With the general successes of the two franchises over the last 20-25 years, it's no surprise to hear the Browns haven't won a game in New England since 1992 (with Bill Belichick as head coach). Cleveland entered Week 8 losing their last eight games in Foxborough, and that trend continued in their first trip to New England against Drake Maye.
Although the Browns' offense had a great opening script leading to a touchdown, they couldn't get anything going again until the game was basically out of hand. The defense started off pretty solid, but it got worse as the game went on when the Browns' offense was unable to contribute. Ultimately, Cleveland is heading into the bye at 2-6 after losing Week 8 to the Patriots 33-12.
Browns fail to sustain offense again in 32-13 loss to Patriots
It was a pretty competitive first half, but the Browns' offense had basically no answers outside of the opening script, and the Patriots' offense found a recipe for success after the half. Gabriel ended the day 21 for 35 for 156 yards, two touchdowns, and his first two interceptions for a passer rating of 65.9. With the complete lack of a passing threat, the rushing game struggled and totaled 68 yards on the ground.
The defense wasn't perfect in the first half, but they limited the damage and forced field goals on drives where the Patriots were able to move the ball. Unfortunately, they were able to find success on perimeter run plays in the second half, like every team has done, because of the nature of Jim Schwartz's defense. Combine that with some really impressive runs and throws from Maye, and the result isn't very surprising.
Kevin Stefanski already announced they will stick with Gabriel after the bye week, but every week seems like we're getting closer to seeing Shedeur Sanders. It's only been four games, but Gabriel looks like he might just be the backup type player he was drafted to be. The Browns have to find ways to get a more consistent offense after the bye week, but they might just need an influx of talent.