New England Patriots
The 2-5 Browns have one of the league’s worst offenses, but their defense could give Drake Maye and the Patriots problems.
At first blush, you might look at the records between the Patriots and Browns and believe that New England is a lock to extend its win streak to five on Sunday.
There is certainly some good reason to feel that way. The Patriots are 5-2 and Drake Maye has played like an MVP candidate, while the Browns have had one of the worst offenses in the league with a rookie quarterback at the helm.
But they play the games for a reason, and Cleveland might actually have an advantage on one side of the ball. So, let’s take a look at five things to know about the Browns before they take on the Patriots.
Dillon Gabriel has been fine in his first few starts, but he doesn’t push the ball down the field.
Unlike Joe Flacco in the first four games of the season, Gabriel has played mistake-free football. The Browns’ rookie has completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 546 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
But beyond playing clean football, Gabriel hasn’t really threatened opposing defenses vertically. His 5.1 yards per attempt is the worst mark in the NFL among quarterbacks who’ve started a game this season. He’s only thrown four passes that have an air yardage of at least 20 yards. For reference, Drake Maye has 18 such passes and that ranks 23rd in the NFL this season.
Furthermore, Gabriel’s average completed air yards (3.3), average intended air yards (5.5), and average air yards to the sticks (minus-4.2) are all the worst in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats. Adding to that, 66 of Gabriel’s 107 passes have had an air yardage of nine yards or fewer.
So, as the Patriots’ pass defense has struggled this season, they might get a reprieve on Sunday as long as they can keep the Browns’ receivers in front of them.
The Browns’ second-round running back from Ohio State is doing much better than the Patriots’ second-round running back from Ohio State.
A few picks before the Patriots took TreVeyon Henderson in the second round in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Browns snagged his Buckeyes teammate and backfield mate, Quinshon Judkins. To this point, Judkins has lived up to the billing of being the better Ohio State running back between the two of them.
Judkins is 11th in rushing yards despite playing just six games so far this season, with 467. And he’s been pretty effective in all but one game so far this season, rushing for at least 60 yards in five of his first six games. Last week, Judkins ran for 98 yards and three touchdowns against the Dolphins.
What’s more impressive, though, is how Judkins is doing it. His 3.85 yards after contact per carry is the third-best mark among running backs with at least 40 rushing attempts this season, per Pro Football Focus. He’s also tied for eighth in missed tackles forced (21) as 420 of his 467 yards have come after contact.
That’s obviously a tough assignment for the Patriots, even if they rank third in rushing defense entering Sunday’s game.
Judkins isn’t the only rookie playing well for Cleveland.
The Browns might be 2-5, but their future looks somewhat promising. Defensive tackle Mason Graham, who the Browns took with the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has been disruptive. While he only has 17 total tackles and a half-sack, Graham has 12 pressures and 10 run stops, which are impressive numbers for a rookie defensive tackle.
However, linebacker Carson Schwesinger might be the best of the bunch from the Browns’ rookie draft class. Schwesinger’s 59 total tackles are tied for 11th and lead all rookies, while his 20 run stops rank 17th among linebackers. So, it isn’t a surprise to see Schwesinger get early consideration for Defensive Player of the Year.
Tight end and third-round pick Harold Fannin Jr. has also been productive with 32 receptions for 290 yards and a touchdown this season. He ranks in the top 10 among all tight ends in receptions and receiving yards.
Myles Garrett is still dominant.
If there’s one thing you should know about the Browns, it’s that Garrett is still one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. He’s got five sacks this season as he’s seeking to extend his NFL record of consecutive seasons with at least 14 sacks to five.
Garrett actually only has one sack in the Browns’ last four games, but he’s got 13 pressures over that stretch, and his 17 run stops this season rank fifth among all edge rushers. His 23 percent pass-rush win rate ranks eighth among all edge rushers, and his 34 percent run-stop win rate is the third-best mark at the position.
Garrett has lined up all over the defensive line throughout his career, even playing in the interior at points. But he primarily lines up opposite the opposing team’s starting left tackle. So, Will Campbell might have the toughest assignment of his young career come Sunday.
Cleveland’s defense has arguably been an elite unit.
Beyond Garrett and the other rookies on the Browns’ defense we’ve mentioned, Cleveland has a handful ot pretty talented players on that side of the ball.
Defensive tackle Maliek Collins might be having an even better season than Garrett. He’s got 3.5 sacks this year, ranking fourth among defensive tackles in pass rush win rate (15 percent) and seventh in run stop win rate (41 percent). Devin Bush has been one of the game’s best linebackers this year with 52 total tackles as PFF has graded him as the sixth-best player at the position.
On the backend, lead corner Denzel Burke has allowed just 17 receptions on 28 targets for 159 yards this season. Safeties Ronnie Hickman Jr. and Grant Delpit have also ranked among the best at their position, with the former providing strong play in pass coverage and the latter boosting the Browns’ run defense.
Considering the number of quality players the Browns have on their defense, it shouldn’t be a surprise that they lead the league in yards against while posting a top-four pass and run defense. They’re 14th in points allowed, but their poor offensive play has contributed to that number.
So, Drake Maye has a pretty tough test ahead of him on Sunday, even if the Browns are just 2-5 on the season.
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