The Cleveland Browns were in an awkward spot at this juncture of the schedule. With a 2-6-0 record, they are either looking at what it will take to get a playoff berth (a lot), or
where in the Top-10 will they be slotted in next year’s college draft.
RELATED: TIME FOR A SWITCH
The New York Jets are in a similar situation to the Browns, as their season is already lost with just a single win coming into Week 10.
Could Cleveland get a victory? Both teams sport great defenses with an offensive group that can’t score or finish drives. The Jets have gone a step further by shipping off several blue-chip players right before the trade deadline. They are now stocked full of high draft picks, which does not help their season this year whatsoever.
Nothing wrong with a rebuild or planning for the future. Unless you are a Jets season ticket holder. Or Cleveland, for that matter.
In the end, the Browns allowed two special teams touchdowns that killed them and lost to a one-win club 27-17.
So who played well for the Browns? Who didn’t?
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BROWNIES
Defense – All game long, the defense kept the Browns in this game. At one time, it was 14-7, and yet the Jets offense hadn’t scored or come close to the Red Zone. New York’s initial first down was with 9:41 left in the second quarter. For the entire game, the Jets had 12 first downs and were 3-11 on first-down conversions. Only 47 plays for the home team, and they had the ball for over nine minutes less. 169 total yards, and yet the Browns lost? Don’t look at the defense. Three sacks, one interception, 54 total passing yards allowed, zero rushing touchdowns, eight QB hits, 10 tackles for loss, five batted passes, and only one touchdown? Not it.
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Editor’s note: Not everyone believes the defense is elite anymore.)
WR Malachi Corley – Every time he touched the ball, it went for double-digit numbers. Two rushes for 16 yards each and a duo of first downs. One kickoff return for 22 yards. Yet, he was only targeted once all game on a poor throw, and had just the two rushing attempts. Perhaps this kid needs more touches.
K Andre Szmyt – Nailed both field goal attempts, converted both PATs, and his kickoffs all landed between the five and two-yard line. Scored eight points. Just doing what he is supposed to do.
Browns offense first half – The play calling was grand in the first half. Cleveland was able to drive down the field with nice plays designed for short passes and off-tackle runs. A nice nine-play drive in the first quarter netted seven points as QB Dillon Gabriel found TE David Njoku, who fell into the end zone. That drive began at the five-yard line. After the Ronnie Hickman interception, new play-caller Tommy Rees wasted no time and called a 22-yard pass into the end zone on first down, which was cradled by WR Jerry Jeudy to tie the game at 14-all. The past play-caller would have used five minutes and eight plays to get six. Then, with just 45 seconds before halftime, the Browns’ offense moved the ball down methodically using pinpoint passes to get to the Jets’ 22-yard line. Two incompletions and an untimely sack ended any chance of a touchdown, but Cleveland did get three points out of the abbreviated drive.
Fire drill – This was absolutely crazy. For one, it was questionable why head coach Kevin Stefanski used his last time out with 27 seconds left after QB Dillon Gabriel had hit WR Jerry Jeudy to New York’s 37. What followed were two incomplete passes, which both stopped the clock. But then Jets DE Will McDonald sacked Gabriel at the 27, and the down was now fourth-and-27. Out ran the field goal team, and with one second left, Szmyt hit the 45-yarder with ease. Several conditions made this a fantastic play. For one, Gabriel knew the down instead of jumping up and spiking the ball. Secondly, the entire field goal team is not as simple as bringing on the holder and kicker and go. There are numerous players from the offense that go off while their replacements must run on. #3: The offensive players from the play before have to know to get off the field pronto without any lollygagging. And finally, the long snapper has to be able to know that he has to get the snap off in a hurry, whether the holder is completely set or not. Oh, and finally, finally, the kicker has zero time to think about it.
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FROWNIES
LT Cam Robinson – Are you kidding? Robinson looked like this was the first game he had ever played. He was absolutely the worst player on the field for both teams. He had no answer for EDGE rusher McDonald, who has a tremendous first step and a great body lean. Backup OT Cornelius Lucas was inactive for the game, so the Browns were pretty much stuck with Robinson. Four sacks on Robinson, along with five QB hits.
And how many more should he have gotten? It began in the second quarter (11:38) when McDonald just blew by Robinson on a third-and-15. Two possessions later, as Gabriel dropped back to pass on another third-and-long, McDonald faked an outside move, then swung inside untouched. And why did the Browns kick a field goal right before the half after getting to the Jets’ 22-yard line? Yep, McDonald sacked Gabriel again on third down. So, what adjustments did the offense make to give Robinson some help? A running back in the slot on that left side? A tight end to chip him every down? Move a player like LG Joel Bitonio out to play tackle, his natural position in college? Nope. Just wished Robinson well. In the third quarter, going for it on fourth-and-one? Gabriel went back to pass, dodged one defender, and into the waiting arms of McDonald. With 8:05 left in this period, Gabriel was flushed because McDonald had beaten Robinson again.
RT Jack Conklin – Conklin’s day was not as awful as Robinson’s, but the veteran did not have a good game. On running plays, he was able to get some open space, but in passing downs, he looked really bad. A sack by DE Jermaine Johnson in the fourth quarter, Conklin was bull rushed and almost ran into Gabriel himself.
Browns jump offside to secure the draft position tiebreaker.
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— Jonathan Smith (@DegenerateTBone)
November 9, 2025
Stupid mistakes – Browns’ defense had stopped the Jets on a third-and-16 with 1:50 left in the game and expecting a punt, except LB Devin Bush held TE Mason Taylor when it was clear New York wasn’t throwing the ball, so that an incompletion wouldn’t stop the clock. The fourth-and-one play with 10:30 left. Wouldn’t three points have made more sense? RB Jerome Ford’s drop at the Jets’ 13-yard line that might have scored and ended up a field goal instead. The third-and-six play at the 11-yard line with 3:37 left, and Gabriel hits WR Cedric Tillman on a three-yard route. Would running a seven-yard route make more sense? Not getting Robinson help on every single play once they realized he was mismatched and helpless.
ISAIAH WILLIAMS PUNT RETURN TD
THE JETS HAVE TWO SPECIAL TEAMS TDS IN THE FIRST QUARTER
CLEvsNYJ on CBS/Paramount+
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— NFL (@NFL)
November 9, 2025
Special teams – If you have wondered how teams could even score on this XFL kickoff because players are so bunched up to begin with, the Jets showed Cleveland fans how to do it. Then, on the Browns’ next possession and a nice 45-yard punt by Corey Bojorquez, down the right sideline for a touchdown, shocked everyone. If you have the Jets defense on your fantasy team, then a banner day for you. On that kickoff for New York, KR Dylan Sampson muffed the ball, which went into the end zone for a touchback to start at the 20 instead of the usual close to the 30-yard line. Bojorquez had a good day, but had seven punts. He averaged 50.1 yards per kick.
2025 season – Now sitting at 2-7-0, isn’t it time to begin playing our second teamers and plan for next April’s NFL draft? Losing to the one-win Jets, who traded away multiple blue-chip players, pretty much summarizes what type of ballclub the Browns are. Even though they have an outside shot of maybe a division title, only because the other teams in the division aren’t tearing up the league, does anyone see this roster as a playoff-caliber squad? One of the worst offenses in the league with a defense that plays its butt off each week.
Time to see what Cleveland has to get ready for this year’s draft. Start playing guys like OG Zak Zinter, OG/C Luke Wypler, QB Shedeur Sanders, S Donovan McMillon, DT Adin Huntington, LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, WR Malachi Corley, and OG Teven Jenkins. Maybe bring up some practice squad guys each week and play them, like TE Sal Cannella, WR Luke Floriea, OT Thayer Munford, CB Dee Williams, and LB Eugene Asante. The front office will need to know if these guys are part of the future and what direction to go in.
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Milk Bones – What’s the plan today, coach?
DE Cameron Thomas – He was the first defender to miss KR Kene Nwangwu on the kickoff return for a touchdown. His sack in the second quarter on the second-and-goal changed the Jets’ approach to either going for a touchdown or getting the three points instead. His knuckleheaded offsides at the end of the game changed the Jets’ approach to punting or going into the victory formation.
Diving catch by Jerry Jeudy!
CLEvsNYJ on CBS/Paramount+
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— NFL (@NFL)
November 9, 2025
WR Jerry Jeudy – Made several great catches, including the touchdown in the end zone on first down. Converted a key first down in the third quarter on a third-and-seven as the ball flipped up and he secured it. Not a banner day, but consistent. Finished with 12 targets, six catches for 78 yards, a 13.0 yard per reception average, and one touchdown.
LB Carson Schwesinger – Absolutely amazing that he was playing in this game after the injury he endured should have been for a much longer rehab. Just showed guts and determination for such a young player. Then guess what? He led all defenders with 10 total tackles. With 4:20 left in the game, it was Schwesinger who rushed and nailed QB Justin Fields as he was handing off the ball.
S Ronnie Hickman – Made a great play on the interception, which led to seven points. Made a great tackle on RB Breece Hall early in the fourth quarter after Hall had gained 30 yards and had nobody but Hickman in front of him. Finished with four tackles.
2 guys are open in the flat and Dillon Gabriel takes a sack on 4th down.
The Dillon Gabriel era is over.
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— 𝐃𝐞𝐱 (@OldSchool_NFL)
November 9, 2025
QB Dillon Gabriel – Was in some sort of funk in the first half as he threw into the turf twice and overthrew two receivers. He had several good scrambles, including the third-and-four conversion in the first quarter, and He threw behind an open WR Jerry Jeudy midway in this quarter that should have gained good yardage. The TD pass after the interception was spot on and in a place where either Jeudy grabbed it or it would fall incomplete. Nice touch to TE George Fannin in the third quarter that gained 24 yards, but then he threw a pass intended for Tillman that went right into the hands of CB Jarvis Brownlee, who luckily dropped it. On the next play, Gabriel overthrew Tillman and was then sacked. To be fair, the Jets’ pass rush was just too much for the offensive line, and Gabriel was under duress for most of the game. Finished going 17-32 for 167 yards with two touchdowns, zero interceptions, was sacked six times, and had a QB rating of 88.9.
DE Myles Garrett – Was pretty much the invisible man all game. The one sack, he beat LT Olu Fashanu soundly with an outside move, but he was pretty quiet. Three tackles, one QB, one sack, and…..wait, that’s it?
Who are your winners and losers from the Browns loss against the Jets?
