Pats Pulpit
Coming off a three-game road stretch, the New England Patriots return home to Gillette Stadium as owners of the No. 2 seed in the AFC and winners of four straight to improve to 5-2 on the year. In order to keep their hot streak alive, they will need to fend off a talented but underperforming opponent on Sunday: the Cleveland Browns, who themselves have won just two of their seven games so far this season.
The Browns are a formidable opponent, particularly on defense. How do they stack up against the Patriots, though? Let’s go through the two team’s key areas to find out.
Patriots pass offense vs. Browns pass defense: Cleveland’s pass defense has performed well this season, ranking eighth in expected points added per dropback (0.027) and net yards per attempt surrendered (5.6). They are the most formidable opponent Drake Maye and the Patriots passing game will have gone up against this year so far, and definitely have the means to slow New England down. That said, Maye is on an absolute heater at the moment while the entire unit is performing well when it comes to moving the ball through the air. Pass protection will be a concern against Myles Garrett and company, but the second-year quarterback has shown that he can operate muddy pockets at a high level as well. | Edge: Patriots
Patriots pass defense vs. Browns pass offense: After starting out with Joe Flacco as their quarterback, the Browns recently made the switch to third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel. Sunday’s game will mark Gabriel’s fourth career start, and it will come against a disruptive pass rush and talented pass defense. The Patriots naturally have an advantage in the matchup, but they cannot just trust on the young QB to make mistakes; they need to force him into errant throws and difficult decisions while also making sure his favorite targets — Jerry Jeudy and Harold Fannin Jr. — are taken care of. | Edge: Patriots
Patriots rushing offense vs. Browns run defense: The Patriots’ run game had its best performance of the season last Sunday in Tennessee, but the Titans and Browns are two entirely different kettle of fish. Whereas the former entered the game against the Patriots ranked 21st in yards per attempt (4.5) and 24th in EPA per run (-0.039), the latter are first (3.3) and second (-0.214) in the respective categories through seven games. Whether or not New England has indeed turned the corner in the ground game will be seen on Sunday, but until they show consistent success against a quality opponent like Cleveland it is still hard to pick them in a head-to-head matchup. | Edge: Browns
Patriots run defense vs. Browns rushing offense: Second-round rookie Quinshon Judkins has performed admirably as the Browns’ lead back and offensive focal point, ranking 11th in the league in rushing yards (467) and ninth in EPA per run (0.04). Running behind a physical and experienced offensive line, the...
