Last season, the Browns bulldozed the Patriots over an 84-yard opening landing drive.
Then, they obtained shut out.
The Pats pulled the plug on Cleveland’s league-leading run recreation — which ranks No. 1 once more this yr — with heavy personnel and an early lead. They dialed up a excessive fee of 3-4 protection within the first half, which allowed inside linebackers Ja’Whaun Bentley and Dont’a Hightower to pulverize pulling Browns guards who supposed to clear operating room for Nick Chubb. Offensively, the Patriots scored on all of their first-half possessions and 7 of eight earlier than kneeling the clock out.
The Browns have been pressured to play catchup virtually instantly, and with then quarterback Baker Mayfield throwing aimlessly downfield, together with one interception that discovered security Kyle Dugger, the sport was over.
But now not sure concerning the high quality of quarterback play they’ll obtain Sunday in Cleveland, the Pats can’t financial institution on one other monster lead. Their protection should stand tall towards Chubb and Co. to purchase the offense sufficient time to tug away.
Here’s how they will do it:
1. Beef up personnel
Back to base protection.
The Patriots perceive they are going to be prone towards the cross by persistently enjoying 3-4 protection, however towards Cleveland it is going to be price it. The Browns need to run the ball. It’s how their constructed, it’s what they consider in, and a yr in the past, not even a pair simple completions on the identical drive versus the Pats’ 3-4 package deal was sufficient to get them to decide to throwing.
Cleveland reverted to its base tendency, and can once more Sunday. Bank on that.
Not to say Chubb, greater than some other skill-position participant, is an explosive play ready to occur. The Pats ought to fight him with further our bodies and heavier gamers on the line of scrimmage. After all, the Patriots are permitting simply 2.8 yards per carry when enjoying 3-4 protection this season.
If the Browns proceed to play with a number of tight ends and/or a sixth offensive linemen as a lot as any offense within the NFL, it solely causes the Patriots ought to meet energy with energy.
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2. Double Amari Cooper on third downs
After Chubb, there’s one Browns participant able to devastating the Pats protection by himself: Amari Cooper.
Cooper leads Cleveland throughout all receiving classes with 27 catches for 304 yards and three touchdowns. More importantly, he leads the Browns towards defenses that play man protection.
Cooper has seen greater than 35% of quarterback Jacoby Brissett’s cross makes an attempt towards man-to-man, based on Pro Football Focus. That means when Brissett wants a completion versus man, he turns to Cooper. And the Patriots play extra man-to-man than most defenses, particularly on third down.
Therefore, they need to ship assist to Jalen Mills or Jack Jones towards Cooper to pressure Brissett to throw elsewhere. Cooper is not the perennial Pro Bowler he as soon as was, however he is nonetheless sufficient of a risk to deserve further consideration.
3. Tackle nicely
Take it from Bill Belichick.
Even when you might have Chubb wrapped up, you do not. He’s damaged 42 tackles this season, most within the NFL by 9, per PFF, and greater than a mean of eight per recreation. The Browns ask lots of their Pro Bowl again, who can create offense as a rusher and receiver even when the blocking or play-call does not go based on plan.
“He’s very hard to tackle, he’s got tremendous contact balance and playing strength, he’s got good vision and good patience. He really sets up his blocks well,” Belichick mentioned this week. “He will get probably the most out of each block after which he is very exhausting to get on the bottom. He performs with good ball safety. He will get these explosive performs. He will get lots of robust yards and constant yards.
“He’s really good and he’s got a good group in front of him. They absolutely know what they’re doing.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com