CLEVELAND — Hello from FirstEnergy Stadium, which was 1:55 away from being a very happy place.
And then, all of a sudden, everything turned upside down in, yes, one of the worst losses I can remember the Cleveland Browns ever incurring. It happened today.
The New York Jets came from 13 points back to score 14 in the last 1:55, and the Browns end up paying dearly for mistake after mistake after mistake — on defense, on special teams, all game long. They lose the game by a score of 31-30.
Inexcusable. No doubt about that.
The Browns' offense was very good. Before throwing an interception on the game's last play, Jacoby Brissett was exceptional. He was tough, he was making great decisions, he was much better throwing the football than he was a week ago.
As for the running game, it took time for it to really start making its pathway to beating that Jets defense (which has a good front), but they finally got there. Nick Chubb had three rushing touchdowns on the day, the last of which looked as though it had put the icing on the cake and the Browns would win. Kareem Hunt added 58 tough yards to get first downs and keep the clock moving.
I'll throw in Amari Cooper. Nine catches, including his first touchdown with the Browns.
But then we go to the other side of the coin. The defense has been terrible — terrible — through the first two games of the year, with missed assignments, blown assignments, big passing plays all of a sudden ending up in the end zone, communication problems.
Didn't we hear all of this a year ago, and wasn't the excuse a year ago, "Hey, there are so many new guys! Once we get to know each other, everything will be fine."
So we came into this season with the Browns hoping that they would have an "elite" defense. When they start playing elite defense, could someone please call me?
The Browns, defensively, were terrible all game long, especially in the secondary. The pass rush? Really not there. Joe Flacco could pick out a receiver, and it was like watching the Jets in practice on a day where wide-open receivers really made for confidence-builders.
The kid from Ohio State, Garrett Wilson? The only mistake he made was dropping one pass. You know why? He was so wide-open, that's why. Other than that, he was sensational, catching two touchdown passes.
As for the Browns' special teams, it was deplorable, all game long. They gave up a fake punt, Cade York missed an extra point and we lose by one, and the onside kick was absolutely terrible on coverage.
In fact, there was no coverage. It was really a situation where the Jets had two or three guys fighting to recover the ball, assuring it wasn't going to be anybody wearing and orange helmet.
Then it came down to this: The Browns kept kicking off and allowing one of the NFL's most potent and dangerous returners Braxton Berrios to return the football. Supposedly, Cade York can kick the ball to Euclid every day, but he was kicking the ball to Berrios and allowing him to give the Jets instant field position every time they came out on offense.
This is a tough one to explain, but in the NFL, when you have a win gift-wrapped with 1:55 and a 13-point lead, you cannot blow the game, and that's exactly what happened today.
For the fans who booed at the end of the game? You know what, I understand it. That was terrible to watch in the final seconds, and when the Jets got the ball back, you knew they were going to score. They had too much time, there was no pass rush, and there hasn't been a secondary playing for the Browns in the first two games of this season.
So now, a game is gone, a blown game. They're 1-1, with a short week to take on the Steelers, and you get tired of hearing, "Don't worry, they'll correct this on Monday. It will never happen again."
Guess what? It happened again.
Listen to Jimmy's calls from today's game: