The Jets didn’t need style points on Sunday. They needed a win, and they got one.
That’s the part that matters most in a messy Week 5 game where the offense was every bit as rough as the weather. Under Aaron Glenn, it stands as New York’s biggest victory so far. And while a few obvious names will get the spotlight, the Jets also got major help from two players who won’t headline the recap: Darrell Jackson Jr. and Tim Patrick.
Jackson, a fourth-round rookie, made his presence felt in the fourth quarter when the game was hanging in the balance. With the Jets up 10-6, he knocked down back-to-back passes at the line of scrimmage to slow Cleveland’s drive. Then, with 2:54 remaining and New York ahead 17-12, Jackson and Kingsley Enagabre dropped Deshaun Watson for a first-down sack as the Browns tried to move into midfield.
Those were massive snaps in a tight game, the kind that swing wins and losses. For Jackson, it was easily the best performance of his young NFL career.
The Jets’ pass rush as a unit did the heavy lifting, finishing with eight sacks - the most by any NFL team this season after not recording one last week. David Bailey’s three-sack outing will grab plenty of attention, but Jackson made his own mark up front and showed why there’s value in a Day 3 rookie who can grow into a real rotational piece.
That opportunity matters even more with David Onyemata expected to miss significant time because of a groin injury. Jackson played 29 defensive snaps, or 42%, and still turned in three of the Jets’ biggest defensive plays late. That’s the kind of showing that can earn more work, especially with starter Harrison Phillips off to a rough start this season.
At 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, Jackson isn’t going to win every rep by getting all the way to the quarterback. But disrupting throws from the interior can be just as important, and his back-to-back pass deflections were a strong example of that.
Patrick’s impact showed up in a different way entirely.
Making his Jets debut after opening the season on injured reserve, the 32-year-old was immediately thrown into a heavy role. With Omar Cooper Jr. and Adonai Mitchell still sidelined, New York needed bodies in the receiver room. Patrick played 65 snaps, tied with Garrett Wilson for the most among Jets wideouts, and by the end of the game he, Wilson and Williams were the only receivers the offense used, aside from Malik McClain appearing on two kneeldowns.
Patrick caught two of his three targets for 26 yards, but his best work came away from the ball.
His biggest contribution came on Braelon Allen’s 22-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, the score that put the Jets back in front and eventually stood as the game-winner. Lined up outside, Patrick sliced inside at the snap and delivered a sharp crack block on Grant Delpit, opening the lane for Allen. The block also sent Delpit crashing into Tyson Campbell, who went down as the play unfolded.
It won’t show up in the box score, but it absolutely changed the play.
Patrick also made a crucial recovery in the third quarter. With the Jets holding a 7-6 lead and facing first-and-10 from their own 46-yard line with 13:17 left in the period, Allen fumbled after Armand Membou got beat and Quincy Williams punched the ball loose. Patrick lost his own blocking rep, but he reacted fast, got to the loose ball and secured possession for New York.
That mattered because the Jets were clinging to a one-point lead in a game where points were hard to find. A Browns recovery there would have flipped the field and the momentum in an instant.
Instead, Patrick saved the possession and helped New York avoid a huge mistake.
That’s the kind of value he brings. The Jets’ receiver room is young and, outside of Wilson, largely unproven. Patrick gives them something different: a veteran, physical, dependable blocker who can help shape plays even when he’s not piling up catches.
In his first game with the Jets, he made his presence felt at two key turning points. Jackson did the same on defense. Neither one needs a flashy stat line to deserve credit for helping close out a crucial win.
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Garrett Wilsons Message Said A Lot About These Jets
After the Jets win over the Browns, Garrett Wilson made a point of using social media to stand up for a teammate whose impact had already been felt on the field. The moment fit the mood around a locker room that has been trying to turn a good performance into something a little more meaningful, and Wilsons post said plenty about how players inside the building view one another when the spotlight is on.
Wilson had every reason to feel good about the day himself after catching 7 of 11 targets for 104 yards and a touchdown, but he still took the time to back David Bailey in the aftermath. Baileys work against Cleveland was impossible to miss, and Wilsons response added another layer to a win that felt bigger than a single box score, even if the outside recognition still hasnt caught up. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Kept Their Season Alive But Aaron Glenn Questions Remain
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Aaron Glenn still comes out of it with more questions than answers, though. The rookie head coachs overall mark is now 5-17, and even with the season hanging around for another week, the bigger conversation in Florham Park is whether this kind of win changes anything about the long view on his future. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Snapped Their Skid Behind A Finish Fans Will Be Talking About
Braelon Allen gave the Jets exactly the kind of running-game spark they had been searching for, piling up 116 yards while helping New York grind out a 17-12 win over the Browns. The offense did enough to stay in front when it mattered, with Geno Smith throwing for 182 yards and a touchdown as the Jets finally found a way to turn a close game into a needed victory.
New York still had to survive a tense finish, and the defense made sure the skid ended there. After a late fumble recovery put the Jets in position to close it out, the pass rush came through again in the final minute, leaving Cleveland to sort through another frustrating afternoon after dropped passes and its first loss since Week 1. [Read more 🡒]