchdown pass. Pierre Strong also ran for a touchdown for the Browns (1-1), who host the Tennessee Titans (1-1) on Sunday.

Hunt, 28, had 468 yards and three touchdowns on 123 carries during the 2022 campaign, also hauling in 35 catches for 210 yards and a score.

–Field Level Media

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Syracuse University and National Football League legend Jim Brown passed away Saturday, May 20, 2023. Brown is the only man enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame (1995), National Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1984) and the Professional Football Hall of Fame (1971), where he was inducted in his first year of eligibility. The 87-year-old is survived by his wife, Monique, their children, Aris and Morgan, and his daughter, Kim, and his sons, Kevin and James Jr.

“Jim Brown is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes to ever wear Orange,” said Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Jim was a four-sport athlete at Syracuse who was an All-American in both football and lacrosse. An NFL legend, he set numerous records, won countless awards and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, among others. He epitomized Syracuse University’s deep commitment to military service having been commissioned as a second lieutenant through Army ROTC and continuing his military service in the Army Reserves while playing in the NFL. He went on to be a successful actor, tireless advocate for social justice and one of Syracuse’s proudest ambassadors. I extend my deepest condolences to Monique, his family and all who knew, loved and admired him.”

Brown’s career at Syracuse started the legacy of the number 44. As a senior in 1956, he was a unanimous All-American and finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting. That season he set the SU record for highest rush average in a season (6.2), most rushing touchdowns in a game (6) and most points scored in a game (43). He ran for 986 yards — third-most in the country despite Syracuse playing only eight games — and scored 14 touchdowns. In the Cotton Bowl, he rushed for 132 yards, scored three touchdowns and kicked three extra points. Syracuse University retired the #44 in 2005 — recognizing Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little, and all those who wore the number.

“Jim Brown is one of the greatest all around athletes of all time,” said Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack. “At Syracuse he was the first of the famed 44s and excelled at lacrosse, basketball and track & field. In addition to his athletic accomplishments, he was a civil rights pioneer and created the Amer-I-Can Foundation for Social Change, which is designed to empower individuals to take charge of their lives and achieve their full potential.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to Jim’s wife, Monique, their children, Aris and Morgan, his daughter, Kim, and his sons, Kevin and James Jr.”

A four-sport letterwinner at Syracuse, Brown wore the Block S on the football and lacrosse fields, the basketball court and as a track & field student-athlete. The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame regards Brown as the greatest lacrosse player ever. A two-time lacrosse All-American, Brown was the nation’s second leading scorer as a senior (43 goals in 10 games). As a sophomore, he was the second-leading scorer for the basketball team and earned a letter on the track team. In 1955, he finished in fifth place in the National Championship decathlon.

“Jim Brown was the greatest player to ever play the game,” said Syracuse head football coach Dino Babers. “I remember my dad making me watch his highlights as a kid so I could appreciate his greatness. He was the best of the best and will be forever remembered as a Syracuse legend and the best of all time.”

In 1957, the Cleveland Browns selected Brown with the sixth overall pick in the National Football League Draft. During his nine-year NFL career, Brown earned NFL Rookie of the Year honors, was a two-time league MVP and was selected for the Pro Bowl in every season. With Brown in the backfield, the 1964 Browns won the NFL championship. He retired from the NFL at the age of 29, having set records in single-season rushing, career rushing, rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns and all-purpose yards. He was also the first player to ever reach the 100-rushing-touchdowns milestone. The Browns retired his number 32 jersey.

Following his football career, Brown pursued acting and broadcasting, and was social activist. He appeared in several films throughout the late 1960s and 70s and served as an analyst in football and boxing. In 1988, he founded the Amer-I-Can Program, which focuses on working with at-risk and high-risk youth in underserved schools and juvenile detention facilities and has had a significant impact with adult incarceration and reentry programs.

In 2016, Brown was inducted into the U.S. Army ROTC National Hall of Fame. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the Army ROTC in 1957 following his graduation from Syracuse University. After he was selected in the NFL Draft, he also continued his military training commitment at Ft. Benning, Ga. as an Army Reserve officer. Brown continued to serve for four more years and was honorably discharged from the Army Reserve with the rank of captain.

— NCAA

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Bills Defeat Browns, 31-23,  in Neutral Site Game

DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service/Field Level Media Report) – Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen passed for 197 yards and one touchdown and Tyler Bass matched his career best with six field goals to help the host Bills record a 31-23 victory over the Cleveland Browns in a game played in Detroit due to the historic snowfall in the Buffalo area.

James Cook rushed for a career-high 86 yards and Devin Singletary also rushed for 86 yards and tacked on a score for the Bills (7-3), who halted a two-game losing streak. Stefon Diggs caught a touchdown pass for Buffalo.

Jacoby Brissett passed for 324 yards and three touchdowns for Cleveland (3-7), which lost for the sixth time in the past seven games. Amari Cooper caught eight receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns, but Nick Chubb was held to 19 yards on 14 carries for the Browns.

The game was moved to Detroit due to the epic snowstorm that hit the Buffalo area. On Saturday upon leaving their complex for the airport, the Bills said there were 77 inches of snow on the ground at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y.

Bass matched the franchise record of six field goals for the second time in his career. The original mark was set in 1996 by Steve Christie.

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CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Reserve quarterback Bailey Zappe threw for a career-high 309 yards and his visiting New England Patriots posted a late lead to defeat the Cleveland Browns 38-15 on Sunday afternoon.

TIED for SECOND: Bill Belichick won No. 324

Zappe completed 24 of 34 passes and tossed two touchdowns to lead New England (3-3) to its second consecutive win. Rhamondre Stevenson finished with 76 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, and four receivers eclipsed the 60-yard mark.

It was the 324th victory (including postseason) for Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who is now tied with George Halas for the second-most wins in NFL history.

Down 24-6 heading into the fourth, Cleveland (2-4) pulled within 24-15 thanks to a 51-yard field goal from Cade York and Amari Cooper’s 15-yard touchdown reception from Jacoby Brissett. The Browns then attempted an onside kick and recovered, but the call was overturned upon review.

Rookie wide receiver Tyquan Thornton then rushed for a 19-yard touchdown and Stevenson later added a 6-yard score on the ground to put the game out of reach.

Brissett threw for 266 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions on 21-of-45 passing for Cleveland, while Nick Chubb was held to 56 yards on 12 rushes.

The Patriots put together an impressive seven-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half. Zappe connected with Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry for gains of 53 and 13 yards, respectively, before hooking up with Thornton in the end zone from 2 yards out.

It was Thornton’s first career touchdown.

Brissett then threw an interception with 7:01 left in the third, and New England took advantage of the takeaway. Zappe found a wide-open Henry on a 31-yard touchdown to blow the game open, giving the Patriots a 24-6 advantage.

New England took a 10-3 lead with 3:23 left in the first half thanks to Stevenson’s 31-yard rushing touchdown. York then made good on a 48-yard field goal with 26 seconds left to pull the Browns within 10-6 heading into the break.

Myles Garrett sacked Zappe at the end of the first quarter to become the all-time leader in sacks in Cleveland franchise history at 62.5. He finished the game with two sacks to reach 63.5 but then left the game with an apparent left shoulder injury.

–Field Level Media

NFL

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CLEVELAND – (Staff and wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Cleveland Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and cornerback Denzel Ward have been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the visiting New England Patriots. Clowney is dealing with ankle, knee and elbow issues. Coach Kevin Stefanski said the three-time Pro Bowler didn’t feel ready to compete in this weekend’s game.

Ward, a two-time Pro Bowler, didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday after sustaining a concussion while making a tackle in the fourth quarter of last weekend’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. He was replaced in the lineup by A.J. Green.

The Browns also ruled out backup offensive tackle Joe Haeg with a concussion, Stefanski said.

Ward, 25, has 21 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery for a touchdown in five games this season.

He has 207 tackles, 11 interceptions and four fumble recoveries in 57 career games (56 starts) since being selected by the Browns with the fourth overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Clowney, 29, has 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble in three games this season.

Clowney has 302 tackles, 42.5 sacks and 13 forced fumbles in 100 career games (91 starts) with the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Browns. Clowney was selected by the Texans with the top overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft.

–Field Level Media

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Browns Look to Rebound from Meltdown vs Jets

CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report ) – The Cleveland Browns are trying to put a big meltdown behind them in a short week as they prepare to host the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC North battle tonight. The Browns (1-1) blew a 13-point lead with 1:55 left to play in Sunday’s 31-30 home loss to the New York Jets. Pittsburgh (1-1) also is moving on from a setback, as it dropped a 17-14 home decision to the New England Patriots.

Cleveland’s defeat was much more painful. The Browns missed the extra point after Nick Chubb‘s 12-yard scoring run to still lead by 13 with New York out of timeouts. But the Jets scored on a 66-yard touchdown pass with 1:22 remaining, recovered the onside kick and then scored the winning points with 22 seconds left. Chubb, who rushed for 87 yards and a career-high-tying three touchdowns, said Tuesday that the loss can be pinned to him. He could have slid down without scoring, which would have allowed Cleveland to run out the clock.

“Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have scored right there,” Chubb told reporters. “Honestly, looking back at it, it cost us the game. A lot of things went wrong, not just one thing. But collectively as a unit, as a team, we could’ve all done things different. But it’s only a problem because we didn’t win. So I probably should’ve went down.”

The Browns will attempt to bounce back, and head coach Kevin Stefanski made it clear there is no time to dwell on the victory that got away. “We have to be problem-solvers,” Stefanski said. “We have to find solutions any which way. There are a bunch of different ways you can do it, but we have to find solutions so that when we are in a position like we were (Sunday), and it’s an obvious passing situation, we just can’t let that happen.”

Pittsburgh is looking to get its passing game going in Mitch Trubisky‘s third straight start. Trubisky is averaging just 5.1 yards per completion — which ranks 32nd among 33 qualifying quarterbacks — while passing for 362 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

“I like to throw the ball down the field,” Trubisky said. “Why I haven’t given certain looks, especially early in the games, I can’t tell you exactly why. We’re looking for that. I’m looking for that. “Every quarterback deep down in their heart likes to throw the ball as far as they can down the field and watch their playmakers go up and get the ball.”

Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson has caught 13 passes for 112 yards and his longest gain is just 25 yards. Pittsburgh has scored just one offensive touchdown in the first half and Johnson knows that needs to change. “We just have to start fast,” Johnson said. “That’s the way we’re going to win games and get in the motion that we want to get into. If we don’t start fast, it’s going to be like last year. It’s going to be hard to get that momentum that we want and to put points on the board and get that field position.”

Steelers running back Najee Harris is also off to a slow start with 72 yards on 25 rushes. Harris shredded the Cleveland defense for 279 yards in Pittsburgh’s two-game sweep of the Browns last season. He recorded a career-best 188 rushing yards in January’s 26-14 victory.

Steelers linebacker Devin Bush (foot) was a full practice participant on Tuesday and looks on track to play. Cleveland star defensive end Myles Garrett is dealing with a neck injury. Garrett has 61.5 career sacks, just shy of the franchise record held by Clay Matthews (officially 62 after sacks became a stat in 1982). Browns guard Joel Bitonio (biceps) is in danger of missing the game while defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (ankle) was ruled out Monday. –Field Level Media

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