At 3-1, the Cleveland Browns head to New York to face the 1-3 Jets with an opportunity to really position themselves nicely in the playoff picture come November with a win. And while some assume the Jets are in full tank mode, they've been fairly competitive in most of their games this season, have a veteran QB in Geno Smith who certainly isn't looking to tank and a head coach on the hot seat who is desperate for a win. 

If the Browns are going to pull off a fourth straight win and keep the magic going here in the early season, there are several key numbers that could play a factor in Sunday's outcome. 

The Jets enter Week 5 as one of the worst run defenses in the NFL at the moment. Their 123.5 yards allowed per game on the ground ranks 25th and the 4.3 yards per attempt on allowed ranks 19th.

Those figures set the stage for what could be an opportunity for the Browns rushing attack to finally break out on Sunday. Right now, they rank just 23rd in rushing yards per game. 

One phase of their rushing attack that has been semi-effective, though, is Deshaun Watson's legs. Over the first four weeks he's scrambled or run with the football 31 times for 127 yards and been a major factor in keeping drives alive on key downs. 

The Jets, meanwhile, have yielded just 28 rushing yards to quarterbacks so far this season and most of that came from Cam Ward in Week 2. Their ability to limit Watson as a runner could be something that flips this game in their favor. 

Covering tight ends has been a bit of an issue for the Browns these first four weeks. Opposing tight ends have caught 25 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns and Cleveland is one of only nine teams to have yielded three or more touchdowns to tight ends this season.

The numbers aren't overwhelmingly poor overall, but it does appear to be at least a small weakness for the defense at this stage, and could mean some big opportunities await Jets rookie TE Kenyon Sadiq. The Oregon product is two weeks removed from a breakout performance that saw him catch seven passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Assuming Denzel Ward does what he always does and limits the threat that is Garrett Wilson on the outside for New York, it could mean Sadiq becomes a bigger focus for Smith. 

Smith has turned back the clock a bit after a shaky season in Las Vegas in 2025, and is playing at a respectable level through these first few weeks, highlighted by the fact that he hasn't thrown a single interception compared to five touchdowns so far this season. 

Lining up opposite of the 12-year veteran is a Browns defense that has been fairly opportunistic with four interceptions already. It's no secret the Browns are a man-heavy team, playing the coverage over 60% of the time this season, but that may play into Smith's hand a bit. 

Among his QB peers, Smith ranks seventh in success rate against man coverage (51.9%) so far this season, while leading the league in completion percentage (75%) against man as well. This isn't to say the Browns won't play man against New York. It's what they do best. But something may have to give this weekend and if Cleveland can finally generate a Smith mistake it could go a long way in winning this game.