This Thursday, the Browns defense will have help from an energetic crowd at Cleveland Browns Stadium as they face off against a poor Jets offense. The Browns defense will look to give the fans one last great performance before the playoffs in two weeks. If the Browns win, it will guarantee a spot in the playoffs.
"I think we're 100 percent in with the win, so that'll definitely be huge for this franchise and just everything we've been through this season with the injuries and things like that, it'll definitely be good to get a win," CB Greg Newsome II said.
The Browns defense has been consistently one of the best defenses all season, but they have been impressive at home. In eight games this season, the Browns defense has held teams to an average of 197.9 total yards, which is the best in the league.
They also lead the league at home with the fewest number of points allowed with 105 and second in third-down conversion percentage with 28.2. The Browns defense has 30 sacks at home this season, which is tied for first in the league.Â
"We feed off the crowd, and they feed off us as well," CB Martin Emerson Jr. said. "When we make plays, we celebrate, it's part of why our defense has been so successful. We have fun while doing our job and love getting the crowd involved. We have the best fans in the world."
The Browns will face a Jets offense that saw changes after QB Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury in the first game. The Jets have recorded the lowest total net yards in the league this season, with only 3,952 yards. They are 31st in passing with 2,597 net yards and 27th in rushing with 1,355 net yards.
Check out photos of the team working to prepare for the New York Jets
This season, the Jets have committed 30 turnovers, including 14 interceptions and 16 fumble recoveries by the opposing team. They have the fewest touchdowns scored this season with 19.
Since Rodgers' injury, the Jets offense has been flipping between QB Trevor Siemian and QB Zach Wilson. It has been uncertain which quarterback will start each week. Wilson has thrown for 2,271 yards and has a QBR of 30.1 in 12 games this season. Siemian has thrown for 393 yards and has a QBR of 10.1 in three games this season.Â
Despite the struggles at quarterback, the Jets have two explosive offensive players who are some of the best at their positions in the league. WR Garrett Wilson – who is in his second year with the Jets – is one of the best young wideouts today.Â
Wilson has caught 88 passes for 958 receiving yards and has scored three touchdowns. He is on pace to go over 1,000 receiving yards on the season for his second year in a row. Since 2016, only WR Michael Thomas, WR AJ Brown, WR Justin Jefferson, WR Ja'Marr Chase, WR Jaylen Waddle, and now WR Chris Olave have had over 1,000 receiving yards in their first two seasons in the NFL.
The Jets also have RB Breece Hall, who is one of the most explosive backs in the league. Hall has appeared in all 15 games this season, carrying the ball 173 times for 732 yards. He has scored four touchdowns and has not fumbled once this year. He also has the longest run this season, with an 83-yard run against the Bills in Week 1.
"The Jets offense are sleepers," LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah said. "You can't sleep on them. They have 17, one of the best wide receivers in the league. They have number 20, one of the league's best running backs. They are very versatile and fast. They are a motion team, so we have to make sure our eyes are right."