This week the New England Patriots (6-1) travel to Cleveland (2-5) to take on the Browns. Many of you are probably thinking the Patriots should stomp these lowly Browns, but we have to remember they went into New Orleans and beat the Saints rather easily. The Steelers couldn’t do that last week. For those of you who don’t remember or didn’t know, Browns head coach Eric Mangini was a defensive assistant/coordinator for the Patriots during their Super Bowl era. Since the Browns are outmatched here in just about every facet of the game, I count on Mangini throwing out trick plays such as fake punts, end arounds, flea flickers, fake field goals, and maybe even a Statue of Liberty.
When the Patriots Run: Slight Advantage Patriots
New England is ranked 14th in running the ball and the Browns have the 19th-ranked run defense. I expect the Patriots to mix in Benjarvis Green Ellis and Danny Woodhead to keep the Browns defense off balance. Woodhead will receive out of the backfield and could end up having quite an impact this week.
When the Browns Run: Advantage Patriots
The Browns have the 19th-ranked rushing offense while the Patriots are 12th in stopping it. Simply put, the Browns rushing attack won’t scare anyone, but Peyton Hillis is a grinder. Patriots ILB Jerod Mayo will be busy again.
When the Patriots Pass: Advantage Patriots
Tom Brady’s days of consistently throwing for 250 yards are apparently over, as he’s reached that mark just three times this season. However, he’s still one of the more accurate passers in the game, especially in the short and intermediate zones. Look for Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez to have good games.
When the Browns Pass: Slight Advantage Browns
The Browns don’t have a great passing offense, but the Patriots are even worse at defending it. The Patriots use a “bend but don’t break” scheme, so opposing quarterbacks are invited to pad their passing totals. Colt McCoy will get the start this week, and a familiar weapon will be used: Ben Watson. The man the Pats need to focus on is Joshua Cribbs. He is the kind of game changer that needs to be accounted for on every single down.
Special Teams: Push
Both of these squads have good special teams play. The Browns excel (2nd in the NFL) in kick return coverage, allowing under 19 yards per return. The Patriots excel in returning the kickoffs, ranking 5th in the NFL, but are 23rd in covering them. The Browns rank 3rd in punt return average while the Patriots are 7th in covering them. Neither kicker has had a great season in terms of field goal kicking, but Stephen Gostkowski is one of the best in the league and has converted his last nine tries in a row. Neither team excels in the punting department, but the Patriots’ rookie punter is capable of booming 65-yarders at any given time.
