Why the Patriots cannot take the Browns lightly in Week 8 | Patriots 1st Down

Why the Patriots cannot take the Browns lightly in Week 8 | Patriots 1st Down

All right, let’s talk about big picture, right? Patriots coming home. Yeah. First time in a month. Yeah. Four game winning streak. About to make it five. Uh your thoughts? Well, you say about to make it five, Steve. And I I think they should beat the Browns. I want I want to tell you this going to be a tough game then. What’s the butt? Well, you heard Dan mention this is the number one defense in the league in terms of fewest yards allowed. And I think so. I look at it this way, Steve. Every week in the league is a new challenge. You know, sometimes you got to go on the road and win in prime time at Buffalo. Then you got to go to a dome in New Orleans where, you know, it’s loud and maybe the energy isn’t as high. Then you got to go to Tennessee where a team with an interim coach. Every week, you know, you check the box and they’re checking them. This week, I think it’s how do you play a lowercing game with margin for error maybe a little tighter and come away with the win? That’s my thought. How There’s one guy you got to watch at all times. Miles Garrett. The guy has arms like tree trunks. I mean, they’re that big and he’s that strong and you got to know where he is at all times. Drake needs to have his head on a swivel. Yeah. And it sounds like they’re moving him around a little bit, Steve. And when you look at the Patriots offensive line, Will Campbell, Jared Wilson, Garrett Bradbury, Mike Weno, Morgan Moses. I think this a huge test for them. This a physical defense. Block that guy. Somebody better block that guy. Drake May has been making some money throws, but his receivers have also been making money catches right today. The Pats quarterback talked about how he built that level of trust with them. I think it just starts from going back to OTAAS, going back to seven on sevens and OTAs with no pads on, goes back to um, you know, training camp them after practice, you know, wanting extra routes. you just build so much um just kind of trust from from me and and trust with me and keep on making plays and wanting to, you know, run routes after practice and go up and making plays and practice and one-on-one. You just build uh you know, build that that trust and then from there it’s just, you know, get to the game. It’s no different. I’m, you know, give them give them a ball they can try to go go up and get and they’ve they’ve done it time and time again. Boy, have they ever. And and you talk about last game, great catches. I mean, great clutch catches. Austin Hooper’s catch in the end zone took it over the defender. Yeah. You know, uh Kan Booty with the fingertips. With the fingertips. And then Pop Douglas with the one-handed grab. Incredible. You know, and and Drake at one point had what? 16 completions in a row. Yeah. And 16 straight completions, second in franchise history in terms of behind Tom Brady who had 19 in a row at one point and M. Jones had 19 in a row at one point. 19 at one point. and you know so it just it and I think you know Drake deserves all the credit Steve like that he’s getting because he’s been magnificent. Um when you go 21 to 23 though I think sometimes you know your receivers like that play by Pop Douglas was phenomenal. That’s more about Pop, right? And if if that Great point by you that’s more about Pop. And so I think you know Drake also hasn’t turned the ball over the last four games. What’s the record Steve? The last four games and not a coincidence. 4 and0 and that’s going to be and Cleveland doesn’t turn it over that much defensively. Cleveland can’t score on Miami. And that’s the thing. 20 is my number, Steve. Well, Cleveland scored against Miami though. But then everybody’s scoring against Miami, but they can get 20 points. Steve, do you know they scored 31 against Miami prior to that? They they hadn’t topped 17 points for more than 10 games in a row. Unbelievable. So So to me, 20 is the number. If the Patriots can hit 20, they should be okay in this game. And I think they can because they they got the firepower now. No question. And the offense is really starting to roll and believe in themselves. You like Diggs? I do like Diggs. What do you like? Well, I I do like Diggs. Diggs has kept his composure. Yes. Digs wasn’t what I thought he was going to be. Everybody thought he was going to be a troublemaker, carry baggage, you know, a lot a lot of this, a lot of that. He’s been a leader. Totally. He’s been he’s been fun to watch and he and and he’s uh clutch. Total grutch.

The Patriots have won four straight and are the talk of the NFL. They host the lowly Browns on Sunday, but Mike Reiss says the Pats cannot overlook Cleveland and their top-ranked defense, led by game-wrecker Myles Garrett.

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