Foxborough, MA – The Patriots extended their winning streak to five games in a 32-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
Heading into the game, we knew two things about the Browns. Cleveland's defense is legit with perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate Myles Garrett living up to the hype and then some (five sacks). And two, the Browns offense, particularly its passing offense, is limited. Really, the only path to victory for Cleveland was a Patriots turnover-fest a la the Browns 31-6 win over the Dolphins last week: if the Patriots played a clean game, they'd probably win.
The expectation was that the Patriots would manage the game offensively and win the game on defense and special teams. You know, one of those where it was something like a 21-13 or 17-10 final, but the game was more lopsided than the final score indicated. Instead, the Patriots dominated in the second half to turn Sunday's game into a rout, scoring touchdowns on three consecutive drives in the third quarter to build a 30-7 lead.
After another slower start on the opponent's opening drive, which we'll get to, the Patriots defense held the Browns offense to three first downs on their next seven possessions. Then, there's QB Drake Maye, who built on an MVP resume eight weeks through his second season with a perfect second-half passer rating (8-8, 114 yards, 3 TDs). In 49 games under DC Jim Schwartz, Schwartz's Browns defense has never allowed a higher drop-back success rate than Maye's on Sunday (54.5%). For all the talk about him doing it against better defenses, Maye delivered in the second half and was even averaging 10.5 yards per attempt in the first half.
The question on everyone's mind while New England rolled through a softer stretch in their schedule is, how real are they? What makes this Patriots team, which now has its longest winning streak since the 2021 season, different from that 2021 squad that flamed out down the stretch after dominating weaker opponents to pile up 10 wins? The short answer, of course, is Maye. His raw talent is far superior to any quarterback the Patriots have had since Tom Brady. The Pats current quarterback can elevate the offense beyond what Cam Newton, Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe could when it felt like those QBs were leading the Patriots back to contention for fleeting moments.
However, the longer answer is that we'll have to wait and see. In 2021, the Patriots started 9-4. Then, they lost four of their last five games before crashing out in the playoffs against the Bills in a 47-17 blowout loss. As for this Patriots team, only time will tell if the winning is more sustainable. Still, one thing is for sure: With head coach Mike Vrabel and Maye at the top of the letterhead, it feels like New England is building toward something pretty special.
Here are eight takeaways as the Patriots improve to 6-2 on the season with an impressive win over the Browns – it was good to be back home.
**1\. Play(s) of the Game: OC Josh McDaniels Scripts Perfect Third-Quarter Touchdown Drive**
After taking a 9-7 lead into halftime, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was unfazed by the offense's first-half performance.
The Patriots scored nine points with three drives stalling inside the Cleveland 25-yard line. They were moving the ball, but a first-half interception and settling for three field goals had the offense wanting more. McDaniels settled down his troops in the halftime locker room, and the group responded with a 21-point third quarter.
"He was -- his demeanor at halftime, he could tell that he was calming us down. He knew that we were good," Maye said after the game. Then, McDaniels scripted his best scoring drive of the season, where he went deep into his bag to take a 16-7 lead following the 7-play, 77-yard touchdown drive on the Pats first possession of the second half.