Scouting Ahead: Browns Week 10 opponent, New England Patriots

Looking ahead to the Cleveland Browns Week 10 game against the New England Patriots

A hectic week full of distractions ended with a much-needed, emphatic win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Getting a win over a division rival was crucial before the Cleveland Browns tackled the back half of their schedule, a rough back half at that, but they face a much more daunting road test in Week 10:

The New England Patriots.

At 5-4, both teams present the popular image of the AFC. They unquestionably have talent and coaches that know how to utilize it, but there remain several question marks about them as potential playoff teams. Now is the time when they need to be separating themselves from the pack, and what an opportunity to do so.

Home field advantage?

This isn’t something that should be read into too much, as the Patriots are on a 3-game win streak regardless and it’s the current groove that matters, but New England is 1-4 at Gillette Stadium so far this season. The lone win came in a blowout over a very bad New York Jets team, with losses against a shaky Saints team and an awful Dolphins team as well.

This doesn’t mean that the Patriots are guaranteed to lose to the Browns, in fact, it should probably emphasize how motivated they’ll be to get back on track, but it does indicate that this team is very vulnerable in an environment that was once feared by all who entered.

The Browns have put up some good fights on the road this season, nearly beating the Chiefs and Chargers while getting strong defensive performances against the Vikings and Bengals. The offense finally clicked last week and overwhelmed the Bengals to the tune of 41-16, but a major factor in that game will, unfortunately, be absent from the trip to New England on Sunday.

With that position currently decimated by injuries, the Browns will need to find other reliable options of moving the ball.