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Jets' Jermaine Johnson never satisfied despite strong season

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Jets' Jermaine Johnson never satisfied despite strong season


Jermaine Johnson had his first NFL interception, touchdown return and fumble recovery in his last game, but that night he was “mad.”

He feels that way often, whether it’s because the Jets lost or he believes he could have done more.

Johnson thinks he’s shown that he’s “a dominant player” in his second NFL season, but he’s not satisfied. He never is. Ever.

“It’s a blessing and a curse because sometimes I’m just like mad,” Johnson told Newsday. “I kind of sit down and I’m like, ‘Nah.’ I’m never really satisfied.”

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The Jets (6-10) will close out the season Sunday in New England, looking to snap a 15-game losing streak against the Patriots in what could be Bill Belichick’s final game as their coach.

The Jets’ defense wants to end the right way after allowing Joe Flacco to pass for 309 yards and three scores in a 34-20 loss in Cleveland on Dec. 28.

Johnson had a good game, though.

New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (95) New York Jets linebacker Bryce Huff (47) New York Jets linebacker Quincy Williams (56) celebrate a sack during the second half the Houston Texans at the NY Jets on December 10, 2023 Credit: Lee S. Weissman/Lee S. Weissman

He deflected a Flacco pass into the air, picked it off and ran 37 yards for a touchdown. Later, he scooped up a fumble and took it in for the TD, but the play was ruled dead.

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Johnson called the pick “cool,” but he was hot.

“I was mad,” he said. “It was a good play. It was a cool play. It was probably one of the best I’ve made. We didn’t win. I still didn’t feel like I had enough of a presence in the game.”

After playing 312 snaps as a rookie, Johnson has established himself as a disruptive piece who could play alongside All-Pro tackle Quinnen Williams for a long time.

Johnson’s 714 snaps this year are second on the line to Williams. Johnson is second on the Jets with 6.5 sacks and has seven passes defended.

“He’s having an amazing year,” Williams said. “Just to see the growth from last year to this year . . . You can see the game-changing plays that he makes week in and week out. Not just last week, but this whole season.

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“I’m super-excited to be able to play with him in the future for years to come. We definitely can be one of the best dynamic duos in the league for years to come.”

The Jets envisioned Johnson being a foundation player when they traded up to grab him with the 26th pick in 2022. He spent last year in the shadows of some of the Jets’ other picks: Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall.

Johnson stayed hungry, worked hard on his body and game in the offseason and proved he’s just as important to the Jets.

“Jermaine has been awesome, and I feel bad for him because he kind of gets lost in the shuffle of the [three] picks that we had that get celebrated,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “But Jermaine is playing at a Pro Bowl level. He’s disruptive. He changes games. He gets after the quarterback. He’s awesome in the run game, playing through so much pain right now.

“It’s so cool just to watch a young man who put in the work that he needed to in the offseason to reap the rewards of his labor. He’s doing a great job, grossly underrated in my opinion, but he’s going to be good for a long time.”

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The defensive coaches believe in letting a rookie watch and learn and then unleashing him when he’s better acclimated. They expect edge rusher Will McDonald, their first-round pick this year who has played only 167 snaps, to follow a similar path.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich noted Johnson’s “huge jump” and said it’s “the same jump I anticipate Will taking next year.”

Ulbrich said Johnson “is rare” because he can do so much from being “a violent edge-setter” to having “great speed and bend and an arsenal of moves — and that is his superpower.”

Johnson also has shown he’s good against the run.

After Johnson’s rookie season, he watched a lot of film of himself and said he didn’t recognize that person. That fueled his offseason work. He said he recognizes himself when he watches tape now — but, you know.

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“I’m still not satisfied, just never really satisfied,” Johnson said. “The tape looks pretty good. I like to win. I like to be an undisputable dominant force and a great teammate. I’m just looking to bring that into the next year and making sure that that’s true.”

Johnson doesn’t know what it will take for him to truly be satisfied.

“I have no idea,” he said. “I just know that when I hit the peak of one mountain, it always ends up to be the base of another. That’s how I’ve always been wired. I can’t tell you what will change that.”

The only thing Johnson knows is that he’ll never stop wanting more.

“My thing is hard work must get done,” he said. “Hard work mixed with the talent that God gives me and mixed with the great teammates and people I have around me should be a recipe for good things.”

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JETS-PATRIOTS GAMEDAY

Line: Patriots by 1.5; O/U 30.5

TV: Fox (Chris Myers, Robert Smith, Jen Hale)

Radio: ESPN (98.7) (Bob Wischusen, Marty Lyons); SiriusXM 380.

All-time series: Patriots lead, 74-54-1 (Patriots have won 15 in a row).

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Last meeting: Sept. 24, 2023,

Patriots 15 (at) Jets 10.

KEY INJURIES

Jets: OUT: QB Aaron Rodgers (Achilles), QB Zach Wilson (concussion), TE Jeremy Ruckert (concussion), OL Jake Hanson (concussion). DOUTBFUL: G Wes Schweitzer (calf).

Patriots: OUT: T Trent Brown (illness), TE Hunter Henry (knee): QUESTIONABLE: S Jalen Mills (ankle), WR Tyquan Thornton (ankle); DL Christan Barmore (knee).

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BYE STREAK, BYE BILL?

The Jets, losers of 15 straight games against the Patriots, hope to accomplish two things in what could be Bill Belichick’s final game coaching New England.

“It would be nice to send him out with a loss and end the streak all in one,” tight end Tyler Conklin said.

Both have been talked about among the Jets’ players. They’re tired of hearing about and being asked about the streak. The Jets’ last win over New England came on Dec. 27, 2015. It’s the longest active one in the NFL. “We got to fix it,” C.J. Mosley said. “It’s a great time to start.”

CLIMBING THE CHARTS

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Garrett Wilson is seven catches shy of 100. Brandon Marshall is the only Jet to record 100 receptions in a season. He had 109 in 2015.

Breece Hall needs 105 scrimmage yards to become the fifth Jet with 1,500 yards in a season. Curtis Martin did it six times and Freeman McNeil, Thomas Jones and Marshall once.

With one catch, Conklin will become the third Jets tight end with 60 receptions in a season. Mickey Shuler did it four times and Dustin Keller once.

(All the previous marks were done in a 16-game season).

NEW QBs

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Trevor Siemian will be the eighth Jets quarterback to start against the Patriots since the streak began. Bailey Zappe will be New England’s fourth.

The other Jets’ starters were Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco, Sam Darnold, Luke Falk, Josh McCown, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Bryce Petty. The Patriots? Mac Jones, Cam Newton and Tom Brady.

QUOTABLE

“It’s a good opportunity to go out there, play a clean football game, start the year and end the season on a win — and obviously end this damn streak.”

— Tyler Conklin

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NUMBER, PLEASE

23-2. Bill Belichick’s record against the Jets since they beat New England in the 2010 AFC divisional round. It was the last time the Jets reached the playoffs

— AL IANNAZZONE



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Cleveland, OH

LeBron James Could Give the Cavaliers the Mentality They’re Missing

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LeBron James Could Give the Cavaliers the Mentality They’re Missing


The NBA world is waiting in anticipation to see what 41-year-old LeBron James will do next with his career, and the story just got more interesting.

Over the weekend, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson had a quote that turned heads. “You guys know there’s a little free agency thing going on right now. That could be our real jump, and you know what I’m talking about. That’s exciting too.”

The Cavaliers coach also went on to say, “Listen, this is an exciting time for us, right? Like we’re in the mix for, you know, the greatest player of all time… I think you’re nervous, but we understand how it is. He’s obviously earned that right to take his time.”

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Major Interest

The Cavaliers knew roster changes needed to happen following their exit from the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Finals. While making the conference finals was an achievement, getting swept embarrassingly by the eventual champion New York Knicks showed one thing: this team still had a clear gap to close if they were to win a championship.

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A quote like this from an NBA coach is not typical in the slightest. Atkinson is making his interest in LeBron clear on a national stage, and rightfully so. LeBron brings a skill set the Cavaliers have been missing since his departure: a lengthy forward who can help with spacing while also adding playmaking, postseason experience, and late-game control.

A New Mentality

Aside from roster fit, LeBron can bring something this team has needed for quite some time: a new mentality. The Cavaliers have been labeled as soft, stemming from a quote such as “the lights were brighter than expected” by Jarrett Allen after a series loss to the Knicks in 2023. 

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LeBron, despite his age, still has his championship mentality. This is evident from his playoff series against the Rockets while he was still with the Lakers this past May. LeBron led the Lakers past a younger, arguably more talented team in the Rockets to advance to the second round. 

The hope is that this championship mentality can rub off on the Cavs’ younger talent while LeBron wraps up his career in the wine and gold.

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It looks like everyone is waiting on what “The King” does next, including his next potential head coach. This is for good reason, as LeBron could be the missing piece needed to take the Cavaliers to the next level, not only because he remains one of the greatest players of all time, but because he could bring a championship mentality to a core that desperately needs it.

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Cleveland, OH

Crews respond to 10-inch water main break in Cleveland; possible sinkhole reported

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Crews respond to 10-inch water main break in Cleveland; possible sinkhole reported


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A massive water main break and a possible sinkhole was reported in Cleveland Monday afternoon.

A 19 News crew is on scene at the intersection of E 130th Street and Buckeye Road for the possible reported sinkhole and a water main break.

According to the Cleveland Division of Water, the break on Buckeye Road is a 10-inch water main and a repair crew is on the way.

The water has been shut off, but the area remains closed due to the debris and for cleanup.

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19 News has made call outs to officials for more information.

Sinkhole reported in Cleveland, crews on scene(Source: WOIO)

This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.

Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.



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Cleveland, OH

Body found in search for boy missing in Lake Erie, Cleveland fire officials says

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Body found in search for boy missing in Lake Erie, Cleveland fire officials says


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The body of a missing boy in Lake Erie was found Sunday afternoon, according to the Cleveland Fire Department.

Multiple agencies searched Lake Erie Saturday night and continued searching Sunday morning for a young boy who was reported in the water near the East 55th Street Marina.

Multiple agencies searched Lake Erie Saturday night and continued searching Sunday morning for a young boy who was reported in the water near the East 55th Street Marina.(WOIO)

The search for the boy had turned into a recovery mission before Metroparks divers discovered the body, Cleveland Fire Chief Mike Norman said.

The search for the boy had turned into a recovery mission before Metroparks divers discovered...
The search for the boy had turned into a recovery mission before Metroparks divers discovered the body, Cleveland Fire Chief Mike Norman said.(WOIO)

Cleveland Fire, Metroparks and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources responded to the call, which came in just before 9 p.m. Saturday.

Search efforts

Cleveland Fire said crews responded to a report of a child in the water. A fire boat made multiple passes over the area, shining a light into the water. Two divers were also sent into the lake to search for the child. No body was found.

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A helicopter was also spotted flying over the water near the bank, searching with a spotlight.

The Cleveland Fire Department said at 10:15 p.m. Saturday that its crew in the lake would be ending their search soon.

Cleveland fire crews said Sunday that they resumed the search for the missing boy before turning operations over to a recovery mission.

Chief Norman said Metroparks divers are transporting the body and receiving assistance from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.

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