CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns knew what they had to do and the mistakes that would cost them against the New England Patriots, but the players and coaches were unable to avoid the miscues, all of which added up to a 27-13 loss at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts Sunday.
As has become a trend, the Browns committed more turnovers than they forced (three to none), were penalized 13 times for 85 lost yards, allowed the Patriots to have six trips inside the red zone and were just three of 12 on third-down opportunities, all of combined for the double-digit setback.
“Focus and concentration on doing what you are supposed to be do and eliminating all other distractions and only worrying about what we have to do on that play,” Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said of what needs to change for the Browns to limit their mistakes.
The Patriots’ defense is known for its ability to generate turnovers, and they did just that on the Browns’ second possession of the inter-division game.
On second-and-seven from the Cleveland 23-yard line, quarterback Baker Mayfield handed off to Chubb, but New England’s dogged pursuit of the football generated a fumble.
Veteran linebacker Dont’a Hightower scooped up the loose ball at the Cleveland 26-yard line and with a convoy of blockers in tow, hustled untouched down the field for the touchdown.
With the extra point, the Patriots took a 10-0 lead over the Browns with 5:45 to play in the first quarter.
That was just the start of the turnovers, as Chubb broke free on 44-yard run on the next play, only to have the ball punched out as he fell to the turf. Then, after the Browns forced a New England punt, Mayfield tossed an interception on a shovel pass.
“They got a lot of banners up there for winning the same way,” Kitchens said after the game. “I told our guys how they win. ‘They don’t beat themselves,’ and we came in and beat ourselves. It’s not shocking. That’s how people usually win. They don’t turn the ball over, and penalties were 13-3. We had 13, they had three. You can’t make big a discrepancy in penalties.
“They’re 91-2 when they win the turnover battle, or 92-2 now. There’s 91 other teams that did the same thing. We expect more out of ourselves. We’re just not getting it right now, and it needs to change. Everybody in the locker room understands what needs to change. Everybody’s got to make a commitment to changing and getting that done. That’s what needs to work.”
Although the Browns struggled through Sunday’s loss to the Patriots, Kitchens believes that “everything is still in front of us,” and that the team’s goals remain within reach.
“We had a lot of confidence going into this game, and we’ve got a lot of confidence coming out of this game because we understand why we lost the game,” Kitchens said.
“We lost the game because we turned the ball over and penalties, so we need to stop committing penalties. We need to focus enough on staying on sides so we don’t end up with first-and-20. That’s how you win games, and then, take care of the football.”
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