The Browns head into Week 5 with a chance to keep themselves on track, and the trip to New Jersey comes with a clear assignment: don’t beat yourself, lean on the run, and make life miserable for the Jets’ top weapons.
Cleveland is 3-1-0, but that record only means something if the mistakes stop piling up. Around the league, good starts can unravel fast, and the Browns have already shown enough self-inflicted damage to know how thin the margin can get.
New York, meanwhile, sits at 1-3-0, but the record doesn’t tell the full story. The Jets opened with a 23-10 win over Tennessee, dropped two games by fewer than six points, and then got hammered by Chicago in a 23-12 loss that was never competitive.
Even so, the problems have been obvious: penalties, turnovers and an offense that has struggled to find rhythm.
For Cleveland, the first order of business is simple: clean up the flags. That has been a recurring issue all season, and it nearly swallowed them against Pittsburgh.
The Browns were hit with 14 accepted penalties for 88 yards, with more calls declined on top of that. In the first quarter alone, they had five accepted penalties and two declined.
By halftime, the number had reached nine. The damage was everywhere.
The Adin Huntington sack before the break disappeared because of a hands-to-the-face penalty on Sam Williams. A third-and-eight in the second half turned into third-and-13.
The pass interference on rookie S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren became a fourth-down play that eventually ended in a touchdown. A late strike to Jeudy with 1:11 left was erased by a false start on LG Zion Johnson.
Jared Verse’s encroachment penalty on the one-foot line gave Pittsburgh breathing room, and Verse later had an offside that set up the two-point conversion.
That kind of self-sabotage has shown up in multiple games. The Browns had 12 penalties for 84 yards in the win over Carolina, six accepted for 50 yards against Tampa Bay, and 14 penalties for 88 yards in the Week 1 loss to Jacksonville. For 2026, the Browns are ranked #1 in average penalties per game (10.8), #5 in penalty yards per game average (74.3), #1 in pre-snap penalties (21), #1 in penalties declined (6), and #1 in penalties accepted (43).
If Cleveland wants a cleaner afternoon, it should also be looking to put the ball in Quinshon Judkins’ hands. Head coach Todd Monken built this offense around short passing and establishing the run, but the Browns haven’t been strong on the ground so far.
This is the week to change that. New York’s run defense is vulnerable, ranking #25 in the league.
The Jets are allowing 4.3 yards per carry and have given up only one run of 20-plus yards, but they have been leaky in the “A” and “B” gaps and are giving up a first-down run on 25% of defensive snaps.
Judkins hasn’t been used heavily through four games, averaging fewer than 15 carries per game and just 3.0 yards per carry. His YAC total sits at 94, and those numbers haven’t matched the Top-5 rusher expectations that came with him entering the season.
Against a defense that has struggled to hold up against the run, Cleveland has a chance to feed him and wear down the front. If that happens, the fourth quarter should tilt toward the Browns.
The final piece is defense, and that starts with Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. Those are the Jets players who can flip a game. Cleveland’s goal should be to keep New York under 20 points, and that means forcing the offense to work through other options.
Hall has not had a strong season statistically, with 51 carries for 163 yards and one touchdown. His best runs have come when he gets to the edge and can turn upfield; inside, he has been turned back.
He is also dealing with a quad injury that has lingered since Week 3, and he is currently week-to-week. Hall did not practice on Wednesday and could miss Sunday’s game.
Wilson remains the bigger passing threat. He has three 1,000-yard seasons and is coming off a knee sprain that ended last year’s season.
Even with that injury in the background, he is still a receiver who can create separation, make defenders miss and change the feel of a game in a hurry. Except for last year, he has consistently produced strong YAC numbers and continues to be a problem for every secondary he faces.
Browns defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg will need a plan that keeps both players from taking over. If other Jets find production, Cleveland can live with that. What it can’t allow is for Hall and Wilson to dictate the game.
In Other News...
Browns Return To MetLife With One Painful Problem To Settle
A return trip to MetLife Stadium brings the Browns right back to the scene of one of the uglier special teams nights in recent memory, when they were burned by two kickoff return touchdowns against the Jets. Since Byron Storer was hired as special teams coordinator, the emphasis has been on cleaning up those kinds of breakdowns, because for Cleveland this season, special teams has not been a side note - it has been part of the reason the team has been better than many expected.
Now the assignment is familiar, and so is the concern. The Jets have a return unit that can change field position in a hurry, and the Browns know exactly how costly a lapse can be in that environment. For a team trying to keep building on its surprising start, this is one of those games where attention to detail could matter as much as anything the offense or defense does. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Just Got Linked To A Massive QB Swing
Quarterback speculation always follows the Browns, and this latest idea would count as a major swing. The framework has Cleveland potentially pursuing Jalen Hurts from Philadelphia in exchange for future draft picks, a move that would instantly reshape the conversation around the offense and signal a very different plan for the roster.
Philadelphias recent roster changes have only added to the chatter, with the Eagles said to be in a position where they may at least listen to offers. For Cleveland, the appeal is obvious: the Browns have the draft capital and roster flexibility to chase a veteran quarterback if the right opportunity emerges, even if this remains more of a proposal than a deal on the doorstep. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Verse Is Giving Browns Something Myles Garrett Never Did
Since Myles Garrett was dealt away, the Browns have been watching more than just the pass rush change. Denzel Ward has pointed to Jared Verse as a player whose presence has already registered in a different way, praising the rookie for the kind of vocal leadership and positive influence that can seep into a locker room long before the box score catches up. Verse is also adjusting to a new defensive setup after moving from a 3-4 to a 4-3 scheme, and that transition has become part of the backdrop for how Cleveland is evaluating him early.
What stands out in the Browns' view is not a simple comparison of production, since Verse has not yet approached Garrett's statistical impact. It is the broader effect on teammates, with Verse helping mentor players and raise the standard around him at a time when Cleveland is sorting out what its defense looks like without its former centerpiece. The contrast in leadership styles is part of the story here, and so is the possibility that Verse's influence may matter just as much in the long run as what he eventually does on Sundays. [Read more 🡒]