How Deshaun Watson, Todd Monken summed up Browns' dismal day vs. Jets

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. ― The ending was a fitting one to the way the first 59-plus minutes essentially gone for the Browns on offense in their 17-12 loss to the New York Jets .

Quarterback Deshaun Watson was forced to try and keep a play alive, trying to avoid the pressure while hoping someone would break open downfield. Ultimately, it ended with Jets edge rusher Will McDonald IV sacking him, then stripping him of the football before recovering it at the Cleveland 17.

So, what you had on one play was the Jets' eighth sack of Watson, the fourth Browns fumble forced ― the third by Watson ― and the second fumble lost by them. If ever there was a play that pretty much summed up the mostly miserable offensive day for Cleveland, there it was.

"There was still hope," Watson said afterwards. "There were still opportunities. And again, they capitalized on it better than us. Then we had a penalty, a sack and some missed opportunities, but that happens. And again, get on the bus, get on this flight, watch the tape, see what we could have did better and learn and get ready for Baltimore next week because the opportunity might happen again."

Those opportunities had mostly produced good results for the Browns. Their three-game win streak entering the game was built on fourth-quarter comebacks or last-minute drives helping them pull a win out of the fire.

That wasn't the case against the Jets, who snapped their own three-game losing streak while snapping the Browns' three-game win streak. Even when the offense did provide that glimmer of hope as it did with Watson's 29-yard touchdown pass to Denzel Boston with 6:15 remaining to give them a 12-10 lead ― Andre Szmyt's point-after kick doinked off the upright ― it sort came out of nowhere after a run of stalled drives built off the Browns' own mistakes.

The Browns had punted on five consecutive drives before putting together a nine-play, 86-yard drice for their only touchdown of the game, They would follow that up with three possessions netting a combined minus-29 yards on 16 plays, with both fumbles ― the first being the back-breaking mishandled punt snap by Corey Bojorquez that set up the go-ahead Braelon Allen 22-yard touchdown with 3:01 remaining ― sandwiched around a punt right before the two minute warning.

"That's the part of growing as a team and coaches together collectively," Browns coach Todd Monken said. "And there's going to be some ups and downs as players and coaches and we're going to go back to work. We're going to watch the tape on the plane headed home and we're going to pick our big-boy pants up and try to figure out a way to get better. That's what you do and that's what we're paid to do. And it just wasn't good enough. I mean, you guys watched it."

Watson couldn't recapture the fourth-quarter magic that he possessed himself in a game where he was 15-of-33 of 155 yards with the Boston touchdown, the three fumbles, the one lost fumble and the eight sacks. However, it would be hard to completely pin it all on him.

The Browns lost wide receiver KC Concepcion with 4:53 left in the first quarter to a head injury sustained by a high, borderline-at-best hit by Jets safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, the same player who ended former Browns running back Nick Chubb's 2023 season with a low blow in Pittsburgh. That required a shuffling of duties, including significantly more snaps for Isaiah Bond, who essentially took over Concepcion's role for the rest of the game.

Bond had three catches for 74 yards. He also was targeted seven times, but that included multiple drops, including a huge one with 2:25 remaining which would've put the Browns in Jets territory with a chance to win.

"Just a lack of concentration," Bond said. "I got to focus on the catch more."

Bond did have one of the Browns' bigger plays of the day, a 30-yarder to the Jets 45 early in the fourth quarter when they were trailing 10-6. However, what happened next summarized the two-steps-forward, three-steps-back day it was for that offense.

First-and-10 at the Jets 45 eventually became fourth-and-38 from the Browns 27. How, you might ask?

There was a pre-snap penalty on first down, followed by a 10-yard loss on a sack first-and-15, which was followed by a delay of game on second-and-25. There was a second-and-30 pass to Jerry Jeudy that was short and nearly intercepted by a diving Fitzpatrick, followed by an eight-yard loss by Watson on third down to make it fourth-and-38.

"Again, nothing was clean from special teams to offense," Monken said. "The only thing that we can actually say, our guys battled their rear ends off was on defense after the first drive and came up with some big stops when we needed. I mean, that's really what it came down to. And even then, all that being said, we haven't played a clean game yet. We just found a way in the other three games to get it done in the fourth quarter.

"I mean, let's be real about it. And we had the opportunity. We just did. We got the turnover, had the ball right there at the 40 and we didn't capitalize at that moment and that's what happens."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ. Sign up for Browns Insider newsletter at

Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.