Offense, defense shines in Patriots drubbing of Browns
New England announced themselves to the National Football League as a legitimate playoff contender with their thorough whooping of the Cleveland Browns last season. This time around, they might have just announced themselves as Super Bowl contenders.
The Patriots harassed Baker Mayfield all day, held Nick Chubb to just 2.3 yards per carry and Mac Jones threw five touchdown passes in the 38-10 rout of the Browns on Sunday to extend their winning streak to three.
New England stumbled around a bit in the first half, scoring fourteen points and Jones throwing an interception at the goal-line which kept New England in the game at the half. New England then rattled off three straight scoring drives, including three of them ending with a Jones touchdown pass. He had a 20-yarder to Jonnu Smith, a six-yard touchdown to fullback Cabinda off a boot leg and then found Jakobi Meyers across the middle for a seven yard gain.
It was Kendrick Bourne, who had been quiet the first three weeks of the season, who got the offense going. He finished with 99 yards receiving and had the first touchdown of the game, catching a strike before being sandwiched between two Cleveland defenders in the endzone, hanging on to it.
Bourne's play provided a spark and a ton of energy for New England's offense and defense.
---------------------------------------------------------------- Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
[NE] K. Bourne 18 Yd pass from M. Jones (9:01)
[CLE] J. Slye, 51 Yd FG (3:28)
Quarter 2
[NE] H. Henry 15 Yd pass from M. Jones (10:44)
Quarter 3
[NE] J. Smith 20 Yd pass from M. Jones (10:21)
[NE] J. Cabinda 6 Yd pass from M. Jones (4:04)
Quarter 4
[NE] Q. Nordin, 42 Yd FG (13:06)
[NE] J. Meyers 7 Yd pass from M. Jones (8:52)
[CLE] A. Hooper 4 Yd pass from B. Mayfield (6:09)
---------------------------------------------------------------- New England Patriots
QB Mac Jones: 24 of 29, 305 yards, 5 touchdowns, interception.
HB Damien Harris: 18 carries, 110 yards.
HB Rhamondre Stevenson: 12 carries, 28 yards.
WR Jakobi Meyers: 7 receptions, 77 yards, touchdown.
HB James White: 5 receptions, 31 yards.
WR Kendrick Bourne: 4 receptions, 99 yards, touchdown.
TE Jonnu Smith: 4 receptions, 56 yards, touchdown.
TE Hunter Henry: 3 receptions, 37 yards, touchdown.
LT Wynn: 83.0 PFF grade | LG Onwenu: 76.0 PFF grade | C Andrews: 81.7 PFF grade | RG Mason: 76.0 PFF grade | RT Brown: 76.0 PFF grade
EDGE Chase Winovich: 4 tackles, tackle for loss, 2 sacks (89.0 PFF grade)
LB Dont'a Hightower: 4 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks (82.3 PFF grade)
IDL Deatrich Wise Jr: 3 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks (87.2 PFF grade)
IDL Christian Barmore: 2 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, sack (79.0 PFF grade)
S Devin McCourty: 2 tackles, interception (62.8 PFF grade)
Cleveland Browns
QB Baker Mayfield: 22 of 32, 280 yards, touchdown, interception, sacked 7 times, fumble.
HB Nick Chubb: 9 carries, 21 yards.
HB Kareem Hunt: 4 carries, 20 yards, 7 receptions, 112 yards.
TE Austin Hooper: 6 receptions, 49 yards, touchdown.
WR Jarvis Landry: 3 receptions, 64 yards.
LB Anthony Walker Jr: 17 tackles, tackle for loss.
S John Johnson III: 12 tackles, tackle for loss.
LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah: 3 tackles, interception.
Bills remain winless despite fourth quarter comeback attempt against Patriots
Buffalo's season, for all intents and purposes, was on the line when Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes in the final eighteen minutes of the game to make it a tie ball game with 3:16 left after being down by thirteen points at one point in the third quarter.
Mac Jones decided to most likely end their playoff hopes, converting a 43-yard pass with 42 seconds left in the game to setup Rhamondre Stevenson's 3-yard game winning touchdown to beat the Bills 30-24.
Allen and the Buffalo offense had struggled through the first three quarters of the game, finally getting in the endzone when Dawson Knox as able to catch a quick out route and then leave Patriots safety Devin McCourty in his wake for a fifty-six yard touchdown, making it a one score game after seemingly being dominated the entire night.
Both teams swapped field goals with New England's Quinn Nordin making up his earlier missed kick with a 51-yarder that almost grazed the upright. New England then had their first three and out, giving Buffalo the ball back for an eight play drive that ended in Allen throwing an incompletion on fourth and one.
The Patriots couldn't capitalize, going three and out once more, not only punting the ball to Buffalo but taking less than a minute off the clock. A 56-yard run by Zach Moss then setup Justyn Ross' first career touchdown, a 25-yard crossing route against rookie cornerback Roger McCreary who allowed his first touchdown of the season as well.
Knox caught the two-point conversion to make it a tie game.
---------------------------------------------------------------- Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
Quarter 2
[BUF] J. Lambo, 48 Yd FG (12:08)
[BUF] J. Lambo, 42 Yd FG (1:35)
[NE] H. Henry 5 Yd pass from M. Jones (1:17)
Quarter 3
[NE] J. Meyers 3 Yd pass from M. Jones (9:51)
[NE] D. Keene 16 Yd pass from M. Jones (7:02)
[BUF] D. Knox 56 Yd pass from J. Allen (3:04)
Quarter 4
[NE] Q. Nordin, 51 Yd FG (14:55)
[BUF] J. Lambo, 39 Yd FG (11:20)
[BUF] J. Ross 25 Yd pass from J. Allen -- 2pt (3:16)
[NE] R. Stevenson, 3 Yd run -- missed kick (0:11)
---------------------------------------------------------------- New England Patriots
QB Mac Jones: 26 of 36, 341 yards, 3 touchdowns, interception, sacked once.
HB Damien Harris: 18 carries, 52 yards.
HB Rhamondre Stevenson: 10 carries, 16 yards, touchdown.
WR Jakobi Meyers: 7 receptions, 100 yards, touchdown.
WR Charleston Rambo: 5 receptions, 38 yards.
TE Jonnu Smith: 3 receptions, 92 yards.
WR Kendrick Bourne: 3 receptions, 45 yards.
TE Hunter Henry: 3 receptions, 38 yards, touchdown.
LT Wynn: 90.0 PFF grade | LG Onwenu: 50.2 PFF grade | C Andrews: 69.5 PFF grade | RG Mason: 70.6 PFF grade | RT Brown: 84.6 PFF grade
CB Jonathan Jones: 7 tackles (82.1 PFF grade)
S Adrian Phillips: 7 tackles (72.7 PFF grade)
IDL Deatrich Wise Jr: 3 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, sack (81.1 PFF grade)
IDL Christian Barmore: 3 tackles, tackle for loss, sack (79.8 PFF grade)
EDGE Matthew Judon: 1 tackle, tackle for loss, sack (72.7 PFF grade)