5 Bold predictions for Cleveland Browns in Week 6

1. New England held to just 75-yards rushing

This game is going to be won on the ground whether anyone likes it or not. With two backup quarterbacks and two strong run games, it should end up being a slugfest. While the last prediction called for the Browns to dominate on the ground thanks to Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, the real key to securing a win will be how they do against the Patriots’ rushing attack.

Last week, Rhamondre Stevenson went off with 161 yards on 25 attempts. He responded well to an injury suffered by Damien Harris and led New England to a 29-0 win over the Detroit Lions.

As for Cleveland, they were gashed on the ground as the Los Angeles Chargers — one of the worst running teams in the NFL — went for 238 yards on 34 carries. They especially struggled with Austin Ekeler who had 173 of those yards.

Following the loss, the Browns finally got serious about fixing their defense. They made a late-night trade on Sunday for linebacker Deion Jones and then on Tuesday, they added veteran defensive tackle Tyeler Davison — a 310-pounder who should help on early downs.

It would be a surprise to see both players featured in Week 6 but this bold prediction — which is clearly the boldest of all five — is that Cleveland still holds New England under 75 yards. That might feel like wishful thinking at this point but there’s no way this isn’t the one and only thing they’re talking about in their defensive meetings.

Facing a third-string rookie, Cleveland should stack the box and force Bailey Zappe to beat them. If he does, so be it. But they can’t let the Pats win by running all over them as they did to Detroit.