The Cleveland Browns failed to pull off their third consecutive upset, in the last seconds of overtime Sunday, surrendering a touchdown pass from New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez to Santonio Holmes. Although the Browns played valiantly, the better team won. The Jets are arguably the best team in the NFL. With esteemed veterans such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Santonio Holmes, and Jason Taylor, the Browns managed better against the Jets than teams such as the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, and Denver Broncos. The Browns also faced a defense ranked 5th overall in the league and 3rd overall in points allowed. Also recall the Jets secondary has big names like Antonio Cromartie, Darrelle Revis, and first round pick Kyle Wilson.
Regarding past games and the outcome of those games, the Browns are far better off than anyone could have predicted. They have a 3-6 record and have a fairly easy schedule coming up compared to the first half of the season. They have been competitive in every game so far and have not been blown out. Colt McCoy, who was thought to have been a project quarterback, has shined in the absence of Seneca Wallace and Jake Delhomme. He has most certainly won the starting quarterback job, having taken the first team snaps for the past five weeks and still has the highest quarterback rating among all rookie quarterbacks. Although he has only thrown two touchdowns and Sam Bradford, the first overall pick in the 2010 draft, has thrown 12, McCoy is on his way to becoming one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL.
Peyton Hillis has also showed incredible talent, running over the Jets defense and many other well-respected defenses in the NFL, looking like he has been doing it for years. If the Browns continue to use their power running games, along with McCoy’s accuracy, they could win many more games this season. With half the teams the Browns play in the next seven weeks, the Browns could realistically win four or five more games. They in fact, are still in playoff contention. The Browns are the surprise team in the NFL, and at the end of this year they could be primed to upset many teams.