The Jets’ home turf has been kinder to their Week 16 opponent this year than it has been to them.
The Jets are a miserable 0-7 at MetLife Stadium this season; their first win of the year came last weekend in Los Angeles. The Browns, meanwhile, are a perfect 1-0 in East Rutherford in 2020. Cleveland defeated MetLife Stadium’s other tenant, the Giants, last week, 20-6. Now the Browns are back in Jersey for a second consecutive week to take on the Jets.
Not only are the Jets winless at home, but they have been outscored 197-122 by their road opponents. So much for home-field advantage being a thing.
New York has also blown three opportunities to win a game at MetLife Stadium this season. The first came in Week 4 against the Broncos. The Jets had a one-point lead over Denver with under seven minutes left in the game. They allowed the Broncos to drive 40 yards down the field to kick a field goal and take a two-point lead. On the ensuing possession, the Jets turned it over on downs. Broncos RB Melvin Gordon took one to the house on the next play, giving his team a nine-point win.
The next chance the Jets choked away at hom came against the Patriots in Week 9. The Jets were up 27-17 entering the fourth quarter, but the Patriots managed to score on each of their final three possessions, including a game-winning, 51-yard field goal by Nick Folk as time expired. Joe Flacco threw a costly interception in the fourth quarter as well.
The worst of the home losses was against the Las Vegas Raiders just a few weeks ago. The Jets were up by four points with 35 seconds left in the game and the Raiders had the ball 61 yards away from the end zone. Las Vegas gained 15 yards on its first play before Derek Carr had to spike the ball and proceeded to throw an incomplete pass. But with 13 seconds left and the Raiders 46 yards out from the end zone, former Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams dialed up an all-out blitz, leaving rookie cornerback Lamar Jackson on the speedy Henry Ruggs III. The Raiders rookie burned Jackson for a 46-yard touchdown to give the Raiders the stunning win.
Williams was fired the next morning.
The Jets have had their opportunities to win at home this season, but they have shot themselves in the foot every time. Now, with Sunday’s game against the Browns being Gang Green’s last home game, the Jets run the risk of Cleveland finishing 2020 with more wins at MetLife Stadium than them.