Back in 2010, Rob Gronkowski was a rookie. He wasn’t yet Gronk. BenJarvus Green-Ellis was busy churning out tough yards and never turning the ball over. Danny Woodhead was just starting to be more than a fast little Jets spy. Wes Welker was still piling up receptions on his way to being the Patriots all-time receptions leader. Randy Moss was just recently traded, and Deion Branch had come back to town! Aaron Hernandez was showing himself to be a promising rookie. Nobody had yet grown tired of Brandon Spikes, or Ron Brace, or Jermaine Cunningham. Holy crap, Tully Banta-Cain was back for a second stint. Rob Ninkovich had yet to become a workmanlike folk hero.
The Browns…well, they had fantasy football “Oh crap, MAYBE on my bye week?” guys everywhere. Mohammad Massoquoi. Colt McCoy. Ben Watson. Josh Cribbs. Chansi Stuckey. Brian Robiskie (did you have him? Yeah, I also play dynasty). Peyton Hillis had a great year that year, with 1600+ yards from scrimmage and 13 tds…otherwise…eek. T.J. Ward and Joe Haden were there on defense, but nobody else that was sending shivers up your spine.
The Browns won 34-14.
How. HOW?!
In what many people refer to as a “trap game” (trap games are like ghosts: at best, you can’t prove they exist, and really, they almost certainly don’t), the Browns came out and played exactly the sort of game that beats the Patriots every time. What does it take?
-Win on third down, and start doing it early. Browns: 7/13, Patriots, 3/11 (check)
-Get in Brady’s face. Repeatedly. He doesn’t throw well on the run, so get him off his spot. (check)
-Control the clock. Not just by winning on third down, but by running the ball effectively and making the game shorter. Hillis had 189 yards rushing on 29 carries, the Browns had 230 yards as a team. The Browns had the ball for over 38 minutes. (check)
-Win the turnover battle. The Browns forced 3, the Patriots forced 1. (check)
-For good measure, throw in some sneaky trick play. (check)
These are the things the Patriots are usually the winners in…and when they aren’t, they lose the game…to bad teams, to good teams. In 2010 against the Browns and Jets. In the 2015 playoffs against the Broncos. Last week against the Bills. Pick another time that sticks out in your head. 2009 Saints/Ravens? Bingo
It’s pretty obvious that what the Patriots have to do to win this time around, aside from sprinkle some magic Tom Brady dust (Roger, that isn’t real. Keep your suspensions to yourself.), is win in those areas above…but it’s not a given. Now that Brady is back, and the full playbook is opened back up, it’s time to dictate matchups. Gronk has gone from inactive, to active with no receptions, to active with one reception. He’s been great as a blocker. We’re all excited for him to wake up and unleash the Gronking Gronkness all over the league. I want the man to be able to grocery shop in peace. If this is the week, watch out.
The Browns are 30th in the league against number 1 receivers. They’re 28th in the league versus tight ends. Just like all of you, I’m expecting and hoping for some no huddle fireworks out of 12 personnel, because the matchups seem to favor it, whether it’s Gronk, Martellus Bennett, or both blowing the doors open. I’d love to see some variation this look at some point this season:
This game *should* be one sided, but the Browns will be there to try and spoil all the pomp and circumstance around Brady’s return. They’re still NFL quality talent, poor record or not. Let’s see what tricks they have up their sleeve, and how the Patriots respond.