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Game Preview: How Patriots Can Keep Building vs Browns

Taylor KylesBy 9 Mins Read

Another week, another reunion for Mike Vrabel.

One week after thrashing the Titans for their third straight road win, the Patriots will play host to the Cleveland Browns, where Vrabel spent last season as an offensive assistant and personnel consultant. Head coach Kevin Stefanski’s squad is coming off a blowout win in Miami, and they’re more formidable (at least in some areas) than their 2-5 record suggests.

Coordinator Jim Schwartz has fielded one of the league’s stingiest defenses, as Cleveland is allowing the fewest yards per game and the third-fewest expected points added and passing yards.

“Well, they’re fast, they’re disruptive,” Vrabel explained on Wednesday. “They put pressure on the quarterback, and they do it through their players and their identity… They want to force you into mistakes if you give up loose plays, or guys get on the edge of somebody. You’ve got an elite edge rusher on the outside, and if you can’t step up it’s going to be hard to protect. And then the corners are going to be sticky, the linebackers all can run, safeties are very good tacklers. And that’s the thing that I’ve noticed, is that if a ball breaks, eight yards is a really long run against this team because the safeties are such good tacklers – Grant [Delpit] and Ronnie [Hickman].”

This will be a great barometer for the Patriots’ offense, which has done a 180 this season, largely thanks to Drake Maye‘s MVP-level play. Coordinator Josh McDaniels is also maximizing his offensive weapons and making life easier on his players. New England ranks eighth in points per game (25.9) and ninth in yards per play (5.7), and only the Colts (+0.25) have more expected points added per pass (+0.23). Rhamondre Stevenson and the run game also showed signs of life last week after a tough stretch.

Meanwhile, the Browns’ offense is struggling by just about every metric, even after swapping out Joe Flacco for rookie Dillon Gabriel. They’ve also been forced into the league’s 5th-highest pass rate (62.2) due to consistent deficits.

Interim coordinator Zak Kuhr’s defense has held opponents to 20 or fewer points in four straight games, and all signs point to a fifth this Sunday. However, slow starts have plagued this group all season, and though the team has shown resilience to bounce back, the defense is playing a dangerous game.

“Yeah, we just didn’t do a very good job of matching their script and their scheme plays,” Vrabel said of the defense’s early-game struggles. “We’ve got to do a better job of being ready to go with some plays that maybe they’ve seen on tape or that are new and using our fundamentals. But got beat on the script in their first plays, and we’ll have to do a better job.”

New England’s schedule is full of potential trap games, and this is the latest landmine they must navigate to maintain their playoff pace. If Vrabel and company want to prove they’re a contender despite the league’s easiest schedule, they must fast, stay competitive on offense, and dominate a talent-deprived Cleveland offense.

Here are my three keys to the Patriots checking those boxes and keep building vs the Browns.

Contain Myles Garrett and the D-Line

The Patriots’ pass blocking was uncharacteristically boom-or-bust last week.

After three games without a sack allowed, the offensive line gave up three to a defense that lost Jeffery Simmons in the 1st quarter. Left guard Jared Wilson was involved in all three takedowns, and Will Campbell allowed a big hit on a missed blitz pickup.

“A lot of really good pockets and then there were some that weren’t. I don’t think there was anywhere in between yesterday,” Vrabel said on Monday. “It was either we got a lot of time and we got a clean pocket, or we got beat on a game or pressure, and that was, I guess, the story of the pass protection yesterday. It was either no pressure or pretty quick, immediate pressure, and we’ll have to improve that.”

That improvement will have to come quickly against Cleveland’s elite pass rush. PFF has the Browns ranked 18th in pressure rate through seven weeks (34.8), but they’re 3rd in pass rush win rate (60.0) and tied with the Colts for the 9th-most sacks (18).

Myles Garrett continues to torment opposing fronts, ranking 3rd in PFF pass rush grade (91.9) and tying for 10th in sacks. He’ll understandably be at the front of the offense’s mind, but Garrett isn’t the only defender causing chaos up front this season.

“Their front four is exceptional, and it’s not just Myles,” McDaniels said on Thursday. “He’s one of the truly great players in the league and presents all kinds of issues—but the whole front is very disruptive… It’s as good a pass rush as we’ve seen.”

Maliek Collins has been a monstrous complement to Garrett in his first year with the Browns. The 30-year-old is one of PFF’s highest-graded pass rushers, and only Simmons has won at a higher rate among interior defensive linemen.

The Browns move linemen around the front to present different looks and create mismatches, but Garrett and Collins spend most of their time on the right side of the defense. That means the toughest test this season for the Patriots’ rookie left side of Campbell and Wilson. The entire offensive line must also keep its head on a swivel for games and the rare Cleveland blitz, both areas that need improvement after last week’s performance.

Maye can help his protection by efficiently managing the pocket, throwing on time, and using his legs when things break down. On the sidelines, McDaniels can protect both his blockers and quarterback with a balanced script, quick concepts, chip blocks, and moving pockets.

A respectable rushing attack will also be key to avoiding the obvious pass situations that Cleveland’s front thrives in. That will be easier said than done, even with the ground game’s improved performance in Tennessee, so it may be wise to incorporate run-pass options and screens as extensions of the run game.

Shred Man Coverage

The pass rush isn’t all the Patriots’ offense will have to worry about on Sunday.

Four-time Pro Bowler Denzel Ward leads a group of competitive man-coverage corners. Cleveland leaned more toward zone last week against the speedy Dolphins, but they’re expected to play their usual brand of football this week in Foxboro.

“They play some man, they play tight coverage,” Maye said. “They’re probably one of the best cornerback duos we’ll see. When they do mix up zone, they do a good job of getting their eyes on the quarterback and making plays on the football. You saw that last week. So, we’ve got a tough challenge, and it’s going to start another game at home.”

The Browns won’t make things easy, but if receivers get time to win vertically, Maye could be in for his latest productive day downfield. The second-year passer leads the league with a 144.9 rating on throws of 10+ air yards, where Cleveland’s defense has also shown some cracks this season.

Ward is as sticky as they come, but his lack of play strength can be exploited. Right cornerback Tyson Campbell is a more physical player, but he’s been the league’s worst defender when targeted deep. This could put a bullseye on his back for Maye and McDaniels.

Meanwhile, Kayshon Boutte trails only Marvin Harrison Jr. (4) in contested deep catches (3), and Stefon Diggs ranks 5th in receiving yards against man coverage (186), per PFF.

Diggs and DeMario Douglas could also have success after the catch, where Cleveland’s corners have been up-and-down as tacklers.

When the Browns inevitably switch from a man disguise into Cover 2 zone, Maye sounds fully prepared to hit his bread-and-butter hole shots. Maye gushed over the high-difficulty zone-beater, calling them one of his favorite throws.

“It’s one of those things when I’m starting to see Cover-2, it’s one of those, ‘Hey, let’s take advantage of it,'” Maye explained. “It’s one of the voids in the defense. Growing up, playing a lot of 7-on-7, and they say that 7-on-7 wasn’t great for football, but it’s great for quarterbacks, seeing hole shots and throwing hole shots. You’re throwing some pace on it and still getting some arcs… I think it’s becoming more and more of a thing in the league of trying to show different things and go to Cover-2. So, it’s something that I like throwing.”

The Browns’ defense will make its plays, and they truly might be the best defense New England sees this season. That said, Cleveland hasn’t seen anything like Maye and McDaniels. If the offense continues to minimize self-inflicted wounds, the Patriots could make one hell of a statement at home.

Shut Down Quinshon Judkins

The Patriots’ run defense is playing at an elite level after an inconsistent start to the season.

Despite using light boxes (six or fewer defenders) at one of the league’s highest rates, New England is the only team that hasn’t allowed a 50-yard rusher.

Offseason additions have been key to the group’s success. Robert Spillane ranks 5th among linebackers in run defense grade (87.9), Craig Woodson is tied for the 11th-most run stops among safeties (6), and Khyiris Tonga ranks 14th among qualified interior defenders in run stop rate (9.3).

Vrabel credited improved tackling and technique for the group’s success. He also acknowledged the importance of consistency and continued improvement, especially against standout rookie Quinshon Judkins.

“That’s the thing about this league, is you don’t – stats and metrics, numbers don’t mean anything,” Vrabel said. “You have to go out there and be able to prove it. And I know that they’ll have a good plan for how they want to run it. It’s a physical group of linemen, and their tight ends are blocking well. And Quinshon is rushing, running hard, physical. So, they’ve done a nice job.”

According to Next Gen Stats, the Browns are the only team in the league averaging negative yards before contact on the ground (-0.03). Despite those struggles, Judkins ranks 11th in rushing yards (467) and is tied for the 5th-most rushing touchdowns (5), thanks largely to his excellence after contact.

To keep Judkins hemmed in, the Patriots must build a wall against gap runs, set firm edges to force outside zone carries into the teeth of the defense, and swarm to minimize extra yards. By making the Browns’ ground game a non-factor, New England can put the game into Gabriel’s hands, allowing the pass rush and secondary to feast on the overmatched rookie.

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Taylor Kyles is the lead NFL Analyst for CLNS Media covering players, schemes, and tendencies through a New England Patriots-centric lens.

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