With many question marks going on with the Patriots offense this week, Bill Belichick has his team focused on the task at hand. With the Patriots at 2-3 they will travel to Cleveland this weekend to face the 2-3 Browns in a game that can be monstrous for the victors helping the winner gain ground in their respective division. With many question marks facing the Patriots this week how will they fare against Cleveland.
New England Offense
With the question of Mac or Zappe this week in New England it is seeming more and more likely that rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe will start this week in Cleveland after he took about 60 to 65 percent of the snaps in practice Thursday.
With quarterback Mac Jones looking to make his return to the lineup it is more possible for him to start next week on Monday night against the Bears rather than this Sunday.
QB Mac Jones, who was limited in Wednesday’s practice, is once again present for the start of Thursday’s session. His level of participation will be specified by the team later in the day. pic.twitter.com/vUuKKzsubT
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 13, 2022
Jones, who did take live snaps Thursday, only took snaps from the shotgun and that is not a great sign for him playing this weekend. Being under center is important for the Patriots in their new zone running scheme this season as they utilize the power stretch plays to set up play action which requires some mobility.
With Jones only running plays from the shotgun at practice, this is not a great sign for him to suit up Sunday. Honestly though, who knows.
In the backfield, Damien Harris was looking more active today with the offense being utilized a bit more. Even if Harris is to play this weekend, it will be more than likely Rhamondre Stevenson with the majority of the workload. After his excellence last weekend moving forward the Patriots will look to utilize him more and more.
I would not be shocked to see him eventually ousting Harris as the main back for New England. Pierre Strong Jr is expected to see a few carries if Harris is not able to play. JJ Taylor could be elevated from the practice squad as well with an open roster spot available.
Offensive Keys: Run The Ball
The run game will be even more important this week as Cleveland’s defense is far superior to that of Detroit’s. Cleveland has a run defense that is one of the worst in the league, and with a smaller linebacking core for the Browns, big backs can take advantage. This is why I expect Stevenson to dominate again this Sunday in the run game.
The pass game will simply be a compliment for New England again, especially with a secondary that is more athletic and skilled than the one Zappe saw last weekend. With Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II, Grant Delpit, and John Johnson III the Browns have one of the top secondaries in football. To go along with that, Jadeveon Clowney and Myles Garrett may be the best edge rushing duo in the game, although neither have been full participants this week.
The interior lineman have been excellent at double teaming at the point of attack this year. This is the best chance for Patriots offensive success as Clevelands run defense, as stated before, is porous.
New England Defense
Defensively the Patriots need to do one thing, Stop Nick Chubb. As the Patriots have had their struggles stopping the run this year Chubb is the main priority. Chubb is averaging 118.6 yard per game as he has just carried the Browns offense this season. The Patriots, though a bit better, still struggle defending the run so focusing on Chubb is a must upfront.
The Patriots will look to deploy their safeties in the box to help defend the run, which shockingly have not done much this year. The Patriots have used their safeties in press coverage more this season rather than deploying them in running situations. I expect that to change this week as the Patriots safeties can use their size and speed to attack ball carriers.
Even with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, New England still needs to continue defending the pass well. Jack Jones looks to be a defensive rookie of the year candidate so far and will most likely be on Amari Cooper. He so far has covered the number one receiver for each team majority of the game minus the Miami game, when he was switched back and forth from Hill to Waddle in that game.
The linebacking core did a better job tackling last week but they still were far from perfect. As Jamie Collins could be elevated from the practice squad with an open roster spot, this could benefit. As Collins would provide veteran stability, the young linebackers need to start performing to their abilities.
Betting Lines
The Patriots, at the moment, are three point underdogs. If Jones is to play, that an if, the line will most likely swing closer to one point, according to 98.5 Bankroll Podcast. Remember that all of Cleveland’s losses are by three points or less and they blew leads in all three of those games when you are betting