Game preview: 5 things to watch when Patriots take on Cleveland Browns

FOXBOROUGH – The Patriots are better than we thought.

Coming off two 4-win seasons, there weren’t any delusions of grandeur when Mike Vrabel took over this offseason. The hope this fall was that the Patriots would show to be a competitive team, and Drake Maye improved.

Before this year, many fans would’ve been overjoyed had the Patriots won 8 games this season. However, after a 5-2 start, the Patriots are a team that can aim higher.

Vrabel’s team won its fourth-straight game last weekend in Tennessee. That hasn’t happened in New England since the 2021 season. That year, the Patriots won 10 games but couldn’t build off the success.

This year, the Patriots have a chance to better that record. After taking care of business with three straight road games, the Patriots return home against the Cleveland Browns. This is a tough team with a 2-5 record. If Vrabel’s team is going to continue to surpass expectations, they have to win matchups like this.

Here are five things to watch in Sunday’s matchup:

Drake Maye

This week, Mike Vrabel said the Browns have the best defense they’ll have faced this season. Cleveland ranks first in the NFL in total defense, allowing an average of 256.1 yards per game. They rank third in passing defense (173.7 yards per game) and fourth in rushing defense (82.4 yards per game).

This marks a great challenge for Drake Maye and his offense. The Patriots rank eighth in the NFL in scoring, averaging 26.3 points per game. The Patriots schedule has been easier this season. Although the Browns have a 2-5 record, their defense will tell us something about Maye and his offensive unit.

Run defense

The Browns have one of the worst offenses in the NFL. They rank 30th in the NFL in scoring, 16.1 points per game. Their pass game ranks 30th in the league, and their run game ranks 28th. The key to their offense runs through rookie running back Quinshon Judkins. The second-round pick has turned into Cleveland’s best offensive weapon.

Last weekend, the Browns beat the Miami Dolphins thanks to Judkins, who ran for three rushing touchdowns. He’s scored five times in seven games. He also played a big role in the Browns upset win over the Green Bay Packers, running for 94 yards with a score. The Patriots have the third-best run defense in the NFL, allowing an average of 77.1 yards per game. That needs to continue on Sunday.

Run game

Did the Patriots run game turn it around? Last weekend, the Patriots ran for a season-high 175 rushing yards. Rhamondre Stevenson averaged 4.9 yards per carry, rushing for 88 yards on a season-high 18 carries. The Patriots failed to rush for 75 yards in the previous two matchups, so the performance in Tennessee was a welcome sight.

This weekend, however, we’ll see if that performance was a sign of things to come. The Browns have the No. 4 rushing defense in the NFL. They’re allowing 82.4 rushing yards per game. They rank first in the NFL, allowing 3.26 yards per carry. We’ll see if the Patriots run game can step up.

Offensive line

A six-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro, Myles Garrett is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. He presents the biggest challenge for the Patriots on Sunday. Garrett has five sacks and 10 quarterback hits in seven games this season. He can ruin the Patriots day, but he’s not the only one. The Browns also have talented defensive tackle Maliek Collins, who has 3.5 sacks and seven quarterback hits this season.

The Patriots’ offensive line has a huge challenge ahead. The Browns are sacking quarterbacks on 9% of their dropbacks. That’s eighth best in the NFL. Patriots rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson are going to be tested. The Patriots need their pass protection unit to step up.

Turnovers

The Patriots head into this matchup favored by 7.5 points. There are a few good reasons – they have a better quarterback, offensive weapons, and overall roster. Of course, in the NFL, nothing is guaranteed. For the Patriots, the key to this game is to stay turnover-free.

We saw what a turnover-heavy game can do when they lost to Pittsburgh in Week 3. That game featured five turnovers by the Patriots. Since then, the team has turned the ball over once in this four-game winning streak. Maye hasn’t thrown an interception since that loss to the Steelers. Stevenson has fumbled once in the last four games. The Browns’ only hope is that the Patriots give up the ball on Sunday.

Prediction: Patriots 23, Browns 13