Another Sunday, another New England Patriots victory. Facing off against the Cleveland Browns, the team of head coach Mike Vrabel secured its fifth win in a row with a final score of 32-13.
Here is a Patriots-centric view at some of the key moments of the game.
Moment No. 1: Tone setter
“I think if God created a pass rusher, he’d probably mold him into Myles Garrett,” was how Patriots outside linebackers coach Mike Smith described the
Browns star defender earlier this week. Even though the end result does not necessarily reflect it, the team struggled slowing Garrett down all day: he ended the day with a franchise record five sacks.
Moment No. 2: Momentum swing
In part due to Myles Garrett being a menace, the Patriots offense struggled in the first half. Late in the second quarter, however, the unit started showing some signs of progress: with a 44-yard hookup from Drake Maye to DeMario Douglas to convert a 3rd-and-3 as the key play, the team managed to take a 9-7 lead into intermission. It never looked back.
Moment(s) No. 3: In the bag
The Patriots came out of intermission in style. After forcing a three-and-out on defense, they drove 77 yards in seven plays to score their first touchdown of the day. The series was masterfully called by offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and well-executed by the players, with a double pass from Rhamondre Stevenson to Drake Maye to Mack Hollins a perfect example of the creative designs used and the job being done by the men on the field.
The drive itself was capped by Drake Maye finding Hunter Henry on a short toss, and the veteran tight end making his way into the end zone for a 7-yard TD.
Moment No. 4: Picked off
After giving up a touchdown on its first series, the Patriots defense put the clamps on Cleveland’s offense. One of the unit’s biggest plays of the game came in the third quarter, on the very next drive succeeding the Hunter Henry touchdown. Robert Spillane managed to intercept Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel and returned the ball 33 yards.
Moment No. 5: End zone debut
Three plays after Robert Spillane’s interception, the Patriots capitalized when Drake Maye found Stefon Diggs from 1-yard out to blow the game wide open. The touchdown did not only give the team a comfortable lead, it also was a milestone for its recipient: Diggs had not found the end zone up until that point in his time with the team.
Naturally, he was amped up about his first score as a Patriot.
Moment No. 6: Ball Hawk
Down 16 points in the late third quarter, the Browns were under pressure to get going offensively. That led to their young QB getting aggressive — an approach that backfired five plays after his first interception. This time, safety Jaylinn Hawkins managed to pick Dillon Gabriel off. While he did not get a chance to run the pick back, it still helped set up yet another New England score.
Moment No. 7: Old reliable
The Patriots went back to a familiar formula to score their final touchdown of the day against the Browns: Drake Maye finding Kayshon Boutte deep. This time, the duo connected on a 39-yard TD that very much put the nail in Cleveland’s coffin and further cemented Boutte’s status as a legitimate deep threat.
