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New York Jets

Maye Tosses 5-TDs in 42-10 Win

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EAST RUTHERFORD – (Wire Service Report) – Drake Maye completed 19 of 21 passes for 256 yards and five touchdowns to lead the visiting New England Patriots to a 42-10 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday.

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Maye completed his first 11 attempts and tossed TD passes to tight end Austin Hooper (2 yards), running back Rhamondre Stevenson (22 yards), wide receiver Stefon Diggs (3 yards), tight end Hunter Henry (13 yards) and wide receiver Efton Chism (10 yards). It was Chism’s first NFL touchdown.

Maye, who was pulled in the third quarter after his fifth TD pass, became the fourth Patriots quarterback to pass for at least five touchdowns in a game, joining Tom Brady, Steve Grogan and Babe Parilli.

Stevenson also scored on a 1-yard run to help the Patriots (13-3) improve their road record to 8-0. Rookie TreVeyon Henderson led the New England ground attack with 82 yards on 19 carries.

New York quarterback Brady Cook completed 18 of 32 passes for 152 yards with one interception in the loss.

Breece Hall scored New York’s only touchdown on a 59-yard run. The TD helped trim New England’s lead to 42-10 with 14:51 to play. Hall gained 111 yards on 14 carries and became the first Jet to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a season since Chris Ivory in 2015.

Nick Folk added a 39-yard field goal for the Jets (3-13), who have lost four games in a row and six of their last seven.

The Patriots were up 14-0 after one quarter, 35-3 at halftime and 42-3 entering the fourth.

New England outgained New York 344-77 in the first half, when the Patriots had a 23-3 edge in first downs.

The Patriots finished the game with a 440-307 advantage in total yards, and had twice as many first downs as the Jets (28-14).

New York defensive back Qwan’tez Stiggers recorded a game-high 10 tackles.

–Field Level Media

Henderson Leads Patriots Over Jets

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – TreVeyon Henderson found the end zone three times and the New England Patriots sailed to their eighth straight win, 27-14 over the New York Jets on Thursday night in Massachusetts.

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Henderson ran for a pair of 7-yard touchdowns during the second quarter and added a 6-yard scoring catch after halftime to put the Patriots (9-2) in firm control. Drake Maye completed 25 of 34 passes for 281 yards, and Henderson tallied 93 total yards (62 rushing, 31 receiving on five catches).

New England’s Stefon Diggs hauled in nine catches for 105 yards.

Justin Fields ran for a touchdown and threw for another for the Jets (2-8), who had a modest two-game winning streak ended. John Metchie III, in his second game as a Jet following a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles, had three receptions for 45 yards and a score.

The Patriots only led 21-14 entering the final quarter but soon tacked on two field goals by Andy Borregales (44, 26 yards). The latter kick was set up when Fields fumbled a low snap on the first play of a drive in the shadow of the Jets’ goalpost.

Fields took the Jets into the red zone on a late drive, but he was sacked by Elijah Ponder on third down and threw incomplete on fourth down. Fields connected on 15 of 26 passes for 116 yards and led the Jets with 67 rushing yards.

The Jets opened the game with a 14-play, 72-yard touchdown march, only for the Patriots to match it with a 13-play, 69-yard scoring drive.

New York converted four third downs on its opening drive before Fields hustled to the right corner of the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown. New England converted a fourth-and-2 with Maye’s 7-yard completion to DeMario Douglas before Henderson notched his first rushing score of the night in the first minute of the second quarter.

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The Patriots forced three consecutive three-and-outs while adding Henderson’s second score to build a 14-7 halftime lead. Borregales missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt as time expired in the half.

Henderson plucked a pass out of the air in the back of the end zone to put the Patriots up 21-7 with 7:46 to go in the third quarter.

The Jets responded when Fields hit a wide-open Metchie for a 22-yard touchdown with 3:10 left in the third.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Monday Night Football

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Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) vs. Denver Broncos (1-2)

Monday, 7:15 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Broncos -7.5, Total 43.5

Series Rewind: It’s their fourth meeting on “Monday Night Football,” with the Bengals winning in 2004 and 2014 and the Broncos victorious in Week 16 of their Super Bowl season in 2015.

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It’s a rematch of last season’s Week 17 thriller, when Broncos QB Bo Nix tied it with a 25-yard TD to Marvin Mims Jr. with eight seconds left in regulation, only to fall 30-24 on Joe Burrow’s short TD pass to Tee Higgins with 1:07 left in overtime. This time, Burrow-less Cincinnati limps into Denver still smarting from the most lopsided loss in franchise history: 48-10 last weekend at Minnesota. Despite their winning record, the Bengals have been outscored 91-58 and have more turnovers (eight) than touchdowns (seven). They’ll need a whopper from Ja’Marr Chase, who has 43 catches for 585 yards and five TDs in four appearances on “MNF.” Nix is 6-0 with a 102.6 rating in his last six home starts for the Broncos. J.K. Dobbins has rushed 33 times for 294 yards (8.9 average) and four TDs against the Bengals while going 4-0 in his career.

New York Jets (0-3) at Miami Dolphins (0-3)

Monday, 7:15 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Dolphins -2.5, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: Miami is 4-1 in the past five games against the Jets, who claimed a 32-20 win in the 2024 regular-season finale.

The loser will be looking at an 0-4 start and the knowledge it is OK to start focusing on 2026 draft preparations. Miami badly needs to win this contest or coach Mike McDaniel will see the heat pick up. The Dolphins have allowed more than 30 points in each of their three games, and the offensive precision has dipped. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has thrown five touchdown passes but has been picked off four times. Tyreek Hill is averaging 13.2 yards per catch but has just 198 receiving yards. Linebacker Bradley Chubb always goes all-out and has three of the team’s six sacks. The Jets might be going with Tyrod Taylor for the second straight week after fellow quarterback Justin Fields sustained a concussion in Week 2. Taylor helped New York overcome a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit last week before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers walked it off with a 29-27 victory. Receiver Garrett Wilson (229 on 21 catches) is the only Jet with more than 80 yards or in double digits in receptions. Putting LB Quincy Williams (shoulder) on injured reserve is a blow for the Jets’ defense.

J-E-T-S Offense Wakes Up

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EAST RUTHERFORD – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Garrett Wilson made two superb touchdown catches and the New York Jets halted a five-game losing streak with a 21-13 victory over the Houston Texans on Thursday night in New Jersey.

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Aaron Rodgers completed 22 of 32 passes for 211 yards and three second-half scoring passes as New York (3-6) won for the first time since beating the New England Patriots on Sept. 19. Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich earned his first win since taking over after the club fired Robert Saleh earlier this month.

Wilson caught nine passes for 90 yards, Davante Adams had seven catches for 91 yards and a touchdown and Breece Hall had 74 yards on 15 rushes.

C.J. Stroud was just 11-of-30 passing for 191 yards and was sacked eight times for the Texans (6-3), who lost for the second time in three games. Joe Mixon rushed for 106 yards on 24 carries for his fourth straight 100-yard outing and Tank Dell had six receptions for 126 yards.

Wilson’s second one-handed grab of the night gave the Jets a 14-10 advantage with 13:01 left in the game.

New York was facing third-and-19 from the Texans’ 26-yard line when Rodgers heaved it toward Wilson at the back of the end zone. He jumped and reached to grab the ball with his right hand but it was ruled that he didn’t get both feet down.

The Jets challenged and replays showed Wilson got his left foot down and the call was reserved.

Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked a 43-yard field goal with 8:23 left but the Texans accepted a New York penalty. When the drive again stalled, Fairbairn’s 27-yard attempt clanked off the left upright with 6:57 to play.

The Jets responded. Rodgers threw a 37-yard score to Adams to make it 21-10 with 2:56 remaining. Adams briefly left the game late in the third quarter to be evaluated for a concussion before returning during this drive.

Fairbairn kicked a 29-yarder with 39 seconds left and the Jets recovered the ensuing onside kick.

After being shut out in the first half, New York scored with 9:03 left in the third quarter when Wilson made a one-handed grab inside the 15 and turned it into a 21-yard touchdown that tied the score at 7.

Fairbairn kicked a 54-yard field goal nearly five minutes later to give Houston a 10-7 lead.

Mixon scored on a 3-yard run with 3:21 remaining in the first half for the only points before halftime.

New York’s Malachi Corley made a huge gaffe on the opening play of the second quarter.

The Jets were on the Houston 19 when they ran a reverse to Corley and the rookie took it to the right and was headed toward the end zone. But he dropped the ball inside the 1-yard line and it rolled through the back of the end zone for a touchback.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Upend J-E-T-S

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FOXBOROUGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for a go-ahead 1-yard touchdown with 22 seconds remaining to lift the New England Patriots to a 25-22 win over the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon in Massachusetts.

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Stevenson then hauled in a two-point conversion pass from backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett as New England (2-6) ended a six-game skid.

New York (2-6) had gone up 22-17 when Braelon Allen ran for a 2-yard score with 2:57 left. However, the Jets came up empty on a two-point conversion attempt, and it ended up costing them.

Brissett was under center because rookie quarterback Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, sustained a concussion late in the first quarter. Brissett ended up completing 15 of 24 passes for 132 yards.

Maye was 3-of-6 passing for 23 yards prior to exiting. He also had 46 yards and a TD on three carries.

Stevenson finished with 48 yards and two scores on 20 touches.

Aaron Rodgers had 233 yards and two TDs on 17-of-28 passing for the Jets, who dropped their fifth game in a row. Breece Hall rushed 16 times for 80 yards, and Garrett Wilson hauled in five catches for 113 yards.

After the New England defense forced a three-and-out to begin the second half, Marcus Jones put the Patriots at New York 26 with a 62-yard punt return. Five plays later, Stevenson ran into the end zone from 3 yards out for a 14-13 edge.

Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein booted a 29-yard field goal with 7:54 to go in the third quarter before missing a 44-yarder early in the fourth.

Joey Slye made it 17-16 New England with a 23-yard field goal with 7:34 left in the game.

Maye used his legs to open the scoring, scrambling for a 17-yard touchdown with 5:18 left in the first quarter to put New England up 7-0.

Tyler Conklin was on the receiving end of a 2-yard score just under four minutes later, but Zuerlein pulled the ensuing extra-point attempt wide left to keep New York trailing.

However, it wouldn’t be long until the Jets moved in front, taking a 13-7 lead when Rodgers found Xavier Gipson for a 1-yard touchdown with 9:06 remaining in the first half.

–Field Level Media

NYJ at NE: Somebody’s Got to Win

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FOXBOROUGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) A 1-6 start has New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo questioning his team’s toughness. Mayo believes there still is time to flip the script, though, and New England will have a chance to do just that when it faces the New York Jets on Sunday on the Pats’ home field in Massachusetts.

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After an all-out disaster in London last weekend, the Patriots were called out by Mayo following a 32-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, with their first-year coach declaring them a “soft football team across the board.”

More conversations went on behind closed doors between Mayo and his players, and while he wouldn’t share exactly what was said, he is confident that New England will be playing inspired football against the Jets (2-5).

“We’re on to the Jets,” Mayo told reporters on Wednesday. “We’ve had those conversations. I’ve always looked at that as an opportunity to go out there and prove everyone wrong. Once again, going back to a chip on your shoulder, we’ve all had those chips on our shoulders at times that have gotten us through. So, this is no different.

The opening line was reminiscent of a line used by former coach Bill Belichick when the Patriots blew a game in their glory years and were next playing the Bengals at Cincinnati

“Obviously, once again, we are struggling as a team. Our record is what it is. It’s about what we can do to get better.”

New York also is out to turn things around after a 37-15 setback against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week pushed its losing streak to four games. Star wideout Davante Adams, acquired in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 15, was reunited with Jets signal-caller Aaron Rodgers, but he hauled in just three catches for 30 yards.

Mayo doesn’t think Adams will be nearly as quiet in his second game with New York.

“He’s a good player, obviously has a great rapport with the quarterback,” Mayo said of Adams. “I expect him to be more involved, even though he was involved the first game.”

Adams, now in his 11th NFL season, already considers himself a vital piece of the Jets’ offense and is willing to do anything he can to help New York get out of its funk.

“Regardless if I just got here, I’m a leader of this football team,” Adams said. “Whether or not every single person in there sees it that way, that’s how I see it and that’s my responsibility and that’s something I take seriously.”

There is a chance that Rodgers might not be throwing to him on Sunday, as knee and hamstring injuries limited the 40-year-old quarterback during practice on Wednesday.

Cornerback Michael Carter II (back), edge rusher Will McDonald IV (shoulder), linebacker Quincy Williams (neck) and offensive lineman Morgan Moses (knee) also were limited. Wide receiver Allen Lazard (chest) and safeties Tony Adams (hamstring) and Ashtyn Davis (concussion) were among those held out.

Linebacker Anfernee Jennings, who is working through shoulder and knee issues, was one of six Patriots who missed all of practice on Wednesday. Receiver Ja’Lynn Polk remained on the sideline because of a concussion.

New England had another six players who were limited, including safety Kyle Dugger (ankle).

The Jets and Patriots met back in Week 3, when New York cruised to a 24-3 victory ahead of its current four-game skid.

–Field Level Media

NFL MNF: Bills at J-E-T-S

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EAST RUTHERFORD – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Underwhelming might suffice as a five-game summary of the New York Jets through five games of the 2024 regular season. Even so, the Jets can move into first place in the AFC East with a win on Monday night against the Bills.

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A 2-3 start resulted in Jets owner Woody Johnson firing head coach Robert Saleh and promoting Jeff Ulbrich, the Jets’ defensive coordinator, to take the reins as the interim coach. Ulbrich demoted offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, stripping his play-calling duties to hand the responsibility to quarterbacks coach Todd Downing.

It might not take long to determine if the changes are akin to putting lipstick on a pig, given how much deference the offensive coaching staff gives Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Can Buffalo’s offense get back on track?

The Bills had a much better start to their campaign. They rattled off three straight wins but have now lost back-to-back games.

In hindsight, Buffalo might have benefited from a soft schedule, as its three wins (Cardinals, Dolphins, and Jaguars) came against sub-.500 teams, with a combined record of 5-12.

Defensively, those opponents rank 25th or lower in FTN Fantasy’s comprehensive Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) metric.

Offensively, Bills quarterback Josh Allen is coming off a 9-for-30 (131 passing yards) performance on the road against the Houston Texans.

Allen and his receivers weren’t on the same page. He has the fourth-highest percentage (19.5%) of “bad throws” that don’t include spikes or throwaways. Buffalo receivers have the second-highest percentage of dropped passes per attempt (7.8%).

Things won’t get any easier against a Jets secondary that Pro Football Focus ranks first in pass coverage with an 86.5 grade.

Rodgers deserves blame for the Jets’ dysfunction

Trading for Rodgers also meant the Jets essentially would give him the keys to the franchise.

Even before his arrival, Saleh signed Hackett as the offensive coordinator, given his strong relationship and perhaps even friendship with Rodgers since working together in Green Bay.

Some think Rodgers was even working behind the scenes, prodding the Jets to sign wide receiver Allen Lazard, a former Packers teammate.

We know that Rodgers definitely played a part in the Jets signing another former teammate in wide receiver Randall Cobb.

Thus, Rodgers has been the puppet master, pulling the strings for quite some time now.

There are even reports that Rodgers contacted the Jets owner after learning that Saleh was considering firing Hackett as the coordinator.

The dismissal completely blindsided Saleh, which suggests that something must have changed radically over a short period of time for the Jets front office to make such a decision.

Interestingly, the first thing the Jets’ new play-caller addressed when meeting the media was the Jets’ rushing attack.

“First of all, this team does have a strong run game. We just haven’t seen it come to fruition consistently enough,” Downing said. “Secondly, I think there become times where you can find people pressing a little bit because there’s an expectation for production and when it’s not met, you can feel a sense of urgency.”

There was no mention of his underperforming quarterback, who ranks 25th in Total QBR.

Unless Downing is brave enough to add dramatic wrinkles, we’re bracing for more of the same: the Jets’ stagnant offense relying on a dominant defense.

–By Field Level Media

J-E-T-S Dominate P-A-T-S

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EAST RUTHERFORD –  (Staff and Wire Service Report) – NY Jets QB Aaron Rodgers threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns as the New York Jets beat the New England Patriots 24-3 on Thursday night in New Jersey. Rodgers was playing at MetLife Stadium for the first time since tearing his left Achilles tendon in New York’s 2023 season opener. He was injured on the fourth snap in that contest before missing the rest of the campaign.
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     Jets fans had to be pleased with what they saw on Thursday, though, as the 40-year-old completed 27 of 35 passes and was constantly escaping pressure from New England’s front seven. Rodgers was sacked just twice.
     Tyler Conklin thrived in New York’s passing game, hauling in five catches for 93 yards. Breece Hall had 54 yards and a TD on 16 carries for the Jets (2-1), who outgained the Patriots 400-139 and controlled the ball for 40 minutes, four seconds. Hall added four receptions for 29 yards.
     The Patriots (1-2) struggled to get anything going offensively. Jacoby Brissett had 98 yards on 12-of-18 passing and got no help from the running game. New England did not have a rusher break the 30-yard mark.
    No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye made his NFL debut, taking over for Brissett late in the fourth quarter. Maye hit on 4 of 8 passes for 22 yards.
    New York virtually put the game away on its first possession of the second half.  After their defense forced a three-and-out to begin the half, the Jets ate 7:10 of clock during a drive that ended with a 2-yard scoring strike from Rodgers to Garrett Wilson.
    That provided the Jets with a commanding 21-3 lead and prompted the home crowd to get “Aaron Rodgers” chants going later in the third quarter.

Rodgers on Display vs Pats at Met Life

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EAST RUTHERFORD – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jets fans are hoping to get a longer look at quarterback Aaron Rodgers when New York faces the New England Patriots tonight in New Jersey.

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The last time Rodgers stepped onto the turf at MetLife Stadium, he lasted just four plays, tearing his left Achillies tendon in the Jets’ 2023 season opener against the Buffalo Bills.

That injury put Rodgers on the shelf for the entirety of the campaign. He was still credited with the win against Buffalo, but it wasn’t until Sunday that Rodgers led the Jets (1-1) to victory while playing for a full game. The 40-year-old completed 18 of 30 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns as New York beat the Tennessee Titans 24-17.

Now that the Jets have their first real taste of success with Rodgers under center, New York coach Robert Saleh is banking on the home crowd giving his team a significant advantage on Thursday.

“I hope it’s off the chain,” Saleh said, referring to the type of atmosphere he expects. “I mean, shoot, it’s our home opener coming on a Thursday. I know our fans are some of the most passionate fans in all of football. … You want to play in the spotlight.”

The Jets will need all the help they can get as they try to crack a New England defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest points per game (16.5) through the first two weeks of the season.

After picking up a clean 16-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, the Patriots (1-1) faltered late to drop a 23-20 overtime decision against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Rhamondre Stevenson found the end zone from 1 yard out to put New England up 20-17 with 12:43 left in regulation, but the Patriots let Seattle march its way to Jason Myers’ 38-yard field goal that tied the game with 55 seconds to go.

Myers nailed a game-winning 31-yarder in overtime. New England got the ball to open the extra session but went three-and-out.

It marked the first career loss for Patriots first-year coach Jerod Mayo, who is now trying to effectively navigate a short week.

“I think the first thing is to recover. That’s the first thing,” Mayo said. “So in saying that, we’re going to bring the guys in late every day this week. … I think it’s important that those guys rest up. It also gives the coaches an opportunity to get the game plan put together. That’s the first thing.

“Secondly, it comes back to executing. When you’re sore, when you’re tired, that’s what it really comes back to.”

And leaning on the defense might not be an option for New England come Thursday.

Multiple media outlets reported Monday that Patriots linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley sustained a season-ending pectoral injury against the Seahawks, and fellow linebacker Anfernee Jennings (knee), defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. (shoulder), safety Jabrill Peppers (shoulder) and cornerback Marcus Jones (knee) were all limited in practice on Tuesday.

New York turned in an estimated injury report, simply holding a walkthrough on Tuesday, but linebacker C.J. Mosley (toe) would not have participated in practice. Linebacker Jermaine Johnson announced on Monday that he has a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon.

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns Clinch Playoff Spot

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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.

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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