A late botched punt in rain helps sink Browns in loss to Jets that ends 3-game win streak

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns were on the verge of pulling off their fourth straight fourth-quarter comeback victory.

Until it slipped right through their hands against the New York Jets. Literally.

A momentum-swinging botched punt in a driving rain Sunday was part of a critical late-game sequence that sent the Browns to a 17-12 loss, ending their three-game winning streak.

“Ultimately, not good enough, not clean enough,” coach Todd Monken said. “I mean, that’s just the way it is. And when you do the things we did today, you’re going to put yourself behind the eight ball in terms of a chance of trying to win. And that’s what we did today.”

Cleveland trailed for most of the game, but took its first lead at 12-10 with 6:15 left when Watson threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to rookie Denzel Boston. Andre Szmyt hit the right upright on the extra point, though, preventing it from being a three-point game.

“I don’t know, I have to look at the film,” Szmyt said. “It feels like I almost hit it a little thin."

Still, the Browns (3-2) had the advantage at the point in the game during which they thrived the past three weeks. After Isaiah Williams' 36-yard kickoff return put the Jets in terrific field position, Cleveland got the ball right back when Carson Schwesinger sacked Geno Smith and Adin Huntington recovered the fumble.

Another score might've sealed it for the Browns. But the Jets forced a three-and-out and then their special teams came through.

Rex Sunahara's snap slid through punter Corey Bojorquez’s hands — perhaps with an assist from the rain, remnants of Hurricane Isaias — and bounced behind him as several players chased after it. New York's Trevin Wallace recovered, giving the Jets the ball at the Browns' 23-yard line.

Three plays later, Braelon Allen ran 22 yards for a touchdown that put the Jets ahead with 3:01 remaining.

“Well, just kind of fits the day, right?” Monken said. “There was a sequence there of special teams plays where you miss the extra point, you give up the long kick return, defense comes up with a big stop, and then we mishandle the snap or the catch. ... When you don’t play clean, you’re going to get beat, and we got beat because of those things, and we’re going to work like heck to fix it.”

Cleveland had one final opportunity to pull it out, but Watson fumbled when he was sacked on fourth down by Will McDonald — the eighth time the Jets brought down the Browns quarterback — and McDonald recovered to seal it for New York.

“There was still hope,” Watson said of having the ball with 1:41 left. "There were still opportunities. Again, they capitalized on it better than us. We got a penalty, a sack and some missed opportunities, but that happens.

“We will get on the bus, get on this flight, watch the tape and see what we could have done better, learn and get ready for Baltimore next week. The opportunity might happen again.”

Watson finished 15 of 33 for 155 yards and the TD to Boston, but was also hurt by dropped passes — as were the Jets — and Cleveland's running game could never get going consistently as the teams slipped and slid to a close finish.

“It was tough,” Watson said of the wet conditions. “We try not to make that as an excuse. We tried to adjust to the elements as best as possible and tried to make as many plays as we possibly can.”

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken watches from the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) is sacked by New York Jets linebacker David Bailey (31) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Denzel Boston (12) celebrates with teammate quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) after catching a touchdown pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) is sacked by New York Jets cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Cleveland Browns punter Corey Bojorquez (13) fights for a fumbled snap with New York Jets safety Malachi Moore (27) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Chase Briscoe is getting the hang of winning close races.

Briscoe held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell to win his second straight NASCAR playoff race in a photo finish on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, vaulting him into contention to earn his first Cup Series championship.

The two drivers traded paint on the final lap, but Briscoe maintained control of his No. 19 Toyota and reached the finish line about a half-car length ahead of Bell.

“I don’t know what it is about these finishes. I have to quit making it so exciting at the end,” said Briscoe, who had to hold off playoff points leader Kyle Larson to win last week at Las Vegas.

It was the eighth win of Briscoe's career and third this season. He led 62 laps.

Briscoe said he felt like his right front tire was going down on the final laps, but was able to hold it together.

“When I got beyond those final lapped cars with five or six (laps) to go, I felt like I was going to knock the wall down,” Briscoe said. “At one point it just quit turning.”

Ryan Blaney finished third, followed by Josh Berry, Denny Hamlin and Larson.

Briscoe was 123 points behind Larson prior to last week's win, but the back-to-back victories have cut the deficit to 65 points and put him in fourth place with four races left.

Gibbs said he was just happy his drivers didn’t wreck each other.

“That’s always when I’m the most nervous, when a couple of our guys are running up front,” Gibbs said. “I know how badly all of our guys want to win. ... That's when my blood pressure and heartbeat gets accelerated.”

Hamlin is now 49 points behind Larson in the Chase, followed by Bell, who is 51 points back.

Larson called it a “good, solid day” and was happy to extend his playoff lead by nine points.

Hamlin won the regular season championship, but has struggled to find victory lane in the playoffs. He seemed perplexed why he hasn’t been able to regain the speed he had before the postseason.

“We got to execute better, be a little faster — all of the above,” Hamlin said. “We’re giving it all we got right now.”

It didn't help that Hamlin was sent to the rear of the field for a loose tire penalty on pit road on his first stop.

Larson, who entered the race with five top five finishes including two wins in the postseason, started on the pole based on NASCAR's metric system after Saturday's qualifying was rained out.

He made the most of the pole position, dominating the race early by leading 68 of the 80 laps in the first stage to collect the maximum number of points in stage one.

Bell caught Larson and won the second stage.

Several Chase contenders ran into problems in the first stage.

Ty Gibbs broke a toe link in his No. 54 Toyota causing him to hit the outside wall. Joey Logano, with nowhere to go, slammed into Gibbs from behind. Gibbs headed behind the wall for repairs and fell several laps behind, while Logano was sent to the back of the field.

And, near the end of the first stage, Alex Bowman's car got loose and ran up the track and into Bubba Wallace's car, collecting William Byron in the mix. Wallace climbed out of his car, but was taken to the infield medical center in an ambulance.

The crash sent all three cars behind the wall.

“I just got loose," Bowman said. “Honestly, I had been really tight. As soon as it got to the exit of the corner, it snapped and it kind of didn’t stand a chance. Unfortunately, I grabbed too much wheel, overcorrected it and got in those two guys’ (Wallace and Byron) way. I hate that for the No. 24 and No. 23 teams. It’s one thing to get loose and crash, but to ruin their days too really sucks.”

After eight years, CMS and NASCAR said goodbye to the “roval,” changing the fall race from a road course back to the traditional 1 1/2-mile oval course. That came as NASCAR shifted away from road courses and placed more emphasis on intermediate oval tracks before the season.

Drivers seemed to be in favor of the change.

“I appreciate the roval for what it was, and I’ve enjoyed the handful of years that we did it to start," Chris Buescher said. "Charlotte has so much character. It’s put on some really good races and I think that was the big push to get us back on the oval.”

The Cup Series heads to Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona next Sunday.

See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Chase Briscoe and his team celebrate after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Chase Briscoe does a burnout after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Chase Briscoe (19) beats Christopher Bell (20) to the finish line to win a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Chase Briscoe (19) and Christopher Bell (20) compete through Turn 3 during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

The pit crew for Austin Dillon rushes to complete a pit stop during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Christopher Bell competes down the front stretch during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

A pack of cars come to a green flag restart during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)