It was the week the Jets’ season stopped sliding. A rain-soaked win over Cleveland ended a three-game losing streak, the pass rush produced a number nobody saw coming, and the roster churn underneath it all kept moving. Here is what mattered over the past seven days.
The Jets went 1–0 in Week 5, beating the Browns 17–12 behind eight sacks and a 116-yard day from Braelon Allen. Kenyon Sadiq entered concussion protocol, Omar Cooper Jr.’s practice window opened, Troy Reeder was released, and Breece Hall missed practice again before Sunday’s trip to New England.
How did the Jets beat the Browns?
With a defense that refused to let Deshaun Watson throw. The Jets sacked him eight times, David Bailey taking three of those with four quarterback hits and seven pressures, and Will McDonald IV strip-sacked Watson on fourth down and recovered the fumble to seal it. Trevin Wallace recovered a high snap that got past Cleveland’s punter. Braelon Allen carried 24 times for 116 yards and ran in the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter, Geno Smith went 17 of 30 for 182 yards with a 32-yard touchdown to Garrett Wilson, and Jason Sanders hit a 54-yard field goal in the rain. Aaron Glenn called it “a good team win.” The full breakdown is in our Week 5 recap of the 17–12 win over Cleveland, and the rest of the season’s coverage sits in Insiders’ Analysis.
What happened to Kenyon Sadiq?
He lost a fumble in the red zone and then left the game with a concussion. Sadiq finished with two catches for three yards on a day the tight ends were quiet, and he entered the league’s concussion protocol afterward, as covered in our report on Sadiq’s concussion protocol after the Browns game. He has since returned to limited practice participation on both Wednesday and Thursday of this week.
Why does Omar Cooper Jr.’s practice window matter?
Because it starts a clock. The Jets opened the 21-day practice window for Cooper, who has been on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain, which allows him to practice while the club decides whether to activate him. He was limited on Wednesday and Thursday. The details are in our piece on the 21-day window the Jets opened for Cooper, and his season is tracked on the Omar Cooper Jr. player page.
What roster moves did the Jets make?
One out, one in. The Jets released linebacker Troy Reeder and added edge rusher Quinton Bell to the practice squad, the kind of move a team makes when the pass rush is working and it wants more of it. Our write-up on the Reeder release and the Quinton Bell signing has the contract and roster context.
Where does the injury report stand going into Week 6?
Eight Jets are on it, and four of them have not practiced at all. Breece Hall (quad), Adonai Mitchell (finger), Joseph Ossai (ankle) and Dylan Parham (knee) did not participate Wednesday or Thursday, while Dane Belton (knee), Cooper (ankle) and Sadiq (concussion) were limited and Kiko Mauigoa (quad) was full. The club notes Wednesday’s levels are an estimation because the Jets held a walkthrough. No game designations had been issued as of the Thursday report, which carries no Friday column. The report itself is published by the club as the official Week 6 Jets injury report on newyorkjets.com.
What should Jets fans watch next week?
Foxborough, and whether the pass rush travels. The Jets play the Patriots on Sunday, October 18 at 1:00 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium on CBS, against a New England team that is 3–2 and has won three of its last four, including a 45–17 rout of Las Vegas and a 29–26 win at Buffalo. The broadcast details published by patriots.com list the game locally on WBZ-TV. Three things to track: whether Hall gets a designation on the Friday report, whether eight sacks was a performance or a trend against a Drake Maye offense that just scored 45, and whether the Jets can finish a drive in the fourth quarter after failing to run out the clock against Cleveland. Our full Jets vs. Patriots Week 6 preview has the matchup in detail.
What was the Jets’ result in Week 5?
The Jets beat the Cleveland Browns 17–12 at MetLife Stadium on October 11, ending a three-game losing streak and moving to 2–3.
How many sacks did the Jets have against the Browns?
Eight. Rookie edge David Bailey had three of them, plus four quarterback hits and seven pressures, and Will McDonald IV ended the game with a strip-sack on fourth down.
Why did the Jets open Omar Cooper Jr.’s practice window?
Cooper has been on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain. Opening the 21-day window lets him practice while the Jets decide whether to activate him to the active roster.
Who did the Jets release this week?
Linebacker Troy Reeder. The Jets added edge Quinton Bell to the practice squad in the same set of moves.
Is Breece Hall playing in Week 6?
Hall (quad) did not practice Wednesday or Thursday. The Jets had issued no game designation and no return timeline at the time of writing.
Who do the Jets play next?
The Patriots, on Sunday, October 18 at 1:00 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on CBS.