Jets, Fitzpatrick show resolve to rally past winless Browns

Since returning to the National Football League as an expansion team in 1999, the Browns are 87-193.

Then the second half started. It’s not to say they should tank the season, but rather, see what Petty can do and have Fitzpatrick mentor him up from the sideline while he’s still under contract. His ball placement was not very good on a lot of passes, he was protected for most of the afternoon, and he wasn’t able to lead a drive in the second half to stop the Jets’ momentum. “It was not fueled by emotion”. The Jets trailed 20-7 at halftime, and Fitzpatrick orchestrated three touchdown drives in a 31-28 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

The Jets stormed back to beat the Browns 31-28, seizing control Browns 31-28, seizing after seizing control with 24 straight points to start the second half.

The Jets closed the gap to 10-7 when Bilal Powell ran 35 yards on a draw play for a touchdown in the second quarter.

The Browns managed a late score on a 1-yard pass from McCown to Andrew Hawkins but were unable to pounce on the ensuing onside kick. The Browns began Sunday rated 26th in offensive DVOA.

One week after claiming team brass stopped believing in him, New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said Monday he’s the main reason for the team’s poor start on offense. “So we came back and won two of them right now and we just have to keep building off of that”. “We need an attitude check, we didn’t come out with an attitude in the first half, which we preached all week in practice”. “There’s no big speech to be made. You have to come out and have an attitude when you’re losing”.

The Browns are now 0-8 with eight games left to avoid the ignominy of a winless season.

“It’s no magic”, Jackson said of the inability to finish close out wins.

The Browns paid tribute to the 1986 team that captured the AFC championship game, bringing in more than two dozen former players and coaches, including head coach Marty Schottenheimer. “So I’ve got to be better”. “It’s just that simple”.

Hogan and fellow rookie Joe Callahan will serve as McCown’s backups against the Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium. “I missed it”, McCown said.

“One half, we played the way we always talk about playing, the way coach talks about playing”, McCown said.

Fitzpatrick shrugged off Namath’s stinging criticism, saying, “I understand it 100 percent”.

“Guys got a little bit more fire up under our asses and started actually playing football”, Revis said. He put up 101 yards on Darrelle Revis (which isn’t rare anymore, but still) in the first half alone. Like the entire offense, much of Pryor’s success was in the first half. Fitzpatrick hit Enunwa again for a 57-yard gain on New York’s next possession, one that ended with Forte bulling over from 4 yards out on fourth-and-goal. Enunwa led the Jets with 93 yards on four catches and remains on course for a potential thousand-yard season as he has 502 yards at the halfway stage.

RUSHING OFFENSE: B – The same people blocking for the quarterbacks have been inconsistent opening holes for running backs Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson.

If only the Browns didn’t have to play any games this year, they’d probably have gone undefeated.

That’s because it not only takes some of the pressure of Fitzpatrick by keeping the defense honest, but it covers some of both his weaknesses as a quarterback and the Jets’ limitations on offense overall. During most of Giacomini’s seven-game absence (due to a back injury), the Jets rotated Ijalana and Brent Qvale at right tackle.