Game 9: Jets 24, Browns 20

Boy, I wish the Jets would do something newsworthy. That team is always so boring...

Ian Eagle and Greg Buttle bring us the first half on the Jets', and BFF's, behalf. Wait a minute, aren't we supposed to get the home team feed in the first half?

Justin Miller gets stuffed at the 22 on the kick return. Kellen Clemens is the starting QB, for one more week. He gets the Jets moving with a 20-yarder to Jerricho Cotchery. Tony Richardson barges for 4 across midfield to convert a 3rd-and-1. They run into another third-and-short and try a pass in the flat to Leon Washington, but Brendan McDonald makes a nice play to keep him short of the first down, and the Browns stuff Clemens' 4th-down sneak attempt off a quick snap.

Derek Anderson leads the Browns from their 37. Jamal Lewis slices through the middle for 12. Anderson hits Donte Stallworth for 8. New Jet DT acquisition Kris Jenkins swallows Lewis up on a 2nd-and-2 run, but Anderson throws a spear to Stallworth for the first down. On the next 3rd down, Anderson tries to go deep to Braylon Edwards, which fails, but the Browns do draw a DPI. Anderson takes off running on 3rd-7 from the 10 and gets another first down, a first-and-goal at the 2. One play later, Edwards makes a sensational play, wheeling in the end zone and making a one-handed catch of an Anderson fast ball thrown behind him. 7-0, Browns.

Jets start from their 26. Thomas Jones not getting much of anywhere on the ground so far.

God signals his disapproval of all the Brett Favre hype by summoning a lightning storm that delays the game with 4:11 left in the 1st.

OK, this is getting odd - NFL Network is going to replay the lightning delay?

All right, we're back. 2nd-5 Jets at their 31. Back-to-back incompletes will force a punt.

Browns get the ball back at their 30. New Browns backfield already: Brady Quinn and Jason Wright. It's Jerome Harrison, though, who surges through the Jet defense for a 1st down on 3rd-3. Third-and-5 two plays later at midfield, when Quinn drills a quick slant to Travis Wilson for 15. That's the last play of the first quarter.

Time to start the penalty parade, as the Browns move backward due to a 5-yarder, then a hold. Joshua Cribbs gets most of it back with an 18-yard catch. Next play, though, Quinn throws a little too far for Syndric Steptoe, who sticks a hand out and tips it over to Jet LB Eric Barton.

BRETT IS IN FOR THE JETS! Brett Ratliff, you mean, starting the Jets at their 29. He uncorks a beautiful bomb to David Clowney, who scorches two Browns DB, takes the perfect pass in stride and takes it in for a 71-yard, well, bolt of lightning that ties the game at 7.

Steptoe brings a kickoff out for Cleveland from well deep in his endzone, but gets all the way out to the 35, so he earns his green light.

Neat, the announcers are conducting an interview with former Ram Joe Namath. Think he'll tell Ian Eagle he "just wants to kiss" him?

Quinn's got the Browns driving. He spins out of a sack and scrambles for 8 on 3rd-3, then throws a couple of quick connections to get the Browns a 1st-and-10 inside the Jet 25. Diving catch of a low pass by Wilson at the 5. Wright plunges in on 2nd-and-goal to put the Browns back ahead 14-7.

I know Anderson's the man in Cleveland, but I have to say, every time I've seen Brady Quinn running the Browns, he's leading them on a TD drive. He will be starting soon somewhere.

Poor kick return by Chansi Stuckey only gets the Jets out to their 16. They go into full-on preseason mode with a near-pick and a false start. Ratliff has a real gun, which he uses to hit Wallace Wright with a bullet at the 25. 3rd-1. Big hole for Jehuu Caulcrick yields a 7-yard gain. Ratliff hits 2008 first round draft pick Dustin Keller across midfield with a short pass to set up 3rd and 1 again. The Browns stuff Caulcrick there, but Eric Mangini goes for it on 4th down again, and this time it works, with Musa Smith gaining 3. On 3rd-4 from the 39, Stuckey snares a high fastball from Ratliff for a big gain. They're inside the Browns 25. Now inside the 10 after Ratliff drills one to Clowney. We're inside the 2:00 warning, I should add. 1st-and-goal, Ratliff surprises Keller in the back of the end zone with a pass behind him; it falls incomplete. Musa Smith grinds for 3. 3rd-goal from the 7. Clock ticking inside 50 seconds. Jets bleed off some clock and take a TO with 0:30 left in the half. A fine play by former Ram Nick "Sunshine" Sorenson keeps Stuckey out of the end zone after catching the Ratliff Fireball at the 2. Clock runs down to 0:02 and Mike Nugent comes on to hit a chippie for a halftime score of Cleveland 14, NY Jets 10.
========================================================================
I really like this Ratliff kid for the Jets. He's accurate; he's not throwing hard just to throw hard. I also like Quinn. He's a leader. He just goes out there and leads his team to scores. They're both good young QB prospects.

And neither one of them will be starting any time soon.

Also for the Jets, Clowney had the long TD and has the kind of speed the Jets need to stretch the field. The Browns starting WRs pretty much had their way with their DBs, though, and they still can't establish much of a running game. BFF can make them a good team even without a running game, but BFF can make them a great team if they have one. I think the Cleveland offensive line is what's impressive about them. Their QBs haven't been in trouble and just about any RB who comes in has been able to pop for nice yardage right away.

Looks like we're getting the Jets announcers for both halves. Steptoe brings the kickoff back to the 35 for Cleveland. Quinn still QB. Browns 3-and-out and force Dave Zastudil to punt for the first time tonight.

Ratliff to Stuckey for 22 out to the 43 with another laser pass. Several penalties shut down the Jets' drive at midfield after that, though.

Browns take over at their 11. Former Mizzou TE Martin Rucker gains 11 off a short pass. Quinn connects nicely with Wilson a couple of plays later on a deep corner route at the 45. Jets have shut down the Browns running game; now they need to start getting after the QB. Rams fans who saw Chris Long blend into the woodwork can feel good that Vernon Gholston's not doing much of anything in this game, either. Quinn, with some clutch running by Jerome Harrison, has steered the Browns to the Jets 20 yard-line.

Quinn just hit a player named "Cieslak" to get the Browns inside the 10 yard-line - weren't Cieslaks those evil lizard things in the 70s Saturday morning classic Land of the Lost?

Quinn tries to hit Rucker for the third time on 3rd and goal, but Drew Coleman knocks the pass away. Jason Reda's 26-yard FG isn't Lovely, but it's good, so Cleveland's now up 17-10.

Ahmad Carroll returns the kickoff from deep in his end zone, but returns it across the 30, so he also gets the green light from now on. Jets 3-and-out after a too-short completion on 3rd-and-8.

Cleveland's show from their 38. New QB Ken Dorsey hits Rucker for 10. I believe that's his 4th catch. Meanwhile, the 4th quarter has arrived.

Rucker opens up that quarter with a 28-yard catch from Dorsey down to the Jet 25. They don't get much farther, with Dorsey getting hit on his 3rd-down throw and throwing a one-hopper. Reda hits another Lovely FG to put Cleveland up 20-10.

Jets open shop at their 25. Ratliff and Clowney connect again on a perfect bomb from Ratliff for a 70-yard TD with Clowney burning the heck out of Mil'von James and the totally lost Cleveland safety. 20-17 just like that.

With the arm he's showing off tonight, I don't know why Ratliff's name isn't more highly considered around the NFL. From what I'm seeing, he's the breakout star of the preseason so far.

Gerard Lawson gets his green light by returning a kick deep in his end zone out to the 35, nearly breaking it. A.J. Schabel of the Jets was injured on that kickoff and had to be stretchered out.

When play resumes, Kenwin Cummings goes by a PATHETIC blitz pickup attempt to emphatically drop Dorsey for a big loss. Browns punt on something like 4th-and-31.

And Dwight Lowery makes them pay on the return, suckering the Browns with a hesitation move after the catch, and tearing back across field with resistance from no one but the punter, Zastudil, and he's not enough resistance to keep Lowery from scoring and putting the Jets ahead 24-20.

Isn't Zastudil an anti-depression medication? Warning: people who take Zastudil may suffer side effects such as dry mouth, insomnia and the illusion you're a real football player like the rest of your team.

The wheels have come off Cleveland's scrubs completely, as Thomas Johnson beats Lennie Friedman and starts a second straight Browns possession with a sack of Dorsey. The Browns then lose a nice gain because of interference from the Sleestaks. Paul Hubbard gets them out of the hole with a superb 44-yard catch up the sideline. Mangenius challenges the call but I'm pretty sure it's going to stick. Looks like he got a hand, a foot and a shoulder in. Browns in business at the Jets 45. Steve Sanders tears himself out of a tackle and runs up the sideline for another first down. Quick pass to Rucker gets them inside the 25. That's gotta be at least 6 catches for Rucker. Unfortunately, he drops his next two chances, including a pass in the back of the end zone. From the 14, Dorsey cements his awful pile of crap of a night by rolling left and throwing a dart right to Dwight Lowery in the end zone for a pick. That ought to seal it for the Jets, and maybe Dorsey, who didn't play real well and ends his night with a really stupid play. Especially for a veteran.

On 3rd-and-2, Ratliff runs a dangerous-looking bootleg, diving headlong but short of the first down. First thing the Jets need to do is punt away from the returner. The punt is a short 40 yards and right to Lawson, who puts Cleveland in a good neighborhood at their 44 with 2:42 to go.

Dorsey hits Efrem Hill for 16. Dorsey follows that with three incompletions, the last a bad screen pass, to create a 4th-and-10. Hank Poteat intercepts Dorsey with 2:15 left. Probably happened too quickly for Poteat to think about letting the ball drop, which would have gained the Jets 20 yards or so. Oh well.

Erik Ainge comes in for mopup duty for the Jets. Should just be a couple of kneeldowns with 2:00 now left. No, that won't work out because ROMEO CRENNEL EARNS AN EVERLASTING STAY IN HELL BY BURNING HIS FINAL TIMEOUT. Good field position for Cleveland again after the punt, though; they're at their 45 again with about a minute left.

Dorsey scrambles to the Jet 35 for a first down with 0:42 left. Thomas Johnson roughs Dorsey to set Cleveland up at the 20. Drew Coleman breaks up an end zone pass with 0:20 left. There's a Brown false starting on almost every play down the stretch here without a call. Dorsey overthrows Sanders in the end zone to set us up with a 4th-and-10 with :22 left.

ROT IN HELL MANGENIUS FOR CALLING A TIMEOUT HERE.

Dwight Lowery keeps Cleveland's hopes alive with a DPI at the 5. 1st and goal, 17 seconds left. Pass appears to go through Rucker's hands in the end zone. 2nd and goal, Coleman breaks up a sure-looking TD pass to Hubbard. 3rd and goal, 8 seconds left. Jump route to Hubbard incomplete. 4th and goal, 4 seconds left. Pass broken up by James Ihedigbo to save the game for the Jets, 24-20.
==============================================================
Quick thoughts:
Jets players of note: Definitely Ratliff and Clowney, also Marques Murrell, who put a lot of pressure on Dorsey down the stretch. Also Dwight Lowery, whose TD-saving INT and punt return TD outweigh that DPI in the last seconds. Drew Coleman made some nice plays late, too, and it sounds like Schable will come back from that scary injury OK. Main concern for the Jets is: Will they be able to run the ball when they need to?

Browns: Quinn and Rucker seem like the main players to highlight. They only have 3 QBs on the roster, so I'd recommend finding a replacement for Dorsey, who threw a lot of bad balls and made some dumb plays. You're looking for unspectacular and competent out of your QB3, not spectacularly incompetent.

The next game is already done! It was Tampa-Miami. You knew I wouldn't be able to finish this challenge without employing time travel at some point...