New York Jets: Predicting the win-loss record, part I
Week Three: at Cleveland Browns
Well it’s not exactly what you might expect on Thursday Night Football, but it could be very interesting. The league was certainly hoping for a matchup between two young quarterbacks when putting this one in prime time. It may very well be the first time Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold face off against each other at the NFL level. Hopefully it will at least be Darnold’s first prime time game if he doesn’t start in week one.
The other storyline will be the return of Isaiah Crowell. He, formerly of the Browns, signed with the Jets in the offseason, presumably to play the Matt Forte role. Crowell has been underrated as of late, rushing for over four yards per carry in each of the last two seasons. This is a feat considering it was done playing for some bad Browns teams. Crowell is a better running back than you might think.
This rivalry is pretty even, with the Browns leading 13-12. However, the Jets have won the last five in a row, including a 17-14 victory last October. Eventually the Browns are going to improve. You can’t have top picks for this many years without getting better. Maybe Cleveland can, who knows? Baker Mayfield gives this team an excellent chance to turn things around. But it won’t happen on this night. New York makes it two wins in a row.