Like New England, Cleveland wants to run the football and will do so early and often. ![]() Pass protection will be vital in this matchup. He'll need to find his wideouts more often while continuing to use Hunter Henry in the red zone. Mac Jones and the Patriots passing game has been a tad inconsistent as of late, but the rookie might need to carry more of the load against the Browns. Green and Greedy Williams, who left the Bengals game with a shoulder injury. Safeties John Johnson and Ronnie Harrison have played well and are supported by Troy Hill, Grant Delpit, A.J. Ward missed the Pittsburgh game two weeks ago but returned against Cincinnati and allowed just one completion on the day while returning an interception 99 yards for a touchdown. The coverage has been solidified by the strong play of Denzel Ward and rookie Greg Newsome. He's supported by Jadeveon Clowney, who has 3.5, as well as an aggressive mindset that often sees blitzes from a variety of players in the secondary. Myles Garrett is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate with an NFL-best 12 sacks. Those numbers have been created by a combination of factors that includes both strong coverage and an even better pass rush. Cleveland is ninth in the league, allowing 224.9 yards per game, and 10th with just 6.6 yards per pass play. The Browns aren't much easier to throw against, particularly when they are healthy and that appears to be the case at the moment. Regardless, rushing yards will be tough to come by against one of the more aggressive and physical fronts the Patriots have seen this season. Taylor, who has been a healthy scratch the past two weeks. The Patriots will need to get at least one of Harris and Stevenson back in the fold, or they will have to rely on Bolden and J.J. Walker leads the team with 57 tackles, including 14 in a dominant win over the Bengals on Sunday. Cleveland boasts a strong front, especially in the middle where Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell do a great job of keeping middle linebacker Anthony Walker free to make plays. It's also not good considering the physical nature of the Browns defense, which ranks third in the league allowing 84.8 yards per game on the ground and second with 3.5 per carry. That's not good news with the Browns coming to town for an important AFC matchup with playoff implications on the line. Harris and Stevenson left the win over Carolina with head injuries and neither returned. While that mindset has allowed the team to embark on its three-game winning streak, it also has left the ranks a bit banged up. Jones suffered his ankle injury on New England's last offensive play of Week 3's loss to the Baltimore Ravens.The Patriots continue to show their identity with a punishing ground game that features lots of work for Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson and Brandon Bolden. Jones struggled through New England's first four games of the season, throwing just two touchdowns to five interceptions as the Patriots got off to a 1-2 start. ![]() In his first career start, Zappe completed 17 of his 21 passes for 188 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in New England's 29-0 win over the Lions. The Zappe Hour is a great story but might not last long." "He has progressed and even made last week's decision to go with Bailey Zappe interesting," Fowler wrote Wednesday. But Jones made enough progress throughout the week that the Patriots considered starting him. Jones nearly returned last Sunday when the Patriots hosted the Detroit Lions, but rookie Bailey Zappe ultimately got the start - the first of his career. Jones, who has missed the last two weeks with an ankle injury, has a "decent chance" to play on Sunday, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. FOXBORO - Zappe Fever is gripping New England, but Mac Jones may be back at quarterback this weekend when the Patriots visit the Cleveland Browns.
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