Browns rally past Jets in Hall of Fame Game after lights briefly go out

CANTON, Ohio — The Browns and Jets played a down-to-the-wire football game that included a little bit of the absurd in Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game. What else would you expect from these two teams?

In a game that featured a 20-minute delay between the third and fourth quarters because the lights on the south side of Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium went out, the Browns managed to light up the scoreboard just enough in the second half to outlast New York 21-16 in the preseason opener for both teams.

The Browns scored 14 unanswered points in the second half to erase an early 13-point deficit. The game wasn't decided, though, until Cleveland's Bubba Bolden intercepted Chris Streveler at the Browns' 13 with 40 seconds remaining.

It was the first appearance in the event for the Browns since the expansion franchise's inaugural year in 1999, when they defeated the Dallas Cowboys 20-17 in overtime. It was the sixth time in franchise history they've played in the game, with a 2-3 record in previous appearances.

The Jets made their third appearance in the Hall of Fame Game, having gone 1-1 in previous appearances. They last played in the game in 1992, when they beat the Philadelphia Eagles 41-14.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ