Jets vs. Browns: Top 5 takeaways from Week 5 matchup

The New York Jets are now 3-2 while surprising the football world. Here are the top five takeaways from their Week 5 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

In their Week 5 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, the New York Jets came out on top thanks to sticking to the fundamentals for a third straight win. They adjusted their game plan in the second half to beat the Browns and continue to surprise many people.

The Jets are now on a three-game winning streak and are riding this momentum into next week. They continue to play with that positive energy and play tough from start to finish.

With the victory, the Jets can rest for the week and get ready to face the New England Patriots. In this game, there were very little improvements but they still continued to have mental mistakes that need to be worked on. It is another baby step for the team’s overall improvement.

This a very big opportunity for the Jets to make a statement and continue to win. Let’s take a deeper look from this Week 5 matchup.

Next: 5. Josh McCown steps up in the clutch

5. Josh McCown steps up in the clutch

Quarterback Josh McCown was able to lead his team to another victory with a sub-par performance. He was careful with the football and tried to make smart decisions.

McCown was able to go 23 for 30 in passing and threw for 194 yards with 1 interception. He finished with a 101.3 quarterback rating which is an improvement from what it has been this season. McCown was able to manage the game well in the second half against the Browns.

McCown will have to perform better next week when they face the Patriots. Giving up turnovers will prove costly against the defending Super Bowl champions.

If your offense can keep those chains moving, it goes a very long way in setting the tempo of the game. McCown is a smart veteran who has excelled in important parts of the games this season.

Next: 4. Wide receivers and tight ends shine

4. Wide receivers and tight ends shine

Jeremy Kerley, Robby Anderson, and Jermaine Kearse and Austin Seferian-Jenkins showed up when their numbers were called upon. They’re all capable of being impact players once the football is in their hands.

For a third consecutive week, Kearse and Jenkins came alive and made big plays. They both had nice plays as Kearse had a 6-yard touchdown pass and Jenkins had a two-yard touchdown reception.

Kearse and Jenkins both had made big receptions to help keep the momentum going. If they are able to continue this success, then they will have an improving passing offense.

They need to be a very physical group these next few weeks because the opponents they face are very good. It is time for the receivers to continue to step up and get the respect they deserve against other opponents defenses. Their efforts against the Browns will continue to set the pace of the Jets offense to hopefully score even more touchdowns.

Next: 3. The defensive secondary delivers once again

3. The defensive secondary delivers once again

In the beginning of the season, the Jets secondary was getting embarrassed and for a third straight week, it was a different story. The Jets secondary was able to help produce big plays to stop drives by the Browns.

They made the tackles and were able to force two interceptions and one forced fumble. This is what a complete defensive team effort should be every single game.

In the second half, the Browns were having trouble of getting open which was excellent to see. They played a lot more bump and run kind of coverage and made the Browns receivers get frustrated.

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It was good to see that the whole defense from the front line and secondary produce big time. They are heading in the right direction which could very well surprise even more people as the season progresses.

Next: 2. Team responds to Todd Bowles

2. Team responds to Todd Bowles

Todd Bowles isn’t really an emotional type of head coach. Sunday, he let his players hear it at halftime since his team played horrendous in the first half.

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He more than likely gave a halftime speech like he did when they played the Cleveland Browns last season. It seemed to spark a fire under the team and they played much better in the second half.

Bowles isn’t perfect but is slowly getting his team to completely buy in that they’re not playing up to their potential. It’ll take time but being able to win games you’re supposed to, even if it’s sloppy, builds more team chemistry regardless.

The defense played faster and quicker even though they couldn’t stop some big plays. He looked more emotional and vocal which is what fans and players want to finally see.

Next: 1. Offensive line struggles all game long

1. Offensive line struggles all game long

This week, the Jets offensive line struggled from start to finish which is a major concern. It was tough to watch because of how the Browns pass rush was beating them all game long.

The beginning of the game was surreal because of how many penalties they had to start the day. Within the first drive on offense, they already had false start penalties.

They couldn’t contain Myles Garrett and James Burgess who combined for three sacks. These two rookies had made the veteran offensive linemen of the Jets look like they were the rookies.

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The Jets offensive linemen had six penalties within the first half which could have easily cost them the game due to giving up field positioning to the Browns. They’ll need to tighten up as a positional group if they’re to extend their current winning streak. Next week is a big test in containing some of the top pass rushers the Patriots have.