The Cleveland Browns are short on wide receivers and that’s left their offense short on success at the Meadowlands.
The Browns managed just 103 yards of offense in the first half and they trail the Jets 13-3 after punter Jamie Gillan missed a 61-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter.
With wide receivers Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, KhaDarel Hodge, and Donovan Peoples-Jones are all missing due to high-risk close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, the Browns have only tried two passes to wideouts. They’ve also had no success running against a Jets defense that has allowed four yards on nine attempts.
Baker Mayfield is 13-of-24 for 124 yards, but he’s been sacked three times and he lost a fumble on one of them.
It appeared Jets quarterback Sam Darnold lost a fumble on a hit by Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, but it was ruled an incomplete pass on the field and the call was upheld after Kevin Stefanski challenged the play. That would have given the Browns the ball in Jets territory in the second quarter, but the break went the Jets’ way.
The Browns may need a few to go their way in the second half, but this hasn’t been a luck-filled weekend for Cleveland.