Cleveland Browns: 4 players under the radar vs the Patriots

Mack Wilson’s time to shine

Rookie linebacker Mack Wilson will be in a precarious position on Sunday and will be tested often. Tom Brady is easily one of the most well-prepared quarterbacks to ever lace up cleats and he will be well aware that he is facing an aggressive rookie in Wilson. Expect Brady to attempt to use that aggressiveness against the rookie.

Much of what the Patriots do on offense is predicated by their ability to get the ball to their running backs in the passing game. These are essentially long handoffs for the Patriots, and they have become frighteningly efficient at executing them. They also seem to have an almost endless amount of running backs who are also effective pass catchers.

Wilson is going to find himself in numerous one on one matchups with James White, Brandon Bolden, Sony Michel, and maybe even Rex Burkhead. Any one of which would spell trouble for less athletic linebackers. Wilson has the athleticism to cover these backs but will need to trust in his technique and play within the defensive scheme or it could be a long afternoon.

Wilson will also have to show patience facing Brady and the Patriots. They will frequently keep their running backs in to block only to be the release valve for Brady. If Wilson gets sucked in, it could lead to huge gains for the Patriots.

If Wilson is able to have a fundamentally sound game on Sunday it will go a long way into getting the Browns off the field on third downs.