The Patriots beat up on another bad team in their return home, topping the Browns 32-13.

New England’s fifth-straight win marked the longest such active streak in the NFL, and it featured another record-setting performance from rising star Drake Maye.

Interim coordinator Zak Kuhr’s defense was mostly dominant, forcing two turnovers and holding Cleveland to just 23:48 minutes of possession.

Coordinator Josh McDaniels‘ offense was slow out of the gate, and his group ended the day going 3-11 on third downs and 2-6 in the red zone while committing three turnover-worthy plays. However, a clutch end-of-half sequence and a dominant third quarter helped propel New England to a win. McDaniels was also in his bag as he continues to add up new wrinkles and concepts based on the opponent.

Head coach Mike Vrabel pointed to the Patriots’ opportunism, improved red-zone efficiency, and explosive plays as the unit’s catalyst for the second-half surge.

“Sometimes it’s going to be like that,” he said postgame. “A lot of times in this league it’s going to be like that. We’ve had other games. You could ask me about starting fast. Again, we’ll try to continue to work on it. I’m mostly proud of the totality of the team. I know there’s so much more to improve, but we got stops in the second half, and we scored touchdowns. That’s what the difference in the game was.”

It might not have been perfect, but this win was the latest example of New England showing resilience in the face of adversity. As Vrabel pointed out, the issues must be addressed, but knowing how your team responds in those moments is valuable down the stretch, especially with the playoffs seeming more possible by the week.

With that in mind, here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Patriots’ home victory over the Browns.

The Good

Defense

The Patriots’ defense completely flipped the script after an ugly first series, holding the Browns without a touchdown until the game was well out of reach.

New England ended the game with one sack, but Milton Williams and Christian Barmore consistently terrorized the backfield. Barmore had a key pressure on the end-zone throwaway that led to a safety, marking the second straight week the defense put points on the board. New England also shut down Quinshon Judkins before the back left due to injury, making them the first team since 1950 to go the first eight games of a season without allowing an opposing running back to reach 50 yards in a game.

Robert Spillane was everywhere, ending the game with a team-high 14 total tackles, two run stuffs, and an interception that set up a quick score.

Spillane did miss a tackle on an explosive catch-and-run, but it was the only glaring blemish on an excellent day for the team captain.

The secondary dominated against a lackluster Browns passing game. Jaylinn Hawkins made the play of the day in his return from injury, making an incredible effort to track and intercept a deep ball.

Marcus Jones continued his impressive 2025 campaign, breaking up on a third-down slant and a late two-point attempt. Christian Gonzalez also broke up a pair of passes, including an end-zone throw to Jerry Jeudy on fourth down, which led to a spirited discussion between the competitors. Jones, Gonzalez, and Carlton Davis were also active as tacklers.

Second Half Passing Offense

Maye entered a flow state in the third quarter after an up-and-down first half, with the quarterback going 6-6 for 82 yards and three touchdowns.

This stretch included a double-pass completion to Mack Hollins before taking a hit, a pair of short touchdown passes to capitalize on turnovers (including Stefon Diggs‘ first as a Patriot), and a deep Kayshon Boutte touchdown that followed a 28-yard scramble.

Maye didn’t throw much in the 4th quarter, but he flashed on a tight-window throw to Hollins before dropping a fadeaway dime to Diggs that was negated by a push-off. The second-year quarterback’s ability to not just move on from early struggles, but post perfect stat lines for extended stretches has been remarkable to watch. And unlike in recent weeks, he did it against an elite defense while taking six sacks.

If Maye wasn’t on a nationwide MVP watch before, today’s performance made him impossible to ignore.

Running Backs

TreVeyon Henderson showed his big-play potential for the first time since this preseason, running for 75 yards on just ten carries, including three explosives (10+ yards).

It looks like the game is slowing down for the rookie, with Henderson showing noticeable patience to let blocks develop. He also dished out some punishment and made defenders miss after being one of the league’s least productive backs after contact.

Most of Henderson’s success came outside the tackles (particularly to the right), and the rookie said postgame that getting him the ball in space was a point of emphasis this week. Mission accomplished.

Rhamondre Stevenson managed just 34 yards on 14 carries, but he was better than the raw stats suggest. He had noticeable second efforts to pick up tough yards after running into a wall. He was also stuffed four times on a steady diet of inside runs. The tape may tell a different story, but it looked like those struggles had more to do with blocking than Stevenson’s decision-making. Henderson was also stuffed on a pair of runs.

Terrel Jennings continues to thrive as a five-minute back, turning one of his two late carries into an explosive.

The Bad

First Half Passing Offense

The passing attack looked completely out of sync for most of the 1st half.

Maye’s ball placement was off at times, Boutte had a rare drop, and receivers didn’t seem to be separating against man coverage. Will Campbell and the offense also couldn’t block Myles Garrett despite consistent chip help. Garrett ended the day with a whopping five sacks, three of which came in the first two quarters.

These issues led to a pair of field goals in the red zone, two three-and-outs, and a bad interception in which Maye was bailed out by his defense and a missed field goal.

There were positive flashes, like Maye and Boutte connecting on a devastatingly effective out-comeback against Denzel Ward. Boutte also combined with DeMario Douglas to set up a field goal before halftime, foreshadowing the third-quarter dominance to come. That said, those kinds of slow starts can become back-breakers against better competition.

Opening Drive Defense

The Patriots’ slow starts persisted this week, with the Browns’ gashing New England on what Vrabel called “gimmick plays” during their opening drive.

Marte Mapu ran into traffic for a 3rd & 11 conversion, Jones missed a key tackle on an explosive jet sweep, and Harold Fannin caught the defense sleeping for a downfield score off play action.

The defense deserves immense credit for largely shutting down their opponent from that point on. Still, I’d like to write one of these without having to dock them for a lack of energy out of the gate.

Fourth Quarter Special Teams

The game may have been decided, but the Patriots had some rough special teams moments late.

Bryce Baringer shanked a punt that went just 15 yards early in the fourth quarter after a positive first three quarters. New England also failed to recover an onside kick attempt after the defense forced a safety.

More lapses that are easy to overlook in a blowout, but can make the difference in a tighter game.

The Ugly

Turnover-Worthy Plays

Maye’s interception was the kind of odd brain fart that popped up a couple of times a year on his college tape. It’s nothing to panic over, as Maye has been protected with the ball well of late, and Maye joked that he forgot linebacker Carson Schwesinger could jump, but it was his worst turnover as a pro and must be nipped in the bud.

Maye also fumbled on a sack during New England’s two-minute drill, but Jared Wilson fell on it to retain possession.

Henderson’s breakout performance ended on a down note after the back was stripped in the low red zone. It didn’t affect the outcome of a game, but it’s an eyebrow-raising mistake from a backfield that’s low on depth.

Injury Report

• Khyiris Tonga (knee, did not return)

Penalty Watch

1. B.Schooler, Face Mask, 15 yards, enforced at CLV 19.
2. M.Onwenu, False Start, 4 yards, enforced at NE 43 – No Play.
3. H.Henry, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at CLV 40 – No Play.
4. M.Mapu, Illegal Formation, 5 yards, enforced at CLV 26.
5. R.Grant, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at NE 34.
6. C.Davis, Defensive Holding, 5 yards, enforced at CLV 35 – No Play.
7. S.Diggs, Offensive Pass Interference, 10 yards, enforced at CLV 36 – No Play.