The Browns are heading back to the place where a special teams breakdown turned a winnable game into a disaster.
On Sunday at MetLife Stadium, Cleveland gets the New York Jets again, a year after the Browns were burned by two huge return touchdowns that flipped the matchup in an instant. The opponent was manageable.
The plan was simple. The special teams, though, were caught flat-footed.
That loss came after Cleveland’s opening touchdown, when Kene Nwangwu ripped off a 99-yard kickoff return for a score. Not long after, the Browns went three-and-out, punted, and Isaiah Williams brought that one back 74 yards for another touchdown. Even with three quarters still on the clock, the game was basically done.
The matchup now offers Cleveland a shot to put that memory behind it. Special teams coordinator Byron Storer said he has had this game circled since he got the job earlier this year.
“I think everybody understands that the Jets last year were a top 10 unit; I think maybe a top five unit (on special teams). They were one of the best in the league for sure.
They’ve got good returners; they’ve got good coaching. And so, when we talk about handling a team like the Jets, their special teams, their returners, again, it goes back to the spring.
It’s the way that, when I took this job, looking at the things that we need to focus on the most, that’s how you build your install and make sure that you’re addressing some of the issues that occurred last year so that they don’t recur this year.
“So, I just think that we’re ready to handle this situation. We’re prepared.
It’s going to be a challenge. They’re a good unit, and it’s an opportunity for us to go out there just like any other week and execute.”
The Browns have opened the season as one of the league’s surprise teams through four games, and special teams has played a part in that, particularly in the kicking game. Sunday brings another test, and a chance to wipe out the stain of what happened the last time these teams met in this spot.
In Other News...
Browns May Have Found A New Answer On The Offensive Line
Luke Wypler got an unexpected chance to start at center in Week 4 after Elgton Jenkins was ruled out with a concussion, and the Browns had reasons to be cautious about how the line would hold up. Instead, Wypler gave Cleveland a sturdy performance, keeping the pocket clean and drawing strong marks from Pro Football Focus while looking like more than just an emergency fill-in.
The Browns did have other options available at center, which makes the decision to go with Wypler even more notable as they sort through their offensive line picture. He was not flawless, with a couple of penalties mixed in, but the overall showing suggested Cleveland may have found a capable answer at a spot that can quickly become a problem if it is not settled. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Just Got Linked To A Massive QB Swing
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Philadelphias recent roster changes have only added fuel to the discussion, and Hurts has naturally become the centerpiece of the kind of proposal that would reshape both teams. For Cleveland, it is the sort of massive swing that gets attention because it fits the urgency of finding stability at quarterback, even if the whole thing remains more an ongoing evaluation than a confirmed transaction. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Could Catch The Jets In A Spot Fans Didn't Expect
The Browns trip to face the Jets has a little more intrigue than a standard nonconference matchup, largely because the other sideline is still trying to sort out what kind of team it really is. In a recent Q&A with MacGregor Wells of Gang Green Nation, the conversation touched on Geno Smiths performance, the Jets defensive strengths and weaknesses, and even the potential impact of rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq, all of which helps frame a game that feels more balanced than the betting line suggests.
One of the names Wells singled out was safety Dane Belton, a reminder that the Jets still have defensive pieces capable of making life difficult if Cleveland is sloppy. Still, the broader takeaway from the exchange was the confidence Wells showed in the Browns, even with New York listed as the favorite. For Cleveland, that makes this one of those spots where an opponents reputation and the actual matchup do not quite line up, and it is exactly the kind of game the Browns would love to turn into a statement win. [Read more 🡒]