Cleveland Browns: 3 Key Matchups to Watch Against New England Patriots

Coming off a dominant victory over the Miami Dolphins, the Browns face the leaders in the AFC East clubhouse, the 5-2 New England Patriots. Here are three key matchups to watch in order for the Browns to pull off their first winning streak since Week 17 of the 2023 season.

Maliek Collins and Mason Graham Vs. Jared Wilson and Mike Onwenu

The play of Maliek Collins has been crucial to the Browns defensive success this year, but over the past two games, he’s not been nearly as effective, totaling one pressure across 43 rushes and only a 4.8% win rate. Fortunately, that has coincided with a massive two-week improvement from rookie Mason Graham, who had the best game of his career this past Sunday and is showing significant development, especially as a pass-rusher, even if it isn’t translating to wins or pressures yet.

The Patriots feature one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Drake Maye, how is dealing with pressure very well this season. Still, pressure will be vitally important in this game, and it’s crucial that the duo of Collins and Graham delivers. The Patriots have two very different guards, with rookie Jared Wilson on the left side and veteran Mike Onwenu on the right. Wilson is one of the most athletic linemen prospects in NFL history, and was a fantastic center at Georgia. The Patriots moved him to guard as they brought in Garrett Bradbury from the Minnesota Vikings, who is attempting to revamp his image as a massive former first-round bust.

Wilson has had a rough start to the year, allowing 15 pressures and earning a subpar 50.3 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. Onwenu on the other hand, is one of the most consistent OL in the league and extremely versatile, with quality play at every position except center throughout his career. He’s also 6-foot-3, but a massive 350 pounds. He may not get the recognition he deserves, but he’s one of the best OL in the league, and a great chance for Graham to sharpen himself against a premier opponent.

Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic, and Wyatt Teller Vs. Christian Barmore and Milton Williams

Just two years ago, Barmore was one of the best defensive tackles in football, with a pressure rate above 10%. Since being diagnosed with blood clots, he’s not been quite the same player, but there are signs that he’s getting back to that point. He and Milton Williams, New England’s big offseason free agent signing, both have the ability to create constant chaos up the middle, which is a death sentence for a shorter quarterback, especially a rookie. Williams has not yet produced at the rate the Patriots were hoping for, but if there’s any week for him to break out, it’d be this one.

Cleveland’s offensive line has been a disaster this year, with Joel Bitonio being really the only consistent player. Wyatt Teller has been very up-and-down, especially as a pass protector, and center Ethan Pocic has struggled, especially over the past two games. The interior trio will need to be at the top of their game and communicating well in order to prevent Barmore and Williams from wrecking the offensive gameplan. This is all the more important because the Browns almost certainly won’t be able to get away with only 18 pass attempts in this game as they did against the Dolphins.

Jerry Jeudy Vs. Christian Gonzalez

If the Browns want to win this game, they’ll have to get Dillon Gabriel going through the air, really for the first time this season. A huge part of that will be Jerry Jeudy, who simply must produce more than he has to this point. He’s caught only 44.9% of the passes thrown his way, with seven drops and three games finishing with under 20 yards receiving. As Cleveland’s top receiver, he plays a crucial role in the success of the passing game, and he’s been a major disappointment in 2024. It was in Week 8 of last year that he turned on the jets, averaging over 96 yards per game over his final 10 contests.

Cleveland needs Jeudy to have a similar transformation this year, starting on Sunday. When he lines up on the left side of the field, he’ll be covered by New England’s Christian Gonzalez, one of the league’s best young cornerbacks. Gonzalez has both the size and speed to frustrate opposing receivers, but Jeudy has the talent to get open against anyone. The problem is, he’s not yet shown any degree of consistency, and he and Gabriel have been unable to get on the same page. If the Browns hope to come out on top, they need Jeudy.