The History Of The Browns Vs. The Jets
The Browns and the New York Jets have played 27 times with the Browns holding a 15-12 edge. The two teams have met once in the post-season. The series has been pretty even with the Browns winning six in a row once and the Jets winning five in a row once. The Browns are currently on a two-game winning streak. The New York Jets were established in 1959 and played their first game as a member of the American Football League in 1960. They joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. The Browns and the Jets have played four overtime games, with the Browns winning three. As mentioned earlier, the Browns and the Jets played once in the playoffs, a thrilling double-overtime win for the Browns in 1987. But what about the other two overtime wins by the Browns?
On December 10, 1978, both the Browns and Jets were clinging to slim playoff hopes and met in Cleveland on a bitterly cold day. Surprisingly, despite the weather, the game produced almost 550 yards passing by both teams. Because of the weather, it also produced 10 turnovers, five by both teams. The Browns controlled most of the game, leading 27-10 after the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Jets mounted a furious comeback to tie the game, 27-27, with about 2:30 left. After a Browns fumble on the ensuing kickoff, the Jets took a 34-27 lead with a little over a minute to play. Browns quarterback Brian Sipe drove the team down the field and hit running back Calvin Hill for an 18-yard touchdown pass to tie the game. In overtime, it was the Greg Pruitt show. First, he returned the overtime kickoff for 31 yards and then added a 26-yard run to get the ball down to the Jets’ nine yard line. Browns kicker Don Cockroft kicked the game-winner giving the Browns a hard-fought 37-34 win. Sipe finished 20 for 32, 283 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Pruitt led on the ground with 138 yards on 21 carries. Here are the highlights from NFL Films Game Of The Week, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLifBT7_vao&ab_channel=ComradeDobler.
The following season, on September 2, 1979, the Browns traveled to New York to take on the Jets in the season opener. It was a back and forth game. The score was tied, 10-10, at the half and the Browns had a narrow 19-13 lead at the end of the third quarter. As with the 1978 game between these two teams, the Jets mounted a comeback and led 22-19 on a Pat Leahy field goal with 31 seconds left in the game. After the kickoff, the Browns started on their own 16 yard line with no timeouts. Quarterback Brian Sipe threw two passes to WR Dave Logan, the second one was a miraculous 37-yard catch with nine seconds left. On the same play, Jets DE Mark Gastineau was penalized for roughing the passer. The additional 15 yards moved the Browns into field goal range where Browns kicker Don Cockroft tied the game on a 35-yard field goal. In overtime Jets QB Matt Robinson threw an interception to Browns DB Oliver Davis who returned the ball to the Jets 35-yard line. After a Sipe to Logan pass put the ball inside the Jets’ 10, Cockroft kicked the 27-yard game-winner. After the 25-22 Browns win, the story of the game was when the Jets went up 22-19 with 31 seconds left and Jets QB Matt Robinson removed the tape from his injured thumb thinking the game was over. The lack of tape on his thumb led to the wobbly pass that was intercepted by Davis. Here are the highlights, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn8GDWWlLFA&ab_channel=AllHighlights
Hopefully, when the Browns play the Jets this Sunday, overtime won’t be needed and the Browns will continue their march to the playoffs.
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