The weather is getting colder, and the Patriots are beginning to play their best football. It’s a story as true as time in the Northeast. The Pats beat the Browns to take care of business again on Sunday.
After four straight wins, including the dismantling of Cleveland on Sunday, the Pats have put the rest of the league on notice. After starting 2-4, the Patriots are now in the driver seat for a playoff spot. Not just that, but they are firmly in the Buffalo Bills’ rear view mirror for a division crown.
Mac Jones got over a few rough starts and had his best game as a professional. The defense suffocated another opponent. The play calling was dynamic on offense. It was suffocating on defense. The team got contributions from seemingly everyone. Anyone watching hoping to see the demise of the New England football squad was extremely disappointed.
The Pats are back! Just check the socials to see other fans complaining and making new controversies (hello Mac Jones dirty tackle??) and it is clear order is being restored in the football universe.
18 observations from the Patriots’ emphatic win vs. the visiting Browns
1.) Mac recovered from rough games against the Chargers and Panthers. Mac was 19 of 23 for 198 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. He was on his game all day, none more evident than his three third-down conversions during the first drive.
Mac was on target to all levels of the field, including going 6 of 7 for 103 yards and a touchdown on passes over ten yards. The rookie continues to improve and showed resilience bouncing back from consecutive poorer showings.
2.) It helped the offensive line also had the best showing of the season, allowing Mac to be pressured just once against a fantastic Cleveland front. McDaniels dialed up screens and quick throws to eliminate aid his offensive line. While Wynn wasn’t asked with Garrett one-on-one often, he held his own in a heavy-weight matchup.
3.) What the Patriots did offensively vs. the Browns is even more impressive considering how good the Browns defense is. The Browns entered the game as the 10th best scoring defense, allowing only 21.8 points per game.
The Pats had 24 by half. New England had 452 yards of total offense, which was 142 more yards than what the Browns allow on average. There was the occasional splash play, but the Pats were consistent and smart when they had the ball.
4.) The Patriots’ drives vs the Browns:
Touchdown
Touchdown
Touchdown
Field Goal
Punt
Touchdown
Touchdown
Touchdown
End of Game.
If it wasn’t for kickoffs, Jake Bailey would’ve had an extra bye.
5.) The turning point came in the first quarter after the Pats had answered the Browns opening drive. In 38 seconds of game time the Pats put up 14 points and never looked back.
First-quarter 0:26 left, Mac finds Henry for a 3-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7.
Second-quarter 14:48 left, Kyle Dugger intercepts a Baker Mayfield pass on the right sideline intended for David Njoku and returns it to the Cleveland 5.
Second-quarter 14:43 left, Rhamondre Stevenson score on a 5-yard rush.
The Pats would add 31 more unanswered points.
6.) The next drive was the most impressive we’ve seen from the Pats in quite some time. Taking over at their own one-yard line, the Pats drove 99 yards on eleven plays to take the 21-7 lead.
7.) The Patriots had touchdown drives of 83, 92, 99, and 95 yards. The three drives of 90-plus yards were a first under Belichick. McDaniels’ play calling was masterful from the start of this one.
8.) Rhamondre Stevenson missed practice all week with a concussion, was activated Saturday afternoon, and still ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries — against a defense that was allowing only 3.5 yards per carry.
9.) Kendrick Bourne had a great game totaling 141 yards on 7 touches while adding a highlight touchdown catch. Bourne did it all, catching 4 for 98 yards and ran it 3 times for 43 more.
10.) Since the week 6 loss to the Cowboys, the Patriots defense is allowing just 12.5 points per game. Opposing QB’s in those games against the Patriots defense: Mike White- 20/32 for 202 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs; Justin Herbert-18/35 for 223 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs; Sam Darnold- 16/33 for 172 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs; and Baker Mayfield- 11/21 for 73 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.
11.) The Pats allowed 7.6 yards per play on the Browns’ opening drive. The rest of the game they allowed 2.9 yards per play. The defensive coaching staff made some great adjustments.
12.) The defense hit Mayfield nine times, sacking him twice before he left the game in the third quarter. Backup Case Keenum didn’t fare much better getting sacked three times in a quarter plus of action.
13.) Christian Barmore was quiet on the stat sheet but not in the game. He was again disruptive throughout. He had constant pressure up the middle and forced a fair number of off-target passes. Pats got a steal with him.
14.) The Pats missed Gunner Olszewski on punt returns. More than once Jakobi Meyers let the punt bounce and lost 10-20 yards of field position.
15.) JC Jackson changed his social handles to Mr. INT last week. The name change didn’t help him on Sunday as he dropped an easy one in the second quarter. If we’re changing names, Hunter Henry might want to apply for Mr. TD. He had 2 more on Sunday, bringing his total to 7 on the season.
16.) Meyers got the first touchdown of his career, and the team could not have been more excited.
17.) With the win, the Pats playoff chances improved to 68% according to FiveThirtyEight. If they had lost their chances would’ve fallen to 32%. Big swing.
18.) The Pats are back. That means hate flowing towards Foxborough from 31 other fan bases. But you kind of have to like this group of guys, right?
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