RADIO
Considered one of the big winners of the NFL offseason, the Cleveland Browns fell flat in Week One, losing 43-13 at home against Tennessee.
The Jets not only blew a 16-0 lead to lose 17-16 to Buffalo in Week One but their lineup has been decimated by injuries with quarterback Sam Darnold, linebacker C.J. Mosley and rookie defensive tackle Quinnen Williams among those out of the lineup for Week Two.
The Browns are favored, so the oddsmakers haven’t given up on them after their Week One collapse, but if Cleveland is going to turn their season around with a win against the Jets then it might be worth considering some Browns as productive offensive contributors.
Keep in mind that the Jets allowed 254.1 passing yards per game last season, ranking 23rd, and 126.3 rushing yards per game, which ranked 26th. If the Browns are going to get back on track this would seem like the kind of matchup that could do it.
Here are some angles to consider when playing Monday Night Football props on Monkey Knife Fight.
CLEVELAND-N.Y. JETS
OVER/UNDERS
Baker Mayfield OVER 269.5 PASSING YARDS – The Brown’s hype train came crashing to a halt in Week One and Mayfield, in particular, took a hit. He threw for 285 yards but also tossed three interceptions in a 43-13 loss to Tennessee. Here’s thinking that the Browns will want to pick up the pace against the Jets as Mayfield aims to pass for at least 270 yards for the fourth consecutive game.
Trevor Siemian UNDER 217.5 PASSING YARDS – Sam Darnold’s bout with mononucleosis means that Simian will be pressed into his first NFL game action since December, 2017. In that season, he passed for at least 218 yards in his first three games then just once in his next eight appearances. The Jets do figure to be trailing, which would give Siemian incentive to throw the ball but there isn’t enough evidence to suggest that he would be able to do it effectively.
Odell Beckham Jr. OVER 18.5 FANTASY POINTS – Returning to a familiar field at MetLife Stadium, Beckham was targeted 11 times in Week One, catching seven passes for 71 yards – what essentially has to be considered an underwhelming performance. He’s still an elite talent, though, so it’s pretty easy to envision a game in which Beckham produces 100-plus yards and finds the end zone.
Nick Chubb OVER 18.5 FANTASY POINTS – In Week One, the Browns’ second year runner accumulated 10 fantasy points, gaining 85 yards from scrimmage and catching three passes, but that was in a 30-point loss. If the favored Browns can get a lead on the Jets, it would stand to reason that Chubb would get plenty of opportunities to run the ball.
Le'Veon Bell UNDER 18.5 FANTASY POINTS – If the Jets are going to have a chance against Cleveland it may very well require an offense that revolves around Bell, the multi-talented back who can run and receive out of the backfield and gained 92 yards from scrimmage in a 17-16 loss to the Bills in Week One. However, Bell has become a full-fledged Jet by getting hurt and he’s dealing with a shoulder injury going into the Monday nighter, so it’s not an ideal time to expect Bell to go off.
Odell Beckham OVER 80.5 RECEIVING YARDS – As noted above, Beckham Jr. had a modest 71 receiving yards last week and there is not much reason to think that the Browns will give him fewer opportunities this week.
RAPID FIRE
Odell Beckham Jr. -1.5 receptions vs. Jarvis Landry – This is a pretty fair number for the pair of former LSU teammates who have been reunited in Cleveland. Since joining the Browns last season, Landry is averaging 5.0 receptions per game and Beckham is averaging 6.6 receptions per game in his career, including seven receptions in his Browns debut last week. Still, given the choice, Beckham has the higher ceiling as the focal point of the Cleveland passing game.
Odell Beckham Jr. 25.5 receiving yards vs. Jamison Crowder – It’s hard to imagine that the Jets will get the ball to Crowder as much as they did in Week One, when he caught 14 of 17 targets for 99 yards. Throughout his career, Crowder’s typical production has been closer to 47-48 yards per game and with questions surrounding the Jets offense, it seems likely that Beckham can create some distance from Jamison in terms of yardage.
