CLEVELAND — “Out of the frying pan and into the fire.”
The Cleveland Browns (2-4) return from their annual bye week break and face one of the Nation Football League’s best teams, the undefeated New England Patriots (7-0), at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts today.
For two weeks, the Browns have heard all about the struggles of the team following their inconsistent start to the 2019 season, especially after surrendering a double-digit lead in the loss to the Seattle Seahawks at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 13.
But with one win this week against the Patriots would not only cure a lot of ills, but also, change the narrative into a positive one.
“They're ranked one or two in the league and they move the ball as well as anybody,” defensive end Myles Garrett said. “Their defense is playing with their hair on fire. So if we're able to move the ball on them and stop them from moving the ball, it proves that we are for real and that we can put this thing together.”
Quarterback Baker Mayfield added, “It could be huge for us. Coming off the bye week and the momentum it could have for us going forward for the rest of the season and this long stretch we have, it could be huge for us.”
Here are three things to watch for in today’s game between the Browns and Patriots.
More from Odell
Odell Beckham Jr. is one of the Browns’ premiere playmakers, but he believes the team needs to get more from him, and that is exactly what he plans on bringing to the field against the Patriots.
Beckham Jr. leads the Browns with 29 catches, which he has turned into 436 yards, a 15.0 yards-per-reception average, and one touchdown, an 89-yard score in 23-3 win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on September 16.
Beckham Jr. is second on the team, trailing only his longtime friend, Jarvis Landry, for the most receiving yards on the team, and he used the midseason break from football to refocus mentally in order to return to Berea at top form.
“I felt like I was letting them down in that way because of my past experiences and we all have our own internal battles to fight and let go, so it’s just something that I was dealing with and it’s like not bringing your sword to a fight,” Beckham Jr. said.
“I never want to leave home without it or bring just a shield, like I’m not going to have any weapon [for] defense, so it’s definitely time for me to be more for this team, do more for this team, whatever it is we need to do.”
Best version of Browns
Currently, the Browns find themselves tied for second place in the AFC North Division with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and both teams are 2.5 games behind the front-running Baltimore Ravens. The Browns have a win in hand over the Ravens with five more AFC North Division games to play over the second half of the season.
Despite the inconsistencies, the Browns are focused on being the best version of themselves, not putting together a perfect game.
“The biggest mistake that you can make is to put this in your mind that you have to be perfect because then, it’s like you’re playing to be perfect and to not make mistakes, not playing fast and free,” Beckham Jr. said. “I think it would be to eliminate as many mistakes as possible, play fast, do what you do.
“We’re going against a great team, there’s no other way to put it, but you can’t sit there and like, ‘Everything has to be perfect’ and this and that because as soon as one mistake happens, is the game over with? No, you’ve got to keep playing. We all know it’s going to be a challenge. They’re undefeated for a reason, win the Super Bowl pretty much every year for a reason, it’s just what it is.”
Speedy defense
Halloween seems to come early when young NFL quarterbacks play the Patriots.
The Patriots are undefeated in their last 20 games against first and second-year quarterbacks, and in their most recent outing, a 33-0 win over the Jets on Monday Night Football, they generated four interceptions against Sam Darnold.
“When you start talking about quarterback play, everything’s about putting pressure on the quarterback and making him make decisions before he’s ready to make them, and they do an excellent job, the best in the league of doing that,” Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said.
“It was evident the other night. They continued to put pressure on the quarterback, and that’s the name of the game in defensive football. They challenge you. They play man coverage. They make you win one-on-one matchups, and then, they get the ball out of the quarterback’s hands as quick as possible from their pressures.”