Turner, Cleveland Trounce Jets : AFC: Safety keys defensive gem and offense scores three rushing touchdowns. Jets drop third consecutive game.

The Jets have landed.

After beginning the season with a 20-point victory at Buffalo, followed by an overtime victory against Denver, they’ve lost to Miami, Chicago and Sunday to Cleveland, 27-7.

Eric Metcalf scored one of Cleveland’s three rushing touchdowns and Eric Turner had an interception, a sack and forced a fumble in a game dominated by the Browns.

Cleveland improved to 4-1 for the first time since 1979 and are on top of the AFC Central Division.

And they have done it with defense. Through five games this year, the Browns have yielded just 58 points.

“We felt we had the ability to be a great defense,” said Turner, a first-round pick in 1991 who has four interceptions this season, including one in each of the last three games.

The Jets (2-3), playing without injured Boomer Esiason, lost their third in a row.

“I’m shocked that this happened,” Coach Pete Carroll said. “I’m shocked that this is what we look like today. All I can tell you is, we’re still standing. We will not accept it. The players will not accept it. I can’t. The coaches can’t. We thought we had ourselves ready to go.”

About the best thing the Jets could say for themselves is that they spoiled what would have been Cleveland’s second consecutive home shutout when Rob Moore made a one-handed, diving catch of a 24-yard pass from Jack Trudeau with seven minutes to play.

It was the first touchdown allowed by the Brown defense at home in nine quarters.

“With the players the Jets have at the skill positions, it’s nice to hold them to seven points,” Turner said.

“Who knows how good we can play? We want to find out and continue to get better.”

Vinny Testaverde exploited the Jet secondary, which was giving huge cushions to Cleveland receivers throughout the first half, and completed 21 of 36 passes for 257 yards without an interception.

“They pretty much had their way throwing the football against us today,” Carroll said. “Our pressure was not good on the quarterback. Vinny was clean almost all day long, which made it easy for him to succeed in the air.”

Alexander, a rookie, caught seven passes for 105 yards for his second day with more than 100 yards this season.