Fitzpatrick, Jets Gut Their Way To Tough Win In Cleveland (Highlights)
Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) loses his helmet on a hit by Cleveland Browns cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun (20) during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Matt Forte, and the rest of the New York Jets picked up a much-needed victory against the Cleveland Browns in Week 8.

  • New York Jets 31 (3-5)
  • Cleveland Browns 28 (0-8)
  • NFL, Week 8, Box Score
  • FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
It wasn’t pretty. That much is certain. But what the New York Jets came away with in Cleveland on Sunday during Week 8, was exactly what they needed. This was a victory to get their record to 3-5.

Josh McCown and the Cleveland Browns took the opening kickoff and drove down the throat of Todd Bowles‘ defense. They capped off the 8-play, 75-yard drive with an Andrew Hawkins 5-yard TD reception that beat Marcus Williams.

The Browns then extended the lead to 20-7 as the teams hit the locker rooms.

Strangely enough, in this season that has featured porous second-half play from Gang Green, New York fought back by ripping off 21 unanswered points en route to the victory.

Ryan Fitzpatrick wasn’t great. His mediocre play was evident in the numbers (16-34, 228 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT). What he did do, though, was lead the offense at the line of scrimmage. No play exemplified this more than the Jets first score of the game. On a 3rd-and-long, Fitz audibled to a run after seeing the Browns in a deep 2-under man:

The 35-yard rumble accounts for the longest run of the season.

Though Matt Forte didn’t finish over 100 yards (82 yards on 25 carries), he did score two touchdowns. One of which gave New York its first lead of the game, coming on a 4th-and-1 situation in the 3rd-quarter:

His other TD came in the 4th-quarter, extending the Jets lead to eight.

Quite possibly the Jets brightest star of the season, Quincy Enunwa, continued to impress. He hauled in four balls for 93 yards and this beauty of a TD that opened New York’s second-half spirit on the right foot:

When the Jets look at themselves in the mirror following the win, they’ll understand how ugly a win this truly was. The Browns are winless, but do fight. The good news for the green and white is that they fought on this day as well.

Fitzpatrick’s scramble early in the contest exemplified this notion:

Chan Gailey’s offensive plan surrounded taking the decision-making away from his QB. They ran the ball 34 times for 171 yards. Powell contributed with 76 yards on just six attempts. And this was without Nick Mangold.

Defensively, there wasn’t much to write home about. Bowles’ unit did limit the Browns to just 67 yards on the ground, but yielded over 300 yards through the air (McCown: 25-49, 341 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT).

The key was turning McCown over late in the game while nursing a lead. Marcus Gilchrist came up with a centerfield pick and Lorenzo Mauldin came away with an interception after Calvin Pryor made a nice play in breaking up an attempt.

Next up for the Jets will be the Dolphins in Miami next Sunday. The Jets will play five of their last seven games at MetLife Stadium.

Game Notes:

Darrelle Revis was continuously beaten in the game by Terrelle Pryor, who finished with 101 yards on six grabs.

Making his return, Muhammad Wilkerson tallied a sack and a solo tackle. For the most part, Bowles did a good job in making sure neither Big Mo or Sheldon Richardson were out of position when playing together. This has been an ongoing theme all season long.

Hawkins caught a second TD pass with just 12 seconds to go in the game, making the score closer than the actual result.

Robby Sabo is a co-founder, CEO and credentialed New York Jets content creator for Jets X-Factor - Jet X, which includes Sabo's Sessions (in-depth film breakdowns) and Sabo with the Jets. Host: Underdog Jets Podcast with Wayne Chrebet and Sabo Radio. Member: Pro Football Writers of America. Coach: Port Jervis (NY) High School. Washed up strong safety and 400M runner. SEO: XL Media. Founder: Elite Sports NY - ESNY (Sold in 2020). SEO: XL Media. Email: robby.sabo[at]jetsxfactor.com