New England Patriots - NESN.com
The Patriots will host the Cleveland Browns this Sunday, and a key factor for New England’s victory will be how well the offensive line protects Drake Maye from Myles Garrett.
Garrett ranks among the NFL’s top pass rushers, recording double-digit sacks in his last seven seasons. This season, he has five sacks in seven games.
Maye knows what kind of challenge the 29-year-old pass rusher brings to the table.
“He’s one of the best players in the league,” Maye said on Wednesday, via WPRI-TV’s Morgan Weaver. “He’s somebody, you’ve got to know where he’s at. He plays hard, he’s disruptive in the run game and the pass game.”
Despite the Browns’ 2-5 record, their defense stands out as one of the NFL’s premier units, allowing just 256.1 total yards per game — the best in the league.
New England’s head coach, Mike Vrabel, who spent last season on the Browns coaching staff, knows how good their defense is.
“They’re playing at a high level, they’re playing with a lot of confidence,” Vrabel said on Wednesday, via Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling. “It’s a lot of speed, a lot of disruption. They don’t give you a whole lot of time to make decisions. And then there’s enough change ups in there that you just have to be good. You have to be sound, can’t hold on to the ball.”
Cleveland’s defense should give the Patriots a nice test, which could be great for a relatively young team looking to make the playoffs.
