It was so predictable in this unpredictable year.
The Jets lacked defender Quinnen Williams. The Browns with ten wins were in town, coming from five wins in six games, with the accelerated attack of the league’s third place.
So, naturally, in typical 2020 form, the front seven of the Jets played as the best unit in the league.
He held the Browns, which were without their first four receivers due to the COVID-19 protocols, 45 yards from 18 loads. He fired Baker Mayfield four times, equaling the high of the season. Nick Chubb was kept at 28 yards, the lowest point of the season. With the game balanced, he forced a turnaround in Cleveland’s last two possessions and produced three in all.
“It proves that we haven’t given up, that we’re still getting closer every week to win,” outside linebacker Tarell Basham after Gang Green won his second straight, 23-16, over the Browns at the MetLife stadium without fans on Sunday afternoon. “Great game plan. Our coaches put us in a position to make moves and today we came to make moves. We play with energy, enthusiasm and we fly, we reach the ball ”.
John Franklyn-Myers, Frankie Luvu, Nathan Shepherd and Basham carried bags. Basham forced two fumbles and Luvu created another. Franklyn-Myers and Folorunso Fatukasi recovered one.
Basham was the big star, gaining prominence in the final minutes. With the Jets having a four-point advantage at the end of the fourth period, he hit Mayfield from behind, throwing the ball out. This led to a Jets field goal and a seven point advantage.
But the Browns had one last chance and headed for the Jets’ 16-yard line. In the fourth to 1, Mayfield kept him. But as he spun around trying to gain extra yards, Basham again pulled him off the ball, sealing the victory with 1:25 left.
“We received a lot of internal criticism,” said Basham, distributing the credit. “We received so much internal criticism that Baker had nowhere to go, forcing him to slide out of my way.”
“Blessed, honestly, blessed to be able to make a move as a team at such a critical moment in the game,” he added.
The Jets defense was set on fire by the Seahawks by 41 points and a total of 410 yards on December 13. The previous week, she allowed the Raiders to prevail in a long pass with five seconds remaining. But in the past two weeks, the unit has had a major victory against the Rams and the Browns, defeating a pair of potential playoff teams after allowing at least 30 points in five of the previous six games.
“Guys are still fighting. It means a lot to us, as players, to play to win and actually win a game, and not just keep losing at home, ”said Basham. “We have children. That’s the last thing you want to do, go home and explain to your kids every week that you’re a loser.
“You want them to be winners, but you can’t seem to. So this is important for us as players ”.