With chance to clinch playoffff berth, Browns fall to lowly Jets
Stefanski: ‘We had all the guyswe needed and we didn’t get it done.’
Baker EASTRUTHERFORD, N.J.— Mayfield, playing without his entire starting receiving corps because of COVID-19 and two of his starting linemen, fumbled three times against the Jets and the Browns lost 23-16 Sunday to fall to 10-5 andmiss a chance to clinch a playoffff berth.
The Colts lost to the Steelers, whichwould’ve giventheBrowns a chance to clinch their fifirst playoffff berth in 18 years.
But it wasn’t to be.
Mayfifield fumbled for the third time of the game with 1:18 left and a chance to tie the score or win the game. He was trying to earn a fifirst down on a fourthand1 quarterback sneak when he absorbed a hit in the back and fumbled. Kareem Hunt recovered and got the fifirst down, but by rule, in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter only a fumblingoffffffffffffensiveplayer canadvance the ball. The offifficials spotted the ball short and gave it to the Jets.
The Steelers also clinched the AFC North, so that’s out of question too, and the Browns’ playoffff chances decreased dramatically. They can get in with a win over Pittsburgh next Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium.
“As I understand it, win next week and you’re in,” Browns
coach Kevin Stefanski said after the loss. “... We still control our own destiny so to speak. We have to put a great plan together and get to work, because today wasn’t good enough obviously.”
Stefanski was asked if not having all their players hurt the Browns.
“No, and that has nothing to do with the result of this game,” Stefanski said. “We had all the guys we needed and we didn’t get it done. ... We had all the playerswe needed, we have plenty of actives. we trust the guys who are playing today, that’s why they’re Cleveland Browns. We did too many things that a losing team does.”
Mayfieldwas strip-sacked for the second time in the game with 3:14 remaining and the Browns trailing 20-16. Facing a crucial third and 6 at his 15, Mayfield fumbled while looking downfield and the Jets recovered at the Browns 17.
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett came up big on a crucial third down, tackling Jets quarterback Sam Darnold and forcing himinto anincomplete pass.
The Jets kicked a 34-yard field goal to increase their lead to 23-16, and the Jets kicked off out of bounds to start the Browns at their 40. Theymarched all the way to the Jets’ 16, but Mayfield’s fumble on the keeper ended Cleveland’s hopes.
The Jets took back over at their 16 with 40 seconds left.
“It was inches. We feel good about that,” Stefanski said of the QB sneak call. “Again, we just can’t lose the ball on a sneak. It just can’t happen. It’s happened twice (this season).”
The Browns headed into the game without six players who went on the COVID-19 reserve list on Saturday and one in starting left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., who was ruled out for the game on Sunday because of an illness. Wills, who was activated Saturday off the COVID-19 reserve list as a close contact, flew separately to the game on Saturday night as a precaution. He tested negative again for COVID-19 on Sunday morning.
The players added to the COVID-19 reserve list on Saturday were receivers Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, DonovanPeoples-Jones and KhaDarel Hodge; and linebackers B.J. Goodson and Jacob Phillips. Goodson tested positive for the virus, and the other five players were identified as highrisk close contacts.
Goodson will also have to sit out next week’s regular-season finale against the Steelers, but the Browns are hoping to get the other players back in the building by Thursday.
The Browns were forced to cancel theirwalk-through on Saturday when Goodson tested positive and they closed their facility.
Stefanski said that while the loss was a setback, the Browns know their goal of making the playoffs is still in reach.
“What’s ahead of us is everything we set out to do this season,” Stefanski said. “We have to make sure we’re honest about the tape, identify, correct and then get back to work.”