CLEVELAND — 11:17 p.m.- Browns get road win at Jets
Now, that is more like it.
After a flat fourth quarter in the 2019 regular-season opener led to a 30-point loss to the Tennessee Titans last Sunday, the Cleveland Browns responded in a big way, and under the Monday Night Football spotlight in the shadows of New York City no less.
The Browns got a 19-yard touchdown rush from running back Nick Chubb in the second quarter, an 89-yard touchdown reception from wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. late in the third period and three Austin Seibert field goals in the first half on the way to a 23-3 victory over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 19 of his 35 attempts for 325 yards and the one touchdown with one interception, and six of those passes went to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who had himself quite the return to MetLife Stadium.
The former New York Giants Pro Bowl receiver turned his six receptions into 161 yards, more than half of which, 89, came on his first touchdown catch as a member of the Browns.
Four other players, Chubb, running back D’Ernest Johnson and wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Damion Ratley, caught multiple passes from Mayfield in the win over the Jets.
Running back Nick Chubb added 62 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries.
Defensively, Pro Bowl defensive end Myles Garrett registered a single-game career high of three sacks
With his third sack of the game, a takedown of third-string quarterback Luke Falk early in the third quarter, Garrett became the first Browns player to record multiple sacks in back-to-back games since linebacker Jamir Miller in 2001.
Also, Garrett became the Browns’ first defender to register a three-sack game since Paul Kruger achieved the feat on October 26, 2014.
10:30 p.m.- Watch: Odell Beckham Jr. goes 89 yards for Cleveland Browns touchdown
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made his return to MetLife Stadium, which he called home for five seasons with the New York Giants, and in the shadows of New York City and the bright lights of Broadway, the multi-time Pro Bowler put on a show late in the third quarter.
Running a slant route from the left side of the field with the Browns backed up deep in their own territory, Beckham Jr. caught a pass from quarterback Baker Mayfield and sprinted 89 yards for his first touchdown with the Browns.
Beckham Jr.’s touchdown gave the Browns a 23-3 lead over the New York Jets with 3:32 to play in the third quarter.
With the Jets bringing a heavy rush in the middle of the field, Beckham Jr. ran a short slant, caught the ball at the Cleveland 21-yard line, and then, sprinted the final 79 yards untouched down the left side of the field for the touchdown.
As if to say, “I’m home,” Beckham Jr. pretended to turn a key, open a door and threw both of his arms up before his teammates joined the celebration in the end zone.
Through the first three quarters of play against the Jets, Beckham Jr. turned his four receptions into 143 yards and one touchdown.
9:46 p.m.-Seibert adds onto Browns’ lead
The Cleveland Browns used their timeouts wisely near the end of the first half, and after taking possession on a short field after a punt from the end zone, they extended the lead over the New York Jets on the final play of the second quarter of their Monday Night Football game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Rookie kicker Austin Seibert converted a 43-yard field goal attempt as time expired, and his third make of the game resulted in a 16-3 lead over the Jets.
Seibert previously converted his field goal attempts from 23 and 46 yards, respectively.
9:25 p.m.-Jets get on the board
After nearly one half of football, the New York Jets found a way to put points on the board against the Cleveland Browns in their Monday Night Football matchup at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Plagued by kicking woes throughout training camp, the preseason and the first game of the year, the Jets signed Sam Ficken, and the former Los Angeles Rams specialist delivered with a 46-yard kick with 2:56 remaining in the first half.
Ficken’s kick finished off an 11-play, 42-yard drive and cut the Browns’ lead to 10 points, 13-3.
9:09 p.m.-Chubb hits paydirt, Browns lead by two scores
After settling for field goals on their first two drives and punting once, the Cleveland Browns’ offense found its way into the end zone in the form of a 19-yard touchdown run around left end from running back Nick Chubb.
Chubb’s touchdown and Austin Seibert’s ensuing extra point gave the Browns a 13-0 lead over the New York Jets with 10:16 to play in the first half of their Monday Night Football game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Chubb took the handoff from quarterback Baker Mayfield on first-and-10 from the New York 19-yard line, and after waiting for the hole to develop, he powered past seven Jets defenders and maintained his balance long enough, despite being tripped up inside the five, to cross the goal line for the touchdown, his first scoring run of the season.
8:59 p.m.-Browns lead Jets after first quarter
Thanks to a pair of Austin Seibert field goals, the Cleveland Browns held a 6-0 lead over the New York Jets after the first quarter of play in their Monday Night Football game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Seibert capped off the Browns’ first two drives of the game with field goals from 23 and 48 yards, respectively.
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield completed six of his 12 passes for 77 yards without a touchdown or interception in the first quarter, while running back Nick Chubb accounted for 30 yards (24 rushing, six receiving) on nine total touches.
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. led the way with two catches for 33 yards, the bulk of which came on a sideline route early in the quarter. Despite tight coverage from a Jets defender, Beckham Jr. snagged a one-handed catch from Mayfield before stepping out of bounds to set up a first-and-goal deep in New York territory.
8:39 p.m.-Browns expand lead on Seibert FG
The Cleveland Browns could not take full advantage of good field position after a Jarvis Landry punt return to near midfield, but their second drive of the game ended in another score and an increased lead over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey Monday night.
Rookie kicker Austin Seibert capped off the six-play drive with a 48-yard field goal that snuck inside the left upright for his second career field goal conversion.
8:25 p.m.-Browns take lead on Seibert FG
The Cleveland Browns marched down the field against the New York Jets on the first drive of their Monday Night Football game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, but a third-down stop forced a field goal attempt.
Rookie kicker Austin Seibert capped off the 11-play, 76-yard drive that took nearly five minutes off the clock with a 23-yard field goal to give the Browns a 3-0 lead over the Jets with 10:27 to play in the first quarter.
6:55 p.m.-Higgins, Avery among Browns’ inactives
The Cleveland Browns will be one player thinner at the wide receiver position in tonight’s Monday Night Football game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Still without Antonio Callaway as he serves a four-game suspension for a substance abuse violation, the Browns will take on the Jets without Rashard “Hollywood” Higgins, who suffered a knee injury in last week’s 43-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans and was limited throughout the week of practice with the issue.
Along with Higgins, the Browns deactivated defensive back Damarious Randall (concussion), running back Dontrell Hilliard (concussion), linebackers Genard Avery and Adarius Taylor (ankle) and offensive linemen Austin Corbett and Kendall Lamm (knee).
Avery and Corbett were healthy scratches.
6:15 p.m.-Browns look to even up record against Jets
It has been nearly four years since the Cleveland Browns were featured on one of the flagship games in the National Football League: Monday Night Football, but that run comes to an end today when they travel to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey to battle the New York Jets.
Although many of the Browns’ skill-position players on both sides of the ball have never played on the Monday Night Football stage, the coaches recognize it is a unique opportunity for the team.
“In the National Football League, anytime the lights come on, it is a special game,” Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said. “It is either a Thursday night, a Sunday night or a Monday night.
“You are kind of the only show in town whenever everyone is watching, so you want to put your best foot forward with your peers watching.”
A lifelong football fan, Kitchens remembers staying up late to watch the Monday Night Football games on television while growing up in Gadsden, Alabama, even if he had to break a rule or two in order to see the action.
And now, Kitchens is getting to coach in the Monday Night Football game.
“I would just sneak and stay up,” Kitchens said. “I remember Bo Jackson and Brian Bosworth. That is probably the game that I remember the most. I remember the Bears going to Miami undefeated and losing in 1985. There are some games that stuck out to me more than others, but yeah, you would always watch it.
“My parents would go to bed. At the time, they would go to bed early. I would stay up and watch. I was supposed to be doing homework or whatever, which I am sure my grades showed that.”