» BECKHAM, BROWNS TORCH JETS ON MONDAY NIGHT
Browns 23, Jets 3
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Browns bounced back from their dud of a season opener and earned bragging rights against Gregg Williams with a 23-3 win over the New York Jets in a nationally televised “Monday Night Football” matchup rich with history and storylines.
Last week, Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. accused Williams, the Jets’ new defensive coordinator, of teaching defenders to use dirty hits and cheap shots.
Beckham said Williams, the former Browns interim coach and defensive coordinator, told Cleveland players to take him out of a preseason game on Aug. 21, 2017, when the superstar played for the New York Giants. Former Browns defensive back Briean Boddy-Calhoun delivered a hit to Beckham’s left leg in that exhibition game, resulting in a high-ankle sprain.
Williams denied the claim last week and dismissed the notion that Beckham is one of the NFL’s most dynamic players.
Well, Beckham had the last laugh in his return to MetLife Stadium, the venue he called home the past five seasons as a member of the Giants, who traded him to the Browns in March.
Beckham delivered a dagger when he ran a seam route, caught a short pass from quarterback Baker Mayfield and turned the completion into an 89-yard touchdown as Williams screamed on the sideline. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Beckham reached 21.7 mph during the play, which allowed the Browns to go ahead 23-3 with 3:32 left in the third quarter.
In an eventful prime-time game for Beckham, he had six catches on 10 targets for 161 yards and the TD. He made a spectacular one-handed grab for 33 yards on the game’s opening series before referee Alex Kemp forced him sit out a play during the possession because, according to the Browns Radio Network, he had a gold-colored visor on his helmet and was required to have the shield changed on the sideline. He also was shaken up and ran to the locker room with medical personnel late in the first half but returned to action in the third quarter.
The Browns were desperate to rebound from their 43-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 1, and Beckham’s long TD basically ensured they would improve to 1-1. They lacked discipline and composure against the Titans, racking up 18 penalties for 182 yards. In their first “MNF” appearance since 2015, they showed improvement with nine penalties for 85 yards.
On Sept. 21, 1970, the Browns prevailed over the Jets 31-21 in the first showdown on “MNF,” an iconic program celebrating its 50th season. And the Browns defeated the Jets 21-17 last season to snap their 19-game winless streak after Mayfield came off the bench late in the first half with his team trailing 14-0 on “Thursday Night Football” in Cleveland.
This time, the Browns rallied around defensive end Chris Smith, who chose to play Monday to honor his girlfriend, Petara Cordero, who died Wednesday in a tragic accident when a car struck her. Smith served as a game captain.
Fellow defensive end Myles Garrett dominated the Jets (0-2) and tallied three sacks. After notching two sacks in the opener, Garrett became the first Browns player to record multiple sacks in back-to-back games since linebacker Jamir Miller in 2001.
Speaking of sacks, Mayfield absorbed five against the Titans and hurt his right wrist on one resulting in a safety. But Mayfield practiced all week in the buildup to “MNF” and completed 19of-35 passes for 325 yards and a touchdown with an interception. He took three sacks and finished with a passer rating of 83.6.