Jets Beat Browns 27-20 Behind Special Teams and a Steady Day from Breece Hall

The New York Jets walked off the field on Sunday with a 27-20 win over the Cleveland Browns, a result that felt earned rather than lucky — and needed after a difficult week for the organization.

Cleveland scored first and went up 7-0, and it briefly felt like the game might fall into a familiar pattern. But the Jets responded in a way that shifted everything. Kene Nwangwu returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, a moment that immediately changed the atmosphere in the stadium. A few minutes later, after the defense forced a three-and-out, Isaiah Williams returned a punt 74 yards for another score. The Jets had never had a kick return and punt return touchdown in the same game before — doing both in the first half set the tone and gave them a 14-7 lead at the break.

From there, it became more of a grind. The Jets’ defense took control. Will McDonald finished the day with four sacks, winning matchups consistently and forcing Cleveland to adjust on nearly every passing down.

On offense, the passing game under Justin Fields didn’t really get going, so the Jets leaned heavily on Breece Hall, who has become the team’s most dependable answer when things tighten up. Hall carried the ball 21 times for 83 yards and made the key play of the day — turning a short catch into a 42-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to push the lead to 24-17. A few minutes later, another strong run from Hall helped set up a field goal, stretching the lead to 27-17.

Cleveland added a field goal late, but the Jets held on. The win came on a day when the team honored former center Nick Mangold, who passed away two weeks earlier from kidney failure. Mangold’s family was present for the pregame tribute. The moment was quiet, respectful, and clearly meaningful for the organization and longtime fans.

The victory also arrived after a controversial week where the Jets traded both Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams — moves that raised fair questions about the team’s direction. But for the second straight game coming out of the bye, the players on the field stayed focused and found a way.

Now, can the team be heading in the right direction? A good measure will be a short week playing Thursday night vs the New England Patriots. Jets fans can only hope the team can keep this momentum. But for the moment, the Jets were able to block out the noise and secure the win.