What a difference two weeks in the NFL can make. 0-2 turned into 2-2. Spirits are high, and the New York Jets are riding a two-game winning streak. Week Five brings along a winnable matchup for the Jets as they travel to Cleveland to take on the 0-4 Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon.
Week Five New York Jets Keys to Victory
Get to the Quarterback
Browns rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer has a cannon of an arm. Pair that with a decent offensive line and there is always potential for a big play. The Jets have not gotten to the quarterback at all this season. They rank 30th in the NFL in sack percentage. Muhammad Wilkerson and Leonard Williams have not recorded a sack yet this season, which is a little concerning. However, Kony Ealy has been a very good addition to the Jets defensive line and he will be looked upon to keep up his production.
The Jets cannot let Kizer sit back all day long and do what he wants. When a rookie quarterback gains confidence, that’s when they can hurt opposing defenses the most. Just like every other game, the Jets defense needs to play a good game and that starts with getting to Kizer.
Run the Ball
It looks like Matt Forte will not play with his turf toe injury, so the backfield duo of Bilal Powell and Elijah McGuire will be on display for another week. It is not fair to expect 75 yard and 69 yard touchdown runs every week, but they still need to be productive running the ball.
The Browns run defense is ranked eighth in the league so the Jets will have to work hard for their yards on the ground. They cannot become discouraged if the run game is not there in the beginning stages of the game. Do not give up on the run because as observed last week, the Jets running game has big play potential.
If this turns into a game that relies on the pass, that does not bode well for the Jets. Allow Josh McCown to rely on his running backs to move the ball down the field, and then let him sprinkle in some throws here and there.
3) Continue the Momentum
The Jets showed that they are beginning to learn how to win in the NFL. They overcame the hurdles in the second half and overtime and came out of week four with a .500 record. They need to take what they learned from last week’s game and apply it to this game.
This is a game that the Jets should win if they play to their potential. The fact that a young, inexperienced team that had preseason expectations to only win one or two games has already matched that number means something to this team. The Jets are marching out and playing their game week in and week out. If the Jets do not play down to their opponent this week and continue the momentum they have right now, they should walk out of Cleveland victorious.
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