The Cleveland Browns beat the New York Jets 21-16 on Thursday in the traditional Hall of Fame Game, the first of the preseason, which opened the activities of the 104th NFL campaign.
In the game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton
New York took that distance thanks to a pair of first-quarter field goals and a touchdown by 20-year-old rookie Israel Abanikanda selected in this year’s draft in the second period.
The Browns led 13-7 on a Kellen Mond diagonal send to John Kelly Jr., but coach Robert Saleh’s team pulled away 16-7 with another field goal before halftime.
In the third quarter, a rushing touchdown by Demetric Felton tightened the game 16-14.
Cleveland took advantage of the fact that the Jets’ offense disappeared in the second half, in which it went in zero; turned the score around 21-16 with a Dorian Thompson-Robinson rushing touchdown in the final period to take the win.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 39, who signed to play the 2023 season with the Jets remained on the bench. His debut is expected to be given in the last week of the preseason on August 26 in the game against the Giants.
“I’ve loved this game for as long as I can remember, I faced players who are in the Hall of Fame today, to be there at the end of the road would be very special for me,” Rodgers said after the game.
The Hall of Fame Game has been held since 1962, one year before the inauguration of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where the legends of this sport are recognized; is located in Canton, Ohio.
The list of nine members of the 2023 generation that will enter this museum in a ceremony to be held next Saturday is made up of eight former players and a coach.
Joe Thomas, of the Browns Joe Klecko and Darrelle Revis, of the Jets; Rondé Barber, Buccaneers; Chuck Howley, Cowboys Zach Thomas, Dolphins; DeMarcus Ware, Broncos; and the late Ken Riley, formerly of the Bengals, and Don Coryell, former coach of the Chargers.
