New York Jets vs. Cleveland Browns
New York Jets
Quarterbacks
- Trevor Siemian: 3/6, 3 yards
- Luke Falk: 20/25, 198 yards
It was an awful start to the night for Jets’ backup QB Trevor Siemian, and it never got much better. Siemian finished his night just 3/6 for 3 yards before being knocked out of the game with a nasty-looking leg injury. Browns’ DE Myles Garrett made things miserable for Siemian and 3rd-string QB Luke Falk, who came into the game to replace Siemian after his injury. Falk was able to string together a decent 2nd half, connecting with WR Robby Anderson 4 times for 81 yards – including a nice 36-yard sideline back-shoulder throw. Once Falk settled in and got past his jitters, he was able to complete 80% of his passes on the night (20/25). While Falk doesn’t provide any tangible fantasy value, he looked more and more comfortable as the game progressed. It’s likely that Falk will be the Jets’ starting QB until Sam Darnold returns from his bout with mononucleosis. Darnold’s timetable for return is still uncertain, but estimates have ranged anywhere from 3-7 weeks.
Running Backs
- Le’Veon Bell: 21 carries, 68 yards | 10 targets, 10 receptions, 61 yards
- Ty Montgomery: 3 carries, 25 yards | 3 receptions, 15 yards
With QB Sam Darnold out, backup QB Trevor Siemian knocked out with an injury, and 3rd-stringer Luke Falk playing most of the game, the Jets’ offense turned into the Le’Veon Bell show. And what a show it was! Bell finished the game with an incredible 31 total touches and 129 yards from scrimmage, putting on a show reminiscent of the Le’Veon Bell days of old back in Pittsburgh. While he was unable to find the end-zone, Bell put the Jets’ offense on his shoulders and finished with a monster performance – especially in PPR formats, as he caught all 10 of his targets on the night. Yes, you read that right: 10 catches on 10 targets. With the keys to the Jets’ offense in Luke Falk’s hands for the foreseeable future, we could be in store for a handful more of these types of performances from Bell. He showed off his patented patience and vision, seemingly capable of falling forward for 5 yards anytime he wanted to. Le’Veon is back my friends, and for now, this offense goes through him. RB Ty Montgomery also added 3 carries and 3 receptions in mostly mop-up duty.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
- Jamison Crowder: 4 receptions, 40 yards
- Robby Anderson: 4 receptions, 81 yards
- Demaryius Thomas: 1 reception, -1 yards
It was a rather quiet night for the Jets’ receiving corps, and it’s no surprise considering the amount of shuffling at QB that has happened in the last week. WR Robby Anderson started to develop some chemistry with QB Luke Falk towards the end of the game. Anderson had a fantastic sideline catch where he turned back-shoulder and stopped on a dime to keep both feet in-bounds. Those hoping for a repeat performance from WR Jamison Crowder were left disappointed, as he finished with only 4 catches on 6 targets. WR Demaryius Thomas made his Jets’ debut, although it likely didn’t go quite as he expected. Thomas finished with only 1 catch, which lost a yard on the play. It’s almost difficult to describe how inept the Jets’ offensive attack was in the 1st half. The Jets’ didn’t even break into positive yardage as a team until late in the 2nd quarter. They weren’t able to make it deep into Browns’ territory until late in the 2nd half. It’s no wonder that their WRs disappointed and with Luke Falk at the helm, for now, it’s hard to imagine any drastic improvement for this unit over the coming weeks. It just so turns out that the Jets have a miserable stretch of games ahead of them – including the Eagles, the Cowboys, and the Patriots twice in the next 4 weeks. It may be wise to fade Jets’ WRs until Sam Darnold’s return from illness.
Cleveland Browns
Quarterbacks
- Baker Mayfield: 19/35, 325 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
While Baker Mayfield was better at keeping his turnovers under control this week, he was ineffective against the Jets’ defense for much of the night. Mayfield also threw another interception – again in the fourth quarter. In the first half, Mayfield had a bad habit of staring at his first read too long, and by the time he started to look elsewhere, his pocket would collapse around him. While Mayfield had his struggles, he also connected on a spectacular 89-yard TD pass to WR Odell Beckham, Jr towards the end of the 3rd quarter. Baker hit Odell on a short pass, and then Odell easily won a long footrace to the end-zone. With the game never in question, Mayfield added some production in garbage time as well. Mayfield wasn’t spectacular but he led the Browns to an easy victory while helping to calm some fears stemming from his performance last week against the Titans. He’ll have a tough task next week against the Rams’ formidable defensive front.
Running Backs
- Nick Chubb: 18 carries, 62 yards, 1 TD | 4 targets, 4 receptions, 36 yards
- D’Ernest Johnson: 3 carries, 8 yards | 4 targets, 3 receptions, 42 yards
Nick Chubb put together a respectable night against the Jets, including a 19-yard TD run early in the 2nd quarter. Chubb wasn’t particularly efficient running the ball (3.4 YPC), but he was able to haul in all 4 of his targets for 36 yards. Chubb and the Browns’ offense has some tough matchups ahead; they take on the Rams in week 3 and then the Ravens in week 4. Luckily for Chubb owners, he has no real threat for touches in Cleveland’s backfield – at least until Kareem Hunt returns from his 8-game suspension. Formerly of the AAF’s Orlando Apollos, RB D’Ernest Johnson saw limited action against the Jets. Johnson spelled Chubb and took on some passing-down duties in the absence of RB Dontrell Hilliard – who was out with a concussion he suffered in week 1 against the Titans. Johnson flashed on a nifty 27-yard catch early in the 2nd quarter. Cleveland’s backfield looks ahead to a tough week 3 matchup with the Rams, who just held Saints’ RB Alvin Kamara to 60 all-purpose yards and the Saints’ offense to 9 points.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
- Odell Beckham, Jr: 10 targets, 6 receptions, 161 yards, 1 TD
- Jarvis Landry: 7 targets, 3 receptions, 32 yards
- David Njoku: 1 target, 0 receptions, 0 yards
Odell Beckham, Jr owners simultaneously shared a huge sigh of relief and a fist pump when Beckham took a short pass from Baker Mayfield and put on the Jets (pun intended) for an 89-yard TD. It was not only the longest TD reception in the NFL so far this season, but it was also the longest TD of Beckham’s career. He had to briefly slow down and adjust to a pass thrown slightly behind him, and once he had it he was off to the races. Beckham also had a remarkable one-handed catch in the 1st quarter. After the play ended, he was told by officials that he had to change the visor on his helmet because it was too dark. Luckily for the Browns, the lighter-tinted visor didn’t hinder Beckham’s performance all that much. WR Jarvis Landry had a relatively quiet night with only 3 catches for 32 yards. TE David Njoku was hit hard on his only target of the night, and was forced out of the game and into the concussion protocol.
— Corey Saucier