The New York Jets are at home in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday for game 5 of their 2026 campaign. They face the Cleveland Browns. The Browns have won three straight going into this game and are 3-1 on the year. They are coming off a tight dominant 27-24 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.
In previewing this matchup, Chris Pokorny, Site Manager at Dawgs By Nature, was kind enough to answer a few questions about the 2026 Cleveland Browns.
1. What is the Browns’ biggest advantage over the Jets in this game? Where are the Browns at a disadvantage?
For the Browns’ biggest advantage, I think we need to look at the player who is doing his job at an elite level right now in CB Denzel Ward. I’ve never seen him start a season this well, and that’s for a guy who’s always been solid. He completely shuts down opposing receivers. I wasn’t too high on the Jets receiving corps to begin with, so I like Cleveland’s ability to stop the Jets passing game well. The part I’m concerned about is the Browns’ blocking, and it’s not because of the Jets’ rushing attack. This has to do with the fact that defensive tackles Mason Graham and Mike Hall Jr are both out with injuries. Veteran Maliek Collins is playing well, but he won’t be an everyday player. After that, the team has Adin Huntington and will try to put together some other rotations to help out. Cleveland hasn’t allowed a rushing touchdown this year, but if the Jets get down in the red zone, they can attack up the middle.
2. The Browns, like the Jets, have struggled to find a long-term answer at quarterback. They currently have four quarterbacks: Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Taylen Green and Dillon Gabriel. Can either of these guys be the long-term answer for the Browns at quarterback? Will the Browns shop for a quarterback in the first round of the 2027 NFL draft?
I’ll start with the most obvious: I’d say No for Dillon Gabriel. I don’t think he has the ability to get the ball down at the NFL level to be a long-term starter. A backup, sure, but not someone you’re basing your future on. Taylen Green is an unknown, but our understanding of him is that he’s probably someone who can be a backup for his threat to run, but again, not someone expected to throw the ball at a high level for a long time. I think Shedeur Sanders has shown a lot of intriguing elements, where I see the potential for him to be a long-term answer. However, with the stockpile of draft picks the Browns have in 2027, I don’t think Sanders is viewed well enough to pass on the quarterback in the first round of the draft.
Deshaun Watson is a bit of a wildcard right now. Before this season, everyone would have said there was a 0% chance. But, he legitimately looked the best he ever has in a Browns uniform. It’s still not amazing per se, but if he continues to build on it and lead the Browns to the playoffs, I think we’ll suddenly have a discussion we never expected about his future with the team.
3. Can you give us a rundown of what the 2026 Browns draft class looks like right now, and what you expect from them as the year goes on?
It turned out great. There are daily contributions from five players. Last year on offense, the entire offensive line was a mess, and the wide receiver group was among the worst in football. The Browns took left tackle Spencer Fano in the first round, and he played every snap at the position and did a fair job there. They also drafted Austin Barber in the third round — he was expected to be a backup offensive tackle, but because of injuries in camp, they gave him a shot at right guard. He won the job, played every snap there, and actually performed as the team’s best offensive linemen. Then, at receiver, I’m sure you’ve heard of KC Concepcion in the first round and Denzel Boston early in the second round. Concepcion does a good job in space and provides some electricity, while Boston is a big target that Deshaun Watson relies on on catches where you need a guy who can get the ball with his hands, as well as intermediate and downfield throws. Finally, second-round safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is getting more reps as he fills the center field role nicely, giving him the freedom to use his instincts on jump passes. The past two years of draft classes have been absolute home runs for the Browns, and it’s why they’re 3-1 and turning heads right now.
4. Every team has a player or two who may be relatively unfamiliar to fans of other teams but is known as an unsung hero by his own team’s fans. Who are the unsung heroes of the Browns? If possible give us a man on each side of the ball.
On offense, I talked about some offensive players in the previous question, so I’ll go with Harold Fannin. He was one of the team’s top draft picks last year, but he leads the team in touchdowns and always has a knack for getting a few extra yards after contact, even when it looks like he can’t. In defense, I broke it down a bit again when I talked about Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the previous question, so just know that the answer is him. To put a little twist on this answer, I’m going to pick someone Jets fans know: linebacker Quincy Williams. My first exposure to him was in Week 1, and I wasn’t too happy. But something has lit a fire under him since then, where he looks like a tackling machine who plays with great intensity at the end of plays. I was impressed, and his PFF grades reflected it as well.
5. If you were an opposing head coach, how would you attack this Browns team on offense and defense?
As I mentioned earlier, just because of the Browns’ defensive tackle issue, I will try to attack the middle with the Jets’ run game. Cleveland’s defensive coordinator has done a good job of developing a different game plan each week based on his opponent, thus making it more unpredictable for opposing offenses to know what to expect going into the game. For the Browns’ offense, I’ll use as many zone coverage drops as I can against Deshaun Watson — starting near the middle of the field and trickling down the seams and edges. Watson hasn’t been recognized all that training camp, and fell victim to the same type of interception in Week 1. While it hasn’t been an issue over the past three games, part of it has been Watson playing smarter in getting smart open plays short, while keeping the occasional downfield throws. But, I think there is still a chance to lure him.