Patriots vs. Browns Week Six – Players to Watch, Betting Preview, and Game Prediction

After a dominant, nostalgic win last Sunday with their third-string quarterback at the helm, the Patriots unfortunately don’t have much time to celebrate.

That’s because they have to go right back to the drawing board this weekend with another game on the docket.

New England heads to Cleveland on Sunday to take on the 2-3 Browns. The game will kickoff at 1pm and can be seen on CBS. Kevin Harlan and Trent Green are on the call.

As always, our sponsors at BetOnline.ag have you covered with all of the best bets and odds for the NFL. Here are their odds for Sunday’s game in Foxboro:

Odds – Patriots (2-3) vs. Browns (2-3)

Spread: Patriots -2.5

Total: 43

Moneyline: Patriots -143/Lions +123

Storylines

This game has quite the “family reunion” feel to it. Belichick is back in Cleveland, Jacoby Brissett faces off against the team that drafted him, and Chase Winovich and Mack Wilson can look to get revenge after the two teams traded them for one another earlier this offseason.

The Browns are 2-3 and, like the Patriots, have played several close games that could have resulted in wins. In fact, their three losses have been by a total of six points, and they’ve been leading heading into the fourth quarter in all five of their games. We know the famous saying from coach Bill Parcells: “you are what your record says you are,” but this may have an entirely different meaning in Cleveland.

The main story in New England, obviously, is the health of quarterback Mac Jones. Jones was again listed as “limited” at practice on Wednesday, but according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, has a decent chance of playing this weekend. Fowler said that Jones, “has progressed and even made last week’s decision to go with Bailey Zappe interesting… Mac is the quarterback. The Zappe Hour is a great story but might not last long.”

Players to Watch

Patriots

Tyquan Thornton

The Patriots second-round rookie wide receiver returned from injury last week and, as you’d expect, wasn’t very effective. He had just two catches for 7 yards on 24 offensive snaps.

With the potential of Mac Jones coming back this week, however, I think there’s a chance that Thornton becomes even more integrated into New England’s offense this Sunday. They will want to be run heavy against this poor Browns run defense – but they’ll still need to take the top off, and Thornton could be perfect for that.

Rhamondre Stevenson

With the quarterback position in limbo, the Patriots will once again look to rely heavily on their run game this weekend in Cleveland. Sounds like a good idea, right? Last weekend, Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 161 yards on 25 carries en route to a Patriots win.

Well, with Damien Harris likely out with a hamstring injury and Ty Montgomery yet to return to practice – this running back room is thin. They haven’t made any moves in the room (yet) so look for them to elevate either JJ Taylor or Kevin Harris this week. Regardless, Stevenson is going to get a boatload of carries in Cleveland. We’ll see how he holds up.

Jack Jones… Again

I can’t get enough of this kid. Jack Jones is currently the fifth-likeliest player to win Defensive Rookie of the Year according to BetOnline.ag at +1400, and he continues to get better week in and week out.

He currently has 12 tackles, 3 pass deflections, 2 interceptions, pick six, a forced and a fumble recovery in 2022. I look forward to seeing Jones add to this impressive stat sheet on Sunday.

Browns

Nick Chubb

I’m just going to say it – Nick Chubb is the best running back in the NFL. Chubb leads the NFL in both rushing yard (593) and rushing touchdowns (7) and is averaging a whopping 6.1 yards per carry.

When you think of best running back in the league – you think of guys like Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, or Jonathan Taylor. Now while they are dynamic and may be better pass catchers, they also often are on the injury report. Chubb may not be as dynamic, but he stays healthy and is the best pure runner in football.

Myles Garrett

After sustaining several brutal injuries just a few weeks ago in a one-car crash, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett returned to the field last week against the Chargers, and returned to form with three total tackles.

Garrett will only continue to get better, and with Jadeveon Clowney on the opposite side of him – Isaiah Wynn and Trent Brown are going to have their work cut out for them on Sunday. This could make or break the Patriots offense.

Prediction/Pick

The Patriots bread and butter has always been taking away a teams best player and letting the scraps beat you. Well, if they’re going to win on Sunday – the recipe is taking away Nick Chubb.

Ultimately, I think they will – and once they do the New England secondary will gobble up Brissett and the below average Browns receiving corp.

I also think Mac Jones will play, and can give the Patriots an added boost on offense alongside another monster game from Rhamondre. Pats win outright and the total goes over.

Prediction: Patriots 23 – Browns 17

Side: Patriots +3

Total: UNDER 43

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