Jets batter Watson with eight sacks to edge Browns 17-12

The New York Jets sacked Deshaun Watson eight times to beat the Cleveland Browns 17-12 on Oct. 11, 2026. Cleveland Browns

It was a defensive slog in the rain. Neither team reached 300 yards of total offense. The difference came on special teams.

With the game tight late, a snap sailed through the hands of Browns punter Corey Bojorquez. The Jets recovered in prime field position, and running back Braelon Allen cashed it in for the winning touchdown. The Guardian

New York lived in Cleveland's backfield all afternoon. The eight sacks cost the Browns 53 yards and were the most by any team in a single game to that point in the 2026 season. No other team had posted more than six sacks in a game through Week 5. NFL

A sack is a tackle of the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage for a loss, and Watson took plenty of them. He was sacked eight times and hit 13 times overall.

Watson finished with 155 passing yards, one touchdown pass and a 69.6 passer rating while completing fewer than half his passes. He found some room as a runner, with six carries for 40 yards, including a 20-yard scramble.

Cleveland's defense gave its offense chances to stay in it. Linebacker Quincy Williams forced three fumbles in the loss.

The finish still belonged to the Jets' pass rush. Edge rusher Will McDonald dropped Watson on fourth down for a sack-fumble, the eighth sack of the day. With less than a minute left and trailing by five, Cleveland had one last chance but Watson was stopped near the line on fourth-and-11.

The loss snapped Cleveland's three-game winning streak and dropped the Browns to 3-2. It was a sharp turn for Watson, who had authored three game-winning drives to open the season before running into New York.

What makes this stand out is how little room either offense had to breathe. Short fields, long third downs, and constant pressure decided it, not big plays through the air.