Geno Smith’s 25-Yard Meltdown After Early TD Has Jets Clinging to a One-Point Lead

It’s a rainy day at MetLife Stadium, and the offenses for both the Jets and the Browns are absolutely drowning. The Jets are barely clinging to a 7-6 lead over the Browns at halftime, with the only touchdown of the game coming on their brisk, 80-yard opening drive.

The Offense Vanished After Its Grand Entrance

Man, what a start it was. Jets quarterback Geno Smith connected with wide receiver Garrett Wilson three times for 70 yards and that opening drive touchdown. It felt like the floodgates were about to open, right? Nope. Since then, the ball has only gone Wilson’s way once, and that pass fell incomplete. Smith has managed a paltry 25 yards on his other five completions, and he’s been sacked a frustrating three times already. Browns defensive tackle Maliek Collins is eating, snagging a pair of those sacks himself. It’s tough to watch an offense stall out like that after such a promising start.

Defense Fighting to Keep the Lights On

Despite the offensive struggles, the Jets defense has been straight-up heroic, keeping the team in front. Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has been under siege, sacked four times by the Jets’ relentless front. First-round pick David Bailey is already making a huge impact, accounting for two of those sacks. The Browns offense has been completely stifled, managing a pathetic 99 yards on their 33 offensive plays, with their only points coming from a couple of field goals. To make matters worse for Cleveland, wide receiver KC Concepcion left the game in the first quarter with a head injury and will not return. They’ll need to find some other spark if they want to turn this around.

The good news? The Jets get the ball to kick off the second half. Can they recapture that early magic, or will this rain-soaked slugfest continue to be a defensive battle? Every single possession in the next 30 minutes is going to be massive for these teams.

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Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.