The one thing I don't think is true is that most posters are viewing this game as a gimme win - in fact, I don't think I've seen anyone say that. I think it will be close and low-scoring, and won't be the slightest bit surprised if the Jets end up on the losing end.
I don't know what to think about this game. I think it's going to be a slug fest. That's all I know. This is not a layup by any means. Their pass rush gives me the shits in this matchup.
Before the first snap the Cleveland Browns are a dumpster fire, gift of the NFL scheduling Gods, just what we needed after a horrible loss, slam dunk, automatic W. I've been doing my victory dance regarding the Browns since pre-season ended. Bet the Jets heavy. We got Sam Darnold in the draft. It's a new day. We are no longer Zippy the Chimp. We are King Kong. The NY Jets are heading to a SB. This game is simply a speed bump in the process. My long term view of the Jets has changed. The fog has lifted. I no longer have to hedge my bets. That doesn't mean we aren't going to lose games or win a SB this year. It means I don't have to reflexively expect the worst. We have been psychologically programed toward negativity and losing. It will take time. Sometimes I have to cut myself but I'm getting better every day. Normally all I have to do is think this. "Sam Darnold drops back to pass, rolls out to the left scanning the field, throws down the field..." Things are getting better in Jetsville. Enjoy it and expect the best.
I’m surprised at the amount of optimism in here 21 year old QB with 2 games of experience has 3 days to prepare for a road primetime game against the team that leads the NFL in takeaways despite playing Drew Brees and Big Ben. I’m terrified about this game. And the funny thing is that if Darnold plays well, it’ll be chalked up to “oh, it’s just the Browns” whereas it couldn’t be further from the truth.
This strikes me as a solid prediction. And I'm also imagining missed field goals and the Jets last drive puking just short with the clock running out because all our timeouts got burned for various shaky reasons.
12-6, Browns win, Jets become a national punchline and Sam struggles. That defense is damn good and Gregg Williams will know how to mess with a young, inexperienced QB. They have a great pass rush and talent in the secondary. The exotic looks are going to be unlike anything Sam has seen so far. I think he struggles to break 200 yards, throws a pick and no TDs. On the other side of the ball, they have a pair of fast receivers and an athletic TE, a bad combo for our defense. Look at how Galladay burnt Johnson with those deep slants. I expect a lot of the same. And as we all know... we are just FANTASTIC at stopping mobile QBs... Gonna be a rough one, and I'm not just being a self-loathing Jets fan here. I'm usually an optomist... but this is a nightmare matchup.
I'm little torn on this one. On one hand I feel quietly optimistic, when you potentially have a young FQB in your team you can't help but feel good about your fortunes. I've seen a lot to be encouraged about Sam in the two games he has played (and in the pre-season as well), he's made mistakes sure but that's part of the learning and gaining experience. As others has noted as well, I think Bates should make use of Sam's legs more, that way he would be able to avoid the pressure that our leaky OL will allow. On the other hand I'm worried of our run-defense, if Tannehill was able to carve our defense open with his runs, I'm afraid what more mobile Taylor is capable of doing. Browns' defense isn't a joke either, especially Garrett scares me shitless to be honest with you. He is capable to wreak havoc if not dealt with, ie. not blocked by a TE. One thing is for certain though, I don't want us to become an answer to a question "Which team against the perennially lousy Browns team ended their over 600 days winless streak?" It's going to be an early morning for me, game starts at 3.20AM here and I have to be at work at 7, so it's gonna be a long long day for me, hopefully a W keeps my spirits up.
How badly did we play. We held Miami to 257 total yards. The big issue in this game was a couple of key turnovers along with field position in the first half. The Anderson Fumble was a momentum killer. The Darnold end zone INT was a game killer.
My biggest concern is TB not having this team ready to play. If they come out flat and look unprepared for what the Browns throw at them then he as a HC needs to go. Like rex this guy never benches anyone when they are playing badly and hurting the team. he better win or I'll pay for a billboard myself...
Your post strikes me as "Whistling past the graveyard in the dark". Or maybe an attempt to will a victory despite the reality. But the reality is that the Browns have played two strong teams and very nearly won both games, and the match ups on paper favor them. I don't think the Jets will get blown out, but a loss is certainly a real possibility. My biggest fear is that Darnold gets hurt because they can't stop Cleveland's pass rush. I do think Sam will be ready for this - so far nothing has fazed him, so if he's given any kind of time and support, he can be the difference-maker. I think it comes down to that.
Wouldn't care less if the narrative switches to "oh, it's just the Browns" in terms of Darnold's development. It's not an easy match up for him regardless.
I've never in my life seen a 1-89 team like the browns get their woody johnsons sucked by the media quite like this. Nearly every outlet has the browns winning. Hue Jackson is borderline retarded and the rest of the coaching staff isn't far behind, hard knocks browns edition was a true embarrassment to the NFL. The talent on the field is virtually even, browns have the better D but not by much and the jets have the better O but not by much. The game will be decided by coaching and it will not be a good look for Todd if he gets outmaneuvered by the one NFL coach who takes the short bus to school.
Did you realize the Saints gave up 48 points to the Bucs with Fitz at QB? The Saints are 0 and 2 have the 29th ranked D in the league. The Pittsburgh Steelers currently have the 25th ranked D in the league and are 28th in points allowed. Those two teams have a combined record of 0-3 and 1. Those two teams look like hemophiliacs with a nose bleed. The NY Jets after 2 games have the 6th ranked D in yards and 5th in points, 18th in O yards and 7th in Points for. Cleveland playing against two teams that couldn't stop anything have the 23rd ranked O and 21st ranked D. D looks good. The O is horrible and their special teams is a complete train wreck. Here's the reality. After 2 weeks of football we have no clue who anyone in this league is with a couple of exception. A loss is possible every week with almost every team in this league without about 5 exceptions. The Browns have Taylor playing QB. The Browns could loss every single week because their QB sucks outright. The Browns have had great draft picks and loaded talent for years. We lost a game last week. We played well on D. We were in position several times to change the momentum in that game. The biggest mistake was the INT in the end zone by a rookie QB. I think Darnold is miles better than Taylor. The QB position makes us the better team by miles. The fact that he's a rookie is a huge equalizer. We don't know what were going to get. Most of the negativity regarding this game is all wrong. I'm excited that the Jets are all in on Darnold. That's way more important than either the W or the L right now. I think if both Darnold and Taylor play their best game we have the better team and it ain't close. That's how much a good QB means to an NFL team.
I like your optimism, I just can't set aside decades of soul crushing disappointment after allowing my hopes to rise. I hope you're right.
Thanks for correcting me - there is at least one person who thinks this will be an easy win. I think that you're totally wrong, but that's just my opinion. Recognizing that the Browns are just about as good as the Jets are is not reflexively expecting the worst or being programmed toward negativity and losing - it is my evaluation of the reality on the field, and is obviously one shared by the people willing to put up millions of dollars on the outcome. Of course, I have a strong hunch that this post is completely tongue in cheek, but if it isn't, we'll see tomorrow how the game actually goes.
I get it as much as anyone. My point is it's a football game. The Jets are headed in the right direction. We are going to lose games. We might even lose to the Browns. It's not connected to the past, the crappy Head Coach, the SOJ... My point is it's okay to take the long view and it's very okay to take the long view that things are getting better not worse. The problem with these threads is there's an underlying negativity that assumes two things. One in a competition we're entitled to win. Two because of our history we will figure out a way to lose. I don't care if we lose to the worst team in football and the National media frys us. It doesn't matter. This season is about Sam Darnold. If he's the guy this team is set up for years of winning. This process should be enjoyed by Jets fans. All this self doubt and negativity when something finally went right bugs me. We are actually analyzing why the Browns can beat us. The Browns have had like 90 first round draft picks. They should pound us into the ground. The fact that they drafted a midget with a tude and we got Sam Darnold means we beat the living crap out of them already.
