Thursday Night Football: Cleveland Browns vs New York Jets
The Cleveland Browns will host the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football to kick off week three of the NFL season. This game features a pair of young teams that are trying to transition from rebuilding mode to contending mode. This game should be a sloppy affair but should be a highly competitive game.
The New York Jets come into this game with a 1-1 record. The Jets were impressive in their week one victory over the Detroit Lions but took a step backward in their week two loss against the Miami Dolphins. Cleveland was able to force a tie against the Pittsburgh Steelers in week one before losing a close game to the New Orleans Saints in week two. The Browns are a three-point favorite on Thursday night.
Cleveland Defense Looks Legit
The Cleveland Browns have featured a dominant defense in the first two weeks of the NFL season. The Browns have recorded seven sacks and forced eight fumbles through two games, and have been getting a ton of pressure on the quarterback. Larry Ogunjobi leads the team with his three sacks, and cornerback Denzel Ward has intercepted two passes. The Browns defense should play a huge role in this game.
Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor has had two underwhelming performances to begin the season. Taylor has thrown for just 443 yards and two touchdowns so far in 2018, and the Browns have to be considering inserting Baker Mayfield into their offense. Carlos Hyde leads a deep Browns rushing attack who will need to get going early on Thursday night.
Darnold Looks Like A Future Star
Jets quarterback has struggled to take care of the ball this season but looks like he will be a star in the NFL. The rookie has thrown for 532 yards and has completed 66 percent of his passes so far in 2018. The Jets don’t have a ton of offensive weapons around Darnold, but he has the ability to make his receivers look good. Darnold and the offense face a tough challenge in this game.
The Jets defense hasn’t been as disruptive as the Browns unit, but New York has gotten the job done through two games this season. New York has a terrific secondary, and they have already intercepted five passes this season. Darron Lee has picked off two passes and leads an aggressive secondary unit for the Jets. The Jets should be able to take advantage of Tyrod Taylor in this game.
Browns Get First Win
Both the Jets and Browns have shown signs of improvement this season, but neither team is ready to contend for a playoff spot. The Jets are farther along in the process but are trying to break in a rookie quarterback. Darnold has shown flashes, but will still make some rookie mistakes in this game.
The Browns continue to rely on Tyrod Taylor at quarterback, but Baker Mayfield should get a shot here soon. The Cleveland defense has kept them in both ball games this season, but their kicking game let them down in week two. Look for the Browns to play a complete game on Thursday night and earn their first win in two seasons. Bet the Cleveland Browns -3.0 in this game.
