The NFL has returned from the offseason with the traditional Hall of Fame Game. In the duel between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns, most of the starters did not play, as expected. In the end, a rookie quarterback came up trumps, while the lights went out briefly in the stadium.

As expected, the New York Jets lost their opening game in the NFL preseason without Aaron Rodgers. In the traditional Hall of Fame Game in Canton/Ohio, the Jets lost to the Cleveland Browns with 16:21.

Both teams were largely without their stars, the two starting quarterbacks Rodgers and Deshaun Watson were not used, and the wide receivers and running backs were at best second string. Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall for the Jets and Amari Cooper and Nick Chubb for the Browns were also not used.

However, the preseason opener was not without incident. At the end of the third quarter, the game had to be interrupted for almost 15 minutes due to a problem with the floodlights at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Parts of the lighting had switched off.

this darkness retreat thing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be pic.twitter.com/mS1TJ0PUYk

– Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 4, 2023

In the first half, the Jets were in control of the game for the most part before that. But quarterback Zach Wilson was also used only briefly, after three drives and only five pass attempts (three completions for 65 yards) the former number two pick had to call it a day. Tom Boyle then led the offence, but he was only partially convincing with six completed passes (eleven attempts).

After two field goals and a touchdown by running back Israel Abanikanda, the Jets led 13-0 before Browns playmaker Kellen Mond ended a long drive with a touchdown pass to John Kelly. After another field goal by the Jets, “Gang Green” went into halftime with a 16-7 lead.

Rookie QB Thompson-Robinson comes up trumps

In the second half, the Browns brought in rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who turned the game in his team’s favour with a good performance. The fifth-round pick of last year’s draft eventually completed eight of his eleven pass attempts, totalled 82 passing yards and a touchdown. His passer rating was 124.1, putting Thompson-Robinson in contention for the number two spot behind Watson.

Head coach Robert Saleh made another change at the quarterback position for the Jets in the course of the second half and gave Chris Streveler a chance, but the 28-year-old was unable to make use of it. Only one of seven pass attempts found its target, and Streveler also threw an interception.