New England Patriots
A look at the difference-makers in the Patriots’ fifth straight victory.
FOXBOROUGH – Make it five wins in a row for the red-hot Patriots.
New England had yet another sluggish start, giving up an opening drive touchdown with a busted coverage against a play-action pass. Cleveland’s pass-rush was disruptive. The Patriots had to settle for three first-half field goals.
But Drake Maye found a way to get the downfield passing attack going in the second half and Robert Spillane helped break the game open with a lengthy interception return that set the Patriots up in the red zone.
There was a lot to like in the Patriots’ second home win of the season.
Here’s a look at who stood out and struggled on Sunday afternoon.
Stock up
Drake Maye
Outside of a ghastly interception that he threw right into Carson Schwesinger’s chest, Maye was efficient and effective.
He got himself going early by making plays with his legs. He hit Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas for big gains. He and Rhamondre Stevenson teamed up on a flea-flicker in the third quarter as the Patriots pulled off a few trick plays.
The offensive line struggled in pass protection, but Maye has some culpability for the six sacks he took because there were times where he held the ball too long.
Overall, Maye was accurate. He nailed his deep throws. He found Mack Hollins consistently for medium gains. Finishing 17-for-23 with three touchdowns against one interception while being the team’s second leading rusher is a good day by any standards.
Robert Spillane
Cleveland’s Dillon Gabriel gave Spillane a gift – a low throw well short of the intended receiver. Spillane scooped it and almost scored before he was tripped up deep into the red zone.
The pick set the Patriots up nicely for a three-play, six-yard drive that was capped by a one-yard touchdown by Stefon Diggs.
Spillane was all over the field yet again, posting 14 tackles including two for a loss. It was a big day for No. 14.
Christian Gonzalez
The Browns’ receivers were blanketed all day. None of them had more than 40 yards. Gonzalez led the charge, breaking up a pair of passes. Marcus Jones also had a pair of deflections.
A pair of pass deflections, a tackle-for-loss, and a quiet day for the opponent gets Gonzalez on this list.
Kayshon Boutte
Boutte and Maye continue to strengthen their downfield connection each week.
The third-year receiver sprinted behind the defenders hauled in a 39-yard touchdown pass as Maye hit him in stride in the end zone. He racked up 75 yards on three catches.
Boutte now has touchdowns in three consecutive games, including his two touchdown performance in his home state of Louisiana against the Saints in Week 6.
Jaylinn Hawkins
Hawkins snagged a diving one-handed interception on a deep throw from Gabriel that seemed like it would land way over his head.
He sprinted 80 yards down the field and celebrated with his teammates on the opposite end. The yardage didn’t count, but the hustle and energy was infectious during a big second half for the Patriots.
TreVeyon Henderson
One week after getting a season-low two carries, Henderson bounced back with a career-high 75-yard performance.
The rookie showed resilience and helped get the Patriots’ struggling run game some momentum.
New England has to find a way to get consistent production on the ground without always relying on Maye’s athleticism.
It felt like they got a little close this week.
Mack Hollins
Hollins caught all seven of his targets. He got open, made plays when he had opportunities and gained chunks of yardage.
He had a team-high 89 yards, marking his most productive performance as a Patriot to date.
Stock Down
Will Campbell
It was a rough day for the entire Patriots’ offensive line, but this was a chance to see how the rookie offensive tackle would fare against a premier pass-rusher and things did not go well for him against Myles Garrett.
Garrett is a nightmare for any lineman to block, but he looked especially dominant today with five sacks and five tackles-for-loss.
None of the Patriots could block Garrett, but the team took Campbell No. 3 overall with the expectation that he’ll eventually be able to hold his own in these kinds of matchups.
He’s not there yet.
Craig Woodson
There wasn’t much to nitpick about in this game, but the opening drive touchdown appeared to be a miscommunication. The Browns had a tight-end run directly between two Patriots who weren’t even looking at him, and he wound up wide open for a touchdown.
It seemed like the rookie safety was the closest player that would have been able to pick that assignment up.
The play gave the Browns early momentum and Cleveland wasn’t able to keep it up, but blown coverages like that will hurt more against better teams.
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