Thanks to some heavy lifting from the special teams unit, the New York Jets earned their second win of the 2025 season on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns (2-7).
The Jets (2-7) scored touchdowns on both a punt return and a kickoff return in the first quarter of the 27-20 win, as quarterback Justin Fields struggled yet again (6-for-11 passing, 54 yards, one interception, three sacks taken). Running back Breece Hall caught a short pass from Fields in the fourth quarter that became a 42-yard TD and gave the Jets a 24-17 lead.
The Browns struggled with penalties in the loss, especially during their final possession, when the team found itself trailing by one touchdown with under two minutes remaining. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel finished 17 of 32 with 167 yards and two touchdowns, including a highlight-worthy 22-yard TD to receiver Jerry Jeudy. But too many Cleveland blunders proved costly and the Jets escaped with a win.
Special things
Under special teams coordinator Chris Banjo, the Jets’ group had a day and then some. Kene Nwangwu, in and out of the lineup all season due to injuries, delivered a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first quarter. Minutes later, Isaiah Williams followed a Cleveland three-and-out with a 74-yard punt return touchdown. It was the first time an NFL team returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns in the first quarter of the same game since the George W. Bush administration. (The last team to do so was the 2007 San Diego Chargers.) — Gary Gramling, NFL managing editor
Fields’ position
The generous reading would be that the game’s rainy conditions — and the back-to-back special-teams touchdowns interrupting the offense’s rhythm — were factors in another underwhelming performance from Fields. But Fields and the Jets’ passing game were once again alarmingly limited on Sunday, even before Garrett Wilson left the game due to a right knee issue and spent the final quarter-plus going from medical tent to exercise bike to locker room.
Wilson did not have a catch on three targets, and the passing game’s only play of longer than four yards came on a fourth-quarter, second-and-long throw behind the line of scrimmage, when the Jets caught the Browns in a zero-blitz and Hall showed elite explosiveness on a 42-yard TD. Fields’ second-longest passing play of the game went for four yards, and aside from Hall’s touchdown catch, Fields accounted for zero net passing yards. Hall has been excellent in back-to-back wins; it appears he’ll be asked to carry this offense from here on in. — Gramling
For one week, Sauce and Quinnen weren’t missed
It’s tough to gauge any defensive performance against a toothless Browns offense. But at least on Sunday, the Jets’ transition to a youth movement on the defensive side of the ball went swimmingly. Cornerback Azareye’h Thomas was starting a second straight game at Sauce Gardner’s former boundary spot opposite Brandon Stephens (Gardner missed the Bengals game while in concussion protocol). Thomas’ performance was a mixed bag on Sunday before he left in the second quarter with a concussion of his own. Thomas’ lowlight was a — questionable — 29-yard pass interference penalty when Browns receiver Cedric Tillman got a step on him down the right sideline, the key play on Cleveland’s first touchdown drive.
Jarvis Brownlee Jr. moved from the slot to the boundary spot to replace Thomas, but Brownlee was promptly flagged for pass interference after the move, and it didn’t get much better for him from there. However, the Browns, as they do, did not threaten much on the outside, and the Jets more often played a safety over the slot.
In much better news: The Jets had little trouble generating pressure in their first game without defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. New York found success against Cleveland with interior pressure via blitzes and by letting Will McDonald work from an interior spot. The Jets sacked Gabriel six times (McDonald accounted for four). Although rookie linebacker Kiko Mauigoa was inactive due to a concussion, the Jets started Mykal Walker over Quincy Williams, the pseudo-benched brother of Quinnen. But Quincy played plenty and delivered one of his best games of 2025. — Gramling
A big one for Glenn
It was an emotional week for the entire Jets organization, featuring not only the franchise-altering moves at the trade deadline but also the memorial service for the late Nick Mangold, a Jets legend. With his team entering Week 10 as home underdogs against a truly atrocious opponent, coach Aaron Glenn needed to begin stacking wins to keep Jets players bought in, and this was among the most winnable games left on the schedule. A 2-7 record might not look like much, but after back-to-back wins, it becomes a little easier to squint and see reasons for optimism about the franchise’s direction under Glenn. — Gramling
Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw two touchdowns against the New York Jets in Week 10. (Evan Bernstein/ Getty Images)
Problems abound for Browns
When you lose to this version of the Jets, it’s probably fair to say you have major issues. The 2-7 Browns have plenty of issues, but Sunday’s loss was especially bad because the Jets got their first two touchdowns via the return game in the first quarter. Fields had 15 yards passing through three quarters, but the Jets still managed to hold a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Whether it’s in pass protection, kick coverage or hitting open receivers, the Browns continued to struggle in big moments Sunday, as they have for most of the season. Add a number of ill-timed penalties (including a defensive holding call and an offsides in the final two minutes), and you have the horrendous product the Browns put on the field against the Jets. The silver lining for the Browns is that their loss, combined with a number of upsets around the league, might eventually improve their draft position, but a defeat like Sunday’s makes it harder to believe that the current regime will be back for 2026. The Browns appear to only be moving backwards. — Zac Jackson, Browns beat writer
No offensive rhythm
The story of another disappointing Browns season is that the offense simply isn’t good enough. Surrendering early special teams touchdowns to the Jets caused the house to start crumbling in this game, but too often, the Browns just can’t finish drives or keep defenses guessing. Gabriel is erratic, at best, as a passer, and although new Browns play caller Tommy Rees seemed to try to get Gabriel out of the pocket as much as possible on Sunday, Gabriel was caught too many times in the pocket either for a sack or a pass that missed its target. The Browns again averaged less than 4 yards per play for most of Sunday’s game, until the Jets went into a bit of a prevent defense with a 10-point lead. There’s just no pop from the Cleveland offense — and no consistent accuracy or timing on the shorter throws. — Jackson
Jeudy shows some spark
At least wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was a contributor. After going without a catch in New England in Week 8, Jeudy had a season-high six catches and made a contested catch for a 22-yard touchdown in the second quarter against the Jets.
The Browns need Jeudy to be a true No. 1 receiver. He’s probably not that, but they got him involved in the flow of the offense and at least put some stress on the back line of the Jets’ defense for much of Sunday’s game. The Browns had one impressive drive — they went 95 yards on nine plays to open the scoring — but followed that with familiar struggles and inconsistencies. The Browns should have gotten one last shot in the final 90 seconds, but they sealed their own fate with a pair of defensive penalties. — Jackson