Heading into the season, Week 2's Monday night game was one of the more anticipated matchups of the slate. The two teams that had the most interesting offseasons in the entire NFL were set to square off, each quarterbacked by a top-three draft pick from last year. 

So much for that. Tonight, we get to see the Cleveland Browns take on what's left of the New York Jets, who are already falling apart just a week into the season. No Sam Darnold. No C.J. Mosley. No Quinnen Williams. No Quincy Enunwa. No Chris Herndon. No Kelvin Beachum. Banged-up Le'Veon Bell. Yikes. 

This sure looks like a get-right spot for the Browns, who are coming off a dispiriting Week 1 loss to the Titans. Can they capitalize on this advantageous situation? We'll find out. In the meantime, let's break things down. 

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Browns at Jets

  • Date: Monday, Sept. 16
  • Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
  • TV channel: ESPN

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When the Browns have the ball

It's difficult to imagine the 2019 Browns offense having gotten off to a worse start. Baker Mayfield was intercepted three times as Cleveland hung just 13 points on the board against the Titans. The offense took a ridiculous 10 penalties, which helped undermine numerous drives. And the offensive line was a disaster, allowing repeated pressure on Mayfield, who was sacked five times and got hit several more. 

This offense was one of the most hyped in the NFL heading into the season, and in order for it to look remotely like anybody expected, they absolutely have to fix the issues up front. Greg Robinson not kicking defenders in the head and getting tossed out of the game should help, but the loss of Kevin Zeitler (sent to the Giants in the Odell Beckham trade) is already being felt. He's arguably the best pass-protecting guard in the league and would undoubtedly help solidify things up the middle, but instead, Eric Kush is in that spot. He, J.C. Tretter, and Joel Bitonio absolutely need to be better, or Mayfield is going to be running for his life every week. 

Luckily for Cleveland, this Jets pass rush leaves a whole lot to be desired. Jordan Jenkins, Tarell Basham, and Harvey Langi are not scaring anyone. Henry Anderson and Leonard Williams are likely the best pass-rush threats out there right now, especially with Quinnen Williams unlikely to play, but those guys are not exactly sack maestros, either. In other words, the Browns should actually be able to protect Mayfield in this one, even if Gregg Williams sends his usual array of all-out blitzes. 

And if Mayfield is protected, he should have an absolute field day against this New York pass defense. C.J. Mosley is out, which means more room for David Njoku and Jarvis Landry to operate over the middle. Trumaine Johnson seems likely to draw most of the snaps against Beckham, and that provides an absolutely massive advantage for Cleveland given how poorly Johnson has performed since signing his huge contract with the Jets last offseason. Mayfield and Beckham connected on just seven of 11 passes for 71 yards last week, but they had two connections called back due to penalty and Beckham looked plenty healthy despite rumors of an offseason hip injury hampering him. 

If the passing game can get going just a bit, that opens things up even more for Nick Chubb, who is far more dynamic a threat than any of the backs the Jets let get loose last week against the Bills. Pass-catching back Dontrell Hilliard is likely to sit this game out with a head injury, so Chubb could see an even heavier snap-load in this game than usual. Chubb went for 75 yards on 17 carries a week ago, but he was not heavily utilized in the passing game. If New York provides safety help over the top on Beckham and the receivers, Chubb could see some nice matchups against the linebackers underneath. 

When the Jets have the ball

So, it's the Trevor Siemian Show here, which has to be disappointing for the Jets. Sam Darnold did not exactly light up the field in his 2019 debut against the Bills, but it's clear New York had (justified) high hopes for him this season, and now those hopes will have to wait at least a few weeks to come to fruition. Siemian hasn't taken a regular-season snap since 2017, when he was so bad for the Broncos that he was benched for Brock Osweiler. So that's what we're dealing with. 

Siemian is a checkdown artist of the highest order, and against this Cleveland pass rush and secondary, it's highly probable that he will pepper Jamison Crowder and Le'Veon Bell with as many targets as possible. The Browns will presumably have Denzel Ward shadow downfield threat Robby Anderson in order to completely eliminate the deep part of the field, and that will limit Siemian's options. The loss of possession receiver Quincy Enunwa, plus the continued absence of suspended tight end Chris Herndon, limit his options even more. 

The New York passing game has the potential to get really ugly, so it would not be surprising of Adam Gase and company attempted to just put the entire game on Bell's shoulders. Tennessee was able to grind out 123 yards on the ground against Cleveland last week, but they at least had their starting quarterback, and their play-action passing game was dominant throughout the afternoon, which helped open up some lanes. It's difficult to imagine the Jets having similar success. 

Prediction: Browns 30, Jets 13