Jets-Browns features battle of a stoppable force meeting a movable object

The New York Jets are in the midst of a three-game losing streak heading into Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns, and it's starting to feel like it's getting late early for head coach Aaron Glenn. He's quickly losing the good faith he instilled in the fan base after a Week 1 win.

On deck are the red-hot Cleveland Browns, winners of three straight and in sole possession of first place in the AFC North thanks to a win over their division rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in Week 4. Under head coach Todd Monken, the Browns don't seem like the same old basement dweller of years past.

But that doesn't mean this Cleveland team is perfect, though, and there are areas the Jets can attack and look to find an edge when these two teams meet at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

The Browns, who are already dealing with some injuries on their defensive line, have a clear weakness in their run defense. The problem is, the Jets' rushing attack isn't exactly something you can hang your hat on either.

New York Jets can attack the Cleveland Browns weak run defense

Through four games of the 2026 season, the Browns' run defense has ranked as the 24th-best unit in the league, giving up an average of 113.3 yards per game to opposing offenses. Not necessarily the worst in the NFL, but certainly far from the best.

That's a tough question to answer. New York hasn't exactly been a prolific rushing offense so far in 2026. Their best outing came in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans, when Breece Hall and Braelon Allen combined for 142 yards behind a dominant offensive line.

Since then, it's gone downhill. The Jets rank 27th in the league in rushing yards per game, averaging 84 yards against their opponents. New York is in desperate need of a bounce-back game from their rushing attack, and with both Breece Hall and Dylan Parham set to miss Sunday's game, it'll be even harder to get this ship turned around.

But there is reason to have hope. In Week 4 against the Chicago Bears, the Jets' run game, featuring backup guard Jordan Meredith and Braelon Allen carrying the ball, looked decent in a small sample size.

Allen rushed for 59 yards on 14 carries, with an average of 4.2 yards per touch. The game quickly got out of hand, and the Jets needed to turn to the passing attack, but it was still an efficient day by their low standards.

If they can replicate that efficiency against the Browns this week, hopefully, with more than just 14 carries, the Jets should have a fighting chance to take down Cleveland.

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