When Cleveland and New York play, be prepared for fireworks. Here are 5 memorable games between the two teams.
The Cleveland Browns come out of their bye week to face the New York Jets in Week 10 of the 2025 NFL season.
The Browns hold a slight 16-14 edge over the Jets in the all-time series, which includes an unforgettable win in the playoffs. (More on that in a moment.)
Related: Browns 2025 Schedule Primer: Week 10, New York Jets
As with many of the teams the Browns have played over the years, Cleveland had the edge prior to 1999, winning 10 of 16 meetings, while the Jets have won eight of the 14 meetings since then, including a stretch that saw them win five in a row.
Speaking of the number five, here are five memorable games between the Browns and the Jets.
September 21, 1970: Browns 31, Jets 21
Any mention of the series between the Browns and the Jets has to start at the very beginning, when the two teams played at Municipal Stadium in the debut of Monday Night Football.
More than 85,000 fans were in attendance, and the Browns had the stadium rocking by jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to an eight-yard touchdown pass from Bill Nelsen to Gary Collins and a two-yard touchdown run by Bo Scott.
The Jets pulled within seven points at halftime, but Cleveland’s Homer Jones took the second-half kickoff back 94 yards for a touchdown to put the Browns back up by 14. Cleveland would extend its lead to 10 points in the third quarter after Don Cockroft converted a 27-yard field goal, setting up an exciting fourth quarter.
New York’s Joe Namath was having his way with Cleveland’s defense and pulled the Jets within three points after hitting George Sauer with a 33-yard touchdown pass. The margin was still three when the Jets took over with about a minute left in the game, but Cleveland linebacker Billy Andrews intercepted a Namath pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown to clinch the win for the Browns.
The Jets out-gained the Browns 454 to 221, but four turnovers and 13 penalties for 161 yards wiped out that advantage.
December 10, 1978: Browns 37, Jets 34 (OT)
The Browns and Jets were back at it under much different conditions, as only 36,000-plus braved a cold day on the lakefront where the wind chill was zero. But those who were in attendance got their money’s worth!
Cleveland opened the scoring with a two-yard touchdown run by Calvin Hill, and built a 17-point lead after a third quarter that saw Don Cockroft convert his second field goal of the day and Brian Sipe score on a two-yard run.
The Jets answered back in the fourth quarter with 24 consecutive points, finally taking their first lead of the game on a one-yard touchdown run by Kevin Long with a little more than a minute remaining. That was more than enough time for Cleveland’s offense, as Sipe drove the Browns 73 yards in 63 seconds and sent the game into overtime following an 18-yard touchdown pass to Hill.
In overtime, the Browns won the toss, and it was the Greg Pruitt show from there. Pruitt, who finished with 238 combined yards, returned the kickoff 31 yards and then carried the ball on three consecutive plays to bring the Browns to New York’s five-yard line. Cockroft made the 22-yard field goal, and the Browns sent their frozen fans home with a win.
September 2, 1979: Browns 25, Jets 22 (OT)
The teams came right back the following season in Week 1, this time at Shea Stadium, with a familiar result.
After playing to a 10-10 tie in the first half, the Browns scored twice in the third quarter, first on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Brian Sipe to Ozzie Newsome, and then on a 36-yard field goal by Don Cockroft to take a six-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Looking to put the game away, the Browns elected to go for it on a fourth down at New York’s 14-yard line but were stopped. The Jets responded with a touchdown drive, but a missed extra point by Pat Leahy kept the game tied at 19. That only lasted a short time, however, as Cleveland’s Ricky Feacher fumbled the ensuing kickoff back to the Jets, and Leahy redeemed himself by converting a 22-yard field goal to give New York a 22-19 lead just inside the two-minute warning.
Starting from his 18-yard line, Sipe drove the Browns into field goal range, and Cockroft’s 35-yard field goal sent the game into overtime.
Neither team could get anything going in overtime, and it appeared the game would end in a tie. But with 35 seconds remaining, Cleveland’s Oliver Davis intercepted a Matt Robinson pass and returned the ball to New York’s 31-yard line. Sipe hit Dave Logan with a pass to move the Browns closer, and Cockroft ended the day with a 27-yard field goal to give Cleveland the win.
January 3, 1987: Browns 23, Jets 20 (2OT)
In a game that will forever be replayed as an NFL classic, the Browns needed two overtimes to take down the Jets and pick up their first playoff win since 1969.
The Jets had a three-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, and after intercepting Cleveland’s Bernie Kosar for the second time, Freeman McNeil ripped off a 25-yard touchdown run to put the Jets up by 10 points with 4:14 remaining. The Jets were celebrating, the Browns were left wondering what happened, and Kosar was determined to make it right.
It took a roughing the passer penalty on New York’s Mark Gastineau to finally get Cleveland’s offense going, but once it did, Kosar marched the Browns down the field, and the lead was cut to three after Kevin Mack’s one-yard touchdown run.
New York recovered the onside kick, but Cleveland’s defense forced a three-and-out, and Kosar and the offense took over with one last chance. A pass interference penalty on the Jets set up a 37-yard catch by Webster Slaughter down the left sideline, and with seven seconds remaining, Mark Moseley converted a 22-yard field goal to send the game into overtime.
Cleveland’s defense, which finished the day with nine sacks and held New York to just 287 yards of offense, dominated through the overtime periods. The game appeared to be over in the first extra period, but Moseley missed his third field goal of the day. But just two minutes into the second overtime, Moseley’s 27-yard field goal was true and the Browns won the third-longest game in NFL history. Kosar finished the day with 489 passing yards, the third-most in a playoff game in league history.
September 18, 2022: Jets 31, Browns 30
It may have taken a while, but the Jets finally got a little bit of payback on the Browns for all those last-minute defeats.
In the home opener, the Browns broke open a close game in the fourth quarter thanks to a pair of touchdown runs from Nick Chubb, the second of which gave Cleveland a 30-17 lead with 1:55 remaining in the game.
New York’s Joe Flacco had no worries, however, as he took the Jets 75 yards in two plays, hitting Corey Davis with a 66-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to six. The Jets recovered the onside kick, and from there, Flacco led a nine-play, 53-yard scoring drive that ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson with 22 seconds remaining. Greg Zuerlein converted the extra point, and the Browns had managed to turn a victory into a shocking defeat.
Cleveland’s loss broke a streak of 2,229 consecutive games that teams had won when leading by at least 13 points with two minutes remaining. The last team to achieve that dubious feat? The Browns against the Chicago Bears in 2001, a game you may be reading about in a few days.
What is your most memorable game between the Browns and Jets? Have your say in the comments.