Patriots Overcome Slow Start Blast Browns 32-13
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The Patriots suffered yet another slow start before catching fire in a pivotal third quarter and blowing out the Cleveland Browns 32-13 today at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots nursed a 9-7 lead at the half before outscoring the Browns 21-0 in the third quarter. Drake Maye threw three TD passes and ran for 50 yards as the team dominated the final 30 minutes.
There is the giving of respect, and then there is going overboard. And as this week dragged on, too many people began talking about the Browns defense in terms that you would have thought that they were the ‘85 freakin’ Bears. And they are not. Are they good? Yes, and Myles Garrett (five sacks) is a beast.
But in the end his sacks only sugar-coated what was a beatdown for the Browns who have now lost 12 in a row on the road (something else that was overlooked).
Some observations include:
Drake Maye had a slow start with only three field goals in the first half after going 0-2 in the red zone. He also threw his first interception since the Steelers game, where he didn’t see Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger and was picked off.
Maye didn’t complete 91 percent of his throws today, but did complete 75 percent, 18 of 24 for 282 yards with three TDs and one INT for a passer rating of 135.7. This was against the #1 pass defense in the league. He added 50 yards on seven runs.
Maye threw two touchdowns on the first two drives of the third quarter, to Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry. On the third drive, he took off running, and gained 28 yards on a scramble. On the next play, he went deep down the left sideline and lofted a perfect pass in the bucket to wide receiver Kayshon Boutte for a 39-yard touchdown.
“We worked into the boundary, and Kayshon liked it on that side. We worked on that side during the week. So we just kept it to that side,” Maye said. “He made a great, great move on them and just trying to give him a chance. Thought I overthrew it again, but he made a nice adjustment to it and a great catch.”
Maye now has the most games with 200+ passing yards, a 135+ passer rating and 2+ passing touchdowns in a single season in team history with five, passing Tom Brady (2007).
He is now tied for the second-most in a single season in NFL history. He has been outstanding, and is now moving into uncharted waters.
Mack Hollins led all pass receivers on Sunday with 89 yards on seven catches and being targeted seven times. He and Maye connected a beauty of a hole shot for 21 yards.
They also connected on a nice 19-yard catch and run for a first down. Hollins, as he is known for doing, showed up barefoot dressed as a chess piece this morning. He also had a 19-yard catch on a trick play with Maye and Rhamondre Stevenson.
The defense got off to another horrendously slow start with blown assignments and mix ups in coverage. Facing a 3rd and 11 on their first series, Dillon Gabriel hit Harold Fannin Jr. for 19 yards, two plays later they allowed a 31-yard run by WR Malachai Corley, and then a blown coverage where Fannin was left wide open for an 18-yard touchdown.
In a couple of pregame pieces this week, we mentioned the start that rookie RB Quinshon Judkins was off to a very good start of his career, gaining 420 yards after contact entering today’s game.
The Patriots made him their focus and they bottled him up from the start to the finish. Judkins carried nine times for 19 yards (2.1-yard average) with a long of just six yards. He caught three passes for -2 yards. Mission accomplished. Jerry Jeudy was held without a catch.
The Patriots didn’t fear Gabriel and after the first series, they were proven right. He completed 21 of 35 passes for just 156 yards or 119 after that first drive. He threw two touchdowns, the pass to Fannin, and a touchdown to David Njoku after the game was well out of reach in the fourth quarter. He also threw two interceptions on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter.
The Browns gained just 68 yards on the ground on 16 carries. But…again, after the 31-yard run allowed on the first series, the Browns gained just 33 yards rushing after that. The defense allowed just 214 yards total on the day.
The “other’ rookie Ohio State running back in the game today, TreVeyon Henderson has not seen a lot of plays with his name called, until today.
On this day, he rushed for 75 yards on 10 carries (7.5-yard average), with a long of 28 yards. He was showing the burst that we have been looking for, and was having an outstanding day until disaster struck on the Browns one-yard line.
Henderson burst up the middle for a big gain and appeared that he was going to punch the ball in for another Patriots’ touchdown. But he had the ball punched out at the one and Cleveland took over, casting a pall on a stellar outing for the rookie.
However, two plays later the Patriots got a safety, ending the day’s scoring.
Facing a stout Browns run defense, I wrote that we didn’t expect the Patriots to equal the 175 yards rushing they garnered against the Titans. They rushed for 177 as a team. This is the kind of balance that wins football games.
Drake Maye was sacked six times, five by Myles Garrett, who had six QB hits. The Patriots did not have an answer for him. He’s arguably the best defensive player in the league.
However, Maye’s pocket movement and scrambling really rendered the OL’s issues moot. That is not to excuse the pressure on him, which was shared across the board. The OL’s pass protection has to be better…period.
Other than Andy Borregales, whose three first half field goals put them in front at the half, the STs didn’t have a good game. Three penalties and a shanked 15-yard punt by Bryce Barringer when the Patriots were already backed up led to Cleveland’s final although garbage time touchdown. And worst of all, they allowed Cleveland to recover an on-sides kick. Not a good day.
Other observations include:
The Patriots have won their fifth game in a row and sit at 6-2, a game ahead of the Bills, who thrashed the Panthers today 40-9. Coming off of their bye week, the Bills are 11-0 since 2015.
The Jets won their first game of the season today, 39-38 over Cincinnati. And the Dolphins dominated the Falcons 34-10 today. So, it was a winning day for the AFC East. The Patriots will face the Falcons at Gillette Stadium next Sunday.
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Weak schedule and almost no real injuries is helping a lot, but that aside, this team is no doubt far far better. They have some weak spots, but every team in the NFL does, even the playoff teams. The pats won’t stay healthy like this forever and things will go awry at times, but with a legit top 10 QB, and a solid coaching staff, the Pats should stay in the playoff mix going forward. The pats personnel team nailed it this year with guys like Tonga, Chaisson, Hollins, that weren’t the more marquee signings. The marguee guys are as… Read more »
“There is the giving of respect, and then there is going overboard. And as this week dragged on, too many people began talking about the Browns defense in terms that you would have thought that they were the ‘85 freakin’ Bears. And they are not. Are they good? Yes, and Myles Garrett (five sacks) is a beast.” What kind of take is this? It comes off like some weird attempt to throw water on the fire. No one has talked about the Browns like they have an all time great defense. Coming into the week they were top 5 in… Read more »