The New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns meet Thursday in NFL preseason action from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. This Hall of Fame Game matchup will be the first on-field activity of the 2023 NFL season. The Jets are hoping to finally get back into the playoffs this year after a disappointing 7-10 campaign in 2022. As for the Browns, they’ve got some work to do themselves after finishing at 7-10 as well last year. Check back all season long for free NFL picks at Sports Chat Place.
New York Jets
The Jets started out pretty well last year and were sitting at a promising 7-4 following Week 12. New York hit the skids the rest of the way and wouldn’t win another game, however. That result left the Jets in the basement of the AFC East and out of playoff contention.
New York has high hopes heading into 2023, especially considering the addition of former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Even with a mediocre 91.1 passer rating last year, that’s a huge upgrade at a key spot, as Rodgers still has some miles left in the proverbial tank. Rodgers also has offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and familiar receivers Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard in his corner, as well as a stellar defense. The bad news is that the Jets have the sixth-toughest schedule in the NFL this year.
Cleveland Browns
Over on the Cleveland side, they stumbled to a 3-7 run out of the gate last year, but things got better from there. The Browns were able to win four of their final seven games and showed some cosmetic improvement down the stretch despite the ugly last-place finish in the AFC North.
The Browns seem to be trending upward as well; there’s some positive chatter out there as the team has some potential breakout players. QB Deshaun Watson will have plenty of space to flourish behind an excellent offensive line and a stellar running back in Nick Chubb. Watson was sacked 20 times in six games last year, so the extra chemistry with his teammates will go a long way. Ex-Jet wide receiver Elijah Moore has some sneaky talent and could break out this season as well.
The Jets are 0-4 ATS in their last four overall and 0-5 ATS in their last five Thursday games. New York is 0-4 ATS in their last four on turf.
Meanwhile, the Browns are 13-27 ATS in their last 40 versus the AFC, and the under is 6-1 in Cleveland’s last seven overall. The Browns are 4-1 ATS in their last five Thursday games.
ANDREW’S FREE PICK
I’ll probably lean toward the Jets here. Also, probably staying away. This first preseason matchup is all about getting comfortable on the field again. We won’t see any fancy overdrawn plays or exotic blitz packages; it’ll mostly be an exercise in rediscovering on-field rhythm. Many of the big names may not even play, so this game will be reliant on depth, coaching, and chemistry. The Jets defense led the league in yards allowed per play (4.8) and were number four in points allowed. New York’s main strength was against the pass, so you can expect a heavy dose of running-back depth displays from Cleveland in this season opener. As a matter of fact, I like both teams to feel each other out on the ground in this Hall of Fame Game, with a few long passing strikes mixed in for good measure. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a fairly low total in the end. Should be a fun matchup overall and a great way to kick off the season.
