Coming off the win against the Tennessee Titans to cap off the road trip, the New England Patriots should feel good about their effort, but also be motivated to address any lingering or potential issues with the team.
Although the Patriots had 175 rushing yards in the game, the run-game consistency is still up-and-down, and couldn’t help but come into question at times against a subpar rushing defense like the one Tennessee has. This will continue to put more and more pressure on second-year quarterback Drake Maye, which is fine in theory but not conducive to long-term success.
With such a young roster, the Patriots will certainly look to address and fix the running issue quickly to ensure the coaches maintain their focus on keeping players engaged and focused on the task at hand throughout the long, arduous season. the season. No opponent in the National Football League should be taken lightly, and the Cleveland Browns are no different.
The Browns sit at 2-5 so far this season, but the offense and defense have some pieces sprinkled throughout the roster. The offense has had no choice but to revolve around rookie running back Quinshon Judkins and the offensive line, with both the quarterback and wide receiver situations proving quite catastrophic.
The defense is closer to striking fear into opponents, built from the inside out with Myles Garrett as its leader. You shouldn’t expect an over-the-top game plan from coach Kevin Stefanski, but for that reason, he’s likely to prioritize being the smarter team. For a team with the record the Browns have, winning this way is always possible in a league full of players who take victories for granted.
1. Getting to the Run Enough
The Patriots could probably still get away with passing the ball a lot on Sunday, but they could easily regret future losses if they rely too heavily on Maye being the one leading the offensive game plan, allowing defenses to think less. Cleveland's defensive front will provide a far better test than Tennessee’s, so hopefully the Patriots see the opportunity in front of them, establish the run early like they did last week, and do it effectively.
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson increasingly looks to be the main guy once again, as backup TreVeyon Henderson continues to try to fit in, so keep an eye on how Stevenson progresses mentally after fumbling the ball frequently to start the season. The offensive line appeared to have more issues in the running game than Stevenson did last Sunday, suggesting he may be reaching a point where he’s seeing lanes more consistently. If he does so this Sunday and prompts Maye to follow suit and take advantage, the opponent will fall behind the eight ball early and often.
2. Stopping Quinshon Judkins
Judkins is another Ohio State product who has flourished so far in his first year in the NFL, and the Browns’ offense likes to rally around his success. The rookie stands out on the television screen as a heavy, physical runner. If the Patriots’ defense is caught sleeping, he has the surprising breakout speed to make professional defenses pay. From there, the Browns’ offense finds it easier to make plays in the passing game, as everything opens up in the play-action game and opposing players become distracted by what’s happening behind quarterback Dillon Gabriel. The way defenses used to play the Mac Jones-led Patriots is how the Patriots can approach the Browns this Sunday: stack up against the run and force the Browns’ passing game to beat them.
3. Avoiding Turnovers
As a team begins to garner success and attention, especially one with a new culture, the players mustn't shoot themselves in the foot once they make it to the top of the NFL hill. Sitting at 5-2 and coming back to the comforts of home, it would be very easy to take the play on the field lightly and be careless with the football. Especially now that New England should expect a conservative and moderate game plan from the other side, they only need to hit the plays that are there and not feel the need to make more out of less. It’s an obvious point to many, but how many times have fans been able to say they’ve seen their team take games for granted? Many times, and this theme won’t go away for much of the rest of the season for the Patriots, as the schedule down the stretch has never looked so favorable and, therefore, deceiving.