News » NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Browns were

just a kick away.Well Genard Avery Color Rush Jersey , maybe a few kicks, not to mention a defensive penalty that revived a New Orleans touchdown drive, as well as an interception that set up another Saints score in the waning minutes.Even with all those critical, untimely mistakes, Cleveland could have forced overtime if Zane Gonzalez had managed to compartmentalize an earlier missed field goal — and two missed extra points — when he lined up for a 52-yard try in the final seconds.Gonzalez pushed it wide, and the Browns fell 21-18 in New Orleans to extend their winless streak to 19 games.Yet the performance also demonstrated how close Cleveland is to breaking back into the win column.“Our players, as I told them afterward, ‘There is a good team in that (locker) room,'” Browns coach Hue Jackson said. “There is no doubt in my mind about that.“We’ve just got to make sure we are doing the right things all of the time to give us a chance.”The Browns head into Week 3 with one loss and one tie, but with reasons for optimism. They are just a few plays away from being 2-0. In Week 1, they set up for a winning field goal in overtime against Pittsburgh , only to have it blocked.The Saints (1-1), meanwhile, are evidently unsatisfied with how their season has begun. Their defense struggled in a 48-40 Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay. In Week 2, the offense managed only a field goal through three quarters and change against Cleveland before rallying for 18 points inside the final nine minutes. If not for safety Marcus Williams’ interception of Tyrod Taylor with just less than five minutes to go, the Saints might have become the first team to lose to the Browns since Dec. 24, 2016.“I’m encouraged we won, but let’s not kid ourselves,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “We have a lot to do to improve.”Some story lines emerging from New Orleans’ narrow triumph over Cleveland:WILLIAMS’ WAYGregg Williams, a the Saints defensive coordinator from 2009-11, was caught on the HBO series Hard Knocks boasting that he turned down numerous jobs to take over as defensive coordinator in Cleveland. Now everyone can see why.Drew Brees and the Saints had their hands full with a Browns defense that forced two turnovers — fumbled by receivers Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr. — and came up with three drive-stalling sacks. Tackle Larry Ogunjobi sacked Brees twice, blitzing cornerback T.J. Carrie got to Brees on another third down, and Ogunjobi would have had another in the fourth quarter if not for Derrick Kindred’s illegal contact penalty.“He did a good job,” Payton said of Williams. “They always give you challenging looks. … They have some good young players that played well.”ONE-TWO PUNCHThrough Week 2, it’s apparent that the Saints are relying heavily on Thomas and running back Alvin Kamara to carry the load.Thomas had 12 catches for 89 yards and both Saints touchdowns, giving him 28 catches for 269 yards and three TDs through two games.“With a player of my caliber and the guy behind center and the offensive line and all the tools around me, I’m going to catch a lot of footballs. I’m going to get open. I’ve been doing that my whole life,” Thomas said. “So now what can I do to add value to this team and take the next step?”Kamara had 99 yards from scrimmage, including 53 receiving on six catches to go with his successful run on a 2-point conversion. Kamara now has 240 yards from scrimmage and three TDs.BIG-PLAY CALLOWAYA day after the Browns announced they were formally giving up on deep-threat receiver Josh Gordon https://www.brownsfanshop.com/Austin-Corbett-Jersey , rookie Antonio Calloway offered evidence he could grow into a similar type of play maker, racing past the Saints’ secondary for a 47-yard touchdown catch from Taylor on a fourth-and-5 play with 1:16 to go. It could have been a go-ahead score, but Gonzalez hooked the extra point wide left.“Those are plays we truly believe he can make,” Jackson said.HILL COUNTRYPerhaps third-string QB is the wrong title for New Orleans’ Taysom Hill. He became a regular on special teams late last season on kick coverage. Against Cleveland, he debuted as kickoff returner — and there’s every reason to believe he’ll get another shot. After Cleveland’s first three kickoffs went for touchbacks, Hill decided to return the fourth from 7 yards deep in the end zone. He burst through a seam and sprinted out of the Saints 40 before being tripped up.“It was a good return,” Payton said. “He’s explosive.” Sam Darnold once thought he’d be wearing an orange helmet just a few shades brighter than his hair color.But the former USC star wasn’t precisely what the Browns were looking for in a franchise quarterback in the NFL draft. Darnold checked most of the boxes, but not all of them and Cleveland passed on him with the No. 1 overall pick, selecting Baker Mayfield instead.On Thursday night, Darnold can show the Browns they made a mistake.Another one.The youngest quarterback to start a season opener since 1970, Darnold will perform on a national TV stage for the second time already as a pro when he leads the New York Jets into FirstEnergy Stadium to face the Browns, who have played well enough to win their first two games but are still searching for their first victory since Dec. 24, 2016.Heading into April’s draft, Darnold was considered the top of the deep 2018 QB class and it appeared he would wind up in Cleveland, where quarterbacks have come and gone like restaurant busboys over the past two decades.“Yeah, I thought I could’ve ended up there or several other teams,” Darnold said this week. “I was excited to go anywhere. “Whoever wanted me, whoever wanted to pick me as a top pick, to me it was a dream come true right when it happened.”After the Browns nabbed Mayfield and the Giants grabbed running back Saquon Barkley, the Jets took Darnold and have been more than satisfied by his early development.He rebounded from throwing an interception that was returned for a TD on his first pass attempt in the opener and led the Jets to a 31-point win, and last week the 21-year-old became the youngest QB to pass for 300 yards.Darnold insists he’s not seeking any revenge or trying to prove anything to the Browns.“No,” he said. “I’m just going to go out there and play ball.”The Jets and Browns are on divergent paths with their rookie quarterbacks. New York has chosen to start Darnold, while Cleveland is holding Mayfield out to watch and learn behind Tyrod Taylor.It’s not a race and the Browns feel no need to rush their plan.“We feel very comfortable with the guy that we selected in Baker, and I’m sure they do with him,” coach Hue Jackson said. “He’s a fine prospect and is going to be a fine player. I think they got a good one, but we feel we have a really good one, too.”After facing Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees 鈥?two future Hall of Famers 鈥?in Weeks 1 and 2, the Browns aren’t looking at Darnold as any break.“I don’t think that any game in the NFL is a breather,” said linebacker Joe Schobert.“He’s got a big arm. He’s doing good things as their quarterback. The hardest thing to do is come into the NFL and play quarterback and be successful. And he’s so far shown himself to be pretty poised and good at it.”PRESSURE PACKEDThe Browns are down and desperate. They need a win Nick Chubb Jersey , and after stubbing their toes twice already, need to beat the Jets. A 1-1-1 record seems light years from 0-2-1.“Our team is excited, hungry, disappointed, anxious 鈥?all of those words you want to use,” said Jackson, who is 1-32-1 in two seasons. “We just need to get it done.”BACK ‘HOME”The Dawg Pound will be a homecoming of sorts for several current Jets, who are former Browns.Running back Isaiah Crowell played the past four years in Cleveland. Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor spent two seasons with the Browns, including a breakout campaign in 2016 when the former quarterback had 1,007 yards. His QB for parts of those seasons was Josh McCown, now Darnold’s backup and mentor.Cornerback Buster Skrine played in Cleveland from 2011-14. Jets coach Todd Bowles, too, has Cleveland connections as an assistant under Butch Davis from 2001-04.ALIVE & KICKINGGreg Joseph was on the beach hanging out with friends last weekend, “you know, just living the South Florida life.” Things changed quickly.The rookie is now in the spotlight 鈥?or crosshairs 鈥?as Cleveland’s new kicker. Joseph signed this week after the Browns cut Zane Gonzalez for missing two field goals and two extra points last week.Joseph, who spent the preseason with Miami, is excited about the opportunity.“My film’s out there. My stats are out there,” he said. “I learned a lot about me, the athlete I am and the competitor I am. I’m ready to bring it here.”Q IS THE ANSWERDarnold’s favorite target through two games has been wide receiver Quincy Enunwa, who has a team-leading 13 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown. Enunwa has been targeted 21 times, more than Pryor (11), Robby Anderson (six) and Jermaine Kearse (two) combined.SACK RACEThe Jets got their first four sacks of the season last Sunday against Miami, the most since getting to Taylor seven times when he played with Buffalo in Week 9 last season.“The whole unit, we definitely picked it up last week,” defensive end Leonard Williams said. “We didn’t have any sacks in the first week, even though they got the ball out pretty quickly. At the same time, I don’t want to make excuses. We definitely picked it up last week and I hope we continue to make strides on that.”___