That was not the case for their next opponent, the New York Jets. Group 1-7 were the headliners of the NFL trade deadline, thanks to their successful moves to trade All-Pro players Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams to Indianapolis and Dallas, respectively, significantly enriching themselves in future draft capital in the process.
On top of that, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn continues to refuse to commit to a starting quarterback each week, creating another big question about what exactly the Browns will face when they travel to the Meadowlands this Sunday.
Let’s dive into some key matchups that a Browns team, fresh off their bye, will need to focus on this weekend.
Myles Garrett vs. Olu Fashanu
The last time we saw Myles Garrett play football, he had a monster performance in the loss to New England. The All-Pro pass rusher recorded a career-high and franchise-record five sacks and has ten total sacks on the season through eight games.
Instead of primarily facing a rookie left tackle like he did two weeks ago, Garrett will face a second-year player in Jets LT Olu Fashanu. The Penn State product is coming off his best game of the season (a no-pressure, no-sack outing allowed against Cincinnati two weeks ago), but he’s also struggled at times this season, including losses to Tampa Bay and Dallas, where he allowed six and five pressures, respectively, according to Pro Football Focus.
With both players coming off their best performances of the season, the winner of this matchup will be crucial in determining the flow of Sunday’s match.
Dillon Gabriel against the new Jets defense
This is a longer-range matchup, but both figures here are approaching a crucial point in their short-term trajectories.
The Jets’ side of this is simple. New York just got rid of its two best players on that side of the ball and, on top of that, benched another former All-Pro, linebacker Quincy Williams. How that unit performs over the second half of this season will determine how much work needs to be done on that side of the ball. Showing that they can at least show life against a Browns offense that has looked largely lifeless recently would be a great start if they want proof that they made the right decisions this week.
On the other hand, however, this is a Jets defense that has been among the worst in the league this year. with those three former All-Pros start, and that’s why this is an equally important week for Dillon Gabriel. If Gabriel and the Browns’ passing game can’t show life against this version of New York’s defense, with a new offensive play-caller, the questions surrounding Cleveland’s quarterback and coaching situations will likely only grow louder.
Jerry Jeudy vs. Brandon Stephens
Jeudy was highlighted as a player to watch two weeks ago against New England after a disappointing start to the season, and the Browns’ top receiver didn’t catch either of his two targets that day. He has just 257 yards in eight games, just over 32 yards per game, and is on pace for less than 550 yards this season, a big step down from his breakout 1,229-yard campaign a year ago.
Jeudy will need to face a player like Thomas, who will now likely play a much larger role in the Jets’ defense after the Sauce Gardner trade. Stephens, who signed a two-year deal with the Jets in free agency this offseason, has bounced back from a rough start to the season and was playing his best football heading into the Jets’ bye week. Two weeks ago against Cincinnati, Stephens allowed just three catches for 14 yards on six targets against the Bengals’ receiving duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, according to PFF.
Denzel Ward vs. Garrett Wilson
While the Jets sold their best defensive pieces this week, their best offensive playmakers are still in place. That includes Wilson, who is on track to play for the first time in nearly a month.
The Jets’ passing game has been a disaster for most of this season, but New York’s offense as a whole is coming off a game in which it racked up 502 total yards and 39 points in a win over the Bengals. Justin Fields managed to pass for 244 yards and a touchdown, while his best wide receivers were Tyler Johnson and Isaiah Williams, so the Jets will look to build on that performance with their main offensive weapon now back.
Quinshon Judkins against the Jets defensive front
The Jets defensive line as a whole will need to step up with Quinnen Williams now out of the picture in New York. Former first-round pick Mazi Smith went to the Jets as part of the Williams trade, and two other players the Jets acquired in trades this summer – the Browns’ Jowon Briggs and the Vikings’ Harrison Phillips – have played important roles on that front this season.
Judkins didn’t get much of a chance to shine in the loss to New England two weeks ago due to his early exit with a shoulder injury, so Sunday will be a chance for the rookie to recover.