–Despite being on a 1-35-1 stretch, the Browns have played relatively well thus far this season. They tied the Steelers, 21-21, in Week 1, and lost on a late field goal in New Orleans on Sunday.
As such, oddsmakers made the Browns a three-point favorite for Thursday’s game on Sunday night. The line moved briefly moved to 3.5 later in the night, but settled at 3, which is where it was Tuesday night.
The Browns haven’t been favored since Week 3 of last season, when they lost in Indianapolis, 31-28, laying a point to the Colts. Cleveland was a league-worst 4-12 against the spread last season, but are 2-0 this season.
When told the Jets were three-point underdogs on Monday, outside linebacker Brandon Copeland said: “Really? It doesn’t bother us. It’s something that won’t keep me up at night. … I don’t think we have the right to take anybody lightly.”
Added wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, a former Brown: “It means nothing to me. … Paper is paper. There are so many teams that are underdogs and they’re coming out and beating guys. It really doesn’t matter.”
The Jets are 1-1 against the spread, they dominated Detroit, 48-17, as a 6.5-point underdog, and losing to Miami, 20-12, giving three points.
The home teams has won and covered both Thursday night games this season.
–Sunday was Todd Bowles’ 50th regular-season game as head coach of the Jets, becoming only the seventh coach (out of 18 in franchise history to coach at least one game, so Bill Belichick doesn’t count) to reach the mark.
Bill Parcells coached 50 if you count his two playoff games in 1998, and Eric Mangini coached 49 with his one postseason appearance.
Of the seven to hit 50 regular-season games — Weeb Ewbank, Walt Michaels, Joe Walton, Bruce Coslet, Herm Edwards, Rex Ryan and now Bowles — not one had a winning record with the Jets. Bowles’ .420 winning percentage is second worst to Coslet (26-38, .406) among the group, but Bowles is the only one of the seven not to make a postseason appearance.
Coslet’s 1991 Jets went 8-8 and lost to the Oilers in the wild-card round.
The 54-year-old Bowles has also been the beneficiary of getting to play the Browns three times. He is 3-0 against Cleveland and 18-29 against everyone else (.383), including 7-12 against AFC East opponents (.368).
–The Browns were featured during training camp on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” and Bowles was asked after Tuesday’s practice if he watched.
“I did not,” he said.
When asked if there is anything for an opponent to gain from watching the show, Bowles said: “I watch ‘Power’ and ‘Queen of the South’ and that is about it. That’s my leisure time.”
One of the most popular seasons of “Hard Knocks” was when they chronicled the Rex Ryan-led Jets in 2010. But the more subdued Bowles doesn’t think he’d be a worthy candidate for the show.
“I’d probably be the most boring person,” he said. “I don’t think they want to come this way.”
BY THE NUMBERS: 14 — The Jets have 14 penalties (for 99 yards) through two games, which may sound like a lot, but it is actually only 18th most in the league. Pittsburgh leads the league with 24, while New England is last with eight.
