There is not a GIF or youtube link out there that would do justice to my excitement of seeing Tom Brady back behind center. It’s probably the most “Browns Thing” ever for them to get Brady on his first game back from suspension. Sorry Cleveland. At least you have LeBron.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Browns, aka “The Unlucky Punching Bags of Tom Brady”
Week 5: vs. Cleveland Browns (Tickets)
Sunday, October 9th
1pm EST, CBS
Partly Cloudy, 60’s
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Opponent/Patriots Stats:
Browns: 0-4
Notable Games: Week 2 vs. Ravens. Cleveland scored 20 points in the 1st quarter for a commanding lead to the Raven’s measly 2 points. However, that was the end of their offense and the Ravens come back and win in a devastating lost for the Browns (related: sun rises in the east and sets in the west).
Common Opponents: Miami Dolphins (24-30 Miami in OT)
Recent games vs. Pats: A close game in Gilette (27-26 Patriots) in December of the 2013 season.
Notable Players
Cody Kessler QB: 49/73 (67.1 comp %), 467 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 3 fumbles
Isaiah Crowell RB: 61 carries, 394 yds (6.5 avg), 3 TDs, 6 rec, 53 yds
Terrelle Pryor WR: 19 rec, 290 yds (15.3 avg), 1 TD, 5 carries, 15 yds, 1 TD
Gary Barnidge TE: 16 rec, 160 yds (10 avg), 0 TDs
Injury Alerts
Patriots:
Jimmy Garoppolo/Jacoby Brissett: Both of these worthy backup QBs are dealing with injuries limiting them (Garoppolo the AC joint and Brissett the thumb). However, it officially matters like 95% less this week because a a wild bear could maul Tom Brady on the field and he still wouldn’t come off. He’d also probably still throw for 400 yards too.
Dont’a Hightower was definitely not at 100% based on what we saw against Buffalo. Hightower is dealing with a partially torn meniscus in his knee according to Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald. Hightower missed tackles he’d normally make and one would think that is because he can’t cut like he used to. They wouldn’t risk playing him if it wasn’t safe(ish) so hopefully he keeps improving and this is a better week for him.
Brandon Bolden had a tough knee injury in the Buffalo game. It was reported that he avoided something seriously severe. However, it would surprise me to see him active for this one.
Vincent Valentine suffered a back injury against Buffalo and didn’t return which isn’t a great sign for his availability this week. Keep an eye on his practice attendance this week.
Martellus Bennett had a shoulder injury this past weekend but he came back in the game so he should be good to go.
Jonathan Cooper is very possibly Houdini. We saw him one practice and then he vanished.
Browns: (which looks strikingly similar to the Pats Injury Report last week)
Robert Griffins III was injured early this season and is on IR. He won’t play against the Patriots
Josh McCown was injured shortly after RGIII went down. 3rd stringer, here we come!
Corey Coleman is the Browns exciting rookie receiver who injured his hand. He is expected to miss between 4-6 weeks after the injury. He won’t be playing this week against the Patriots.
Carl Nassib left the game against the Ravens with a hand injury that was later confirmed as a break that needed surgery. It would be surprising to see him suit up for this game.
Key Matchups
Patriots:
vs. WR1: 17th —– vs. Logan Ryan vs. Terelle Pryor
vs. WR2: 18th—– Malcolm Butler vs. Andrew Hawkins
vs. TE: 24th —– Justin Coleman vs. Gary Barnidge
vs. RB: 23rd —– Jamie Collins vs. Isaiah Crowell
Browns:
vs. WR1: 30th —– Julian Edelman vs. Joe Haden
vs. WR2: 21st —– Chris Hogan vs. Jamar Taylor
vs. TE: 28th —– Rob Gronkowski vs. Jordan Poyer
vs. RB: 21st —– James White vs. Demario Davis
What’s at Stake?
The Patriots are on the road against an AFC opponent, so a win here would help solidify their place atop the conference. They have one loss in the division after four games so another loss in the conference could be the difference between a 1st round bye or not if the Steelers or Broncos go on a tear. Both of those teams are currently ahead of NE in the standings. The Pats share a 3-1 record with four other AFC teams and are behind the Broncos at 4-0. A win against a gimme team like the Browns would be valuable down the road.
Early Thoughts:
The Browns are not without talent, particularly on offense. Gary Barnidge is a talented TE for them and Terrelle Pryor is admirably showing up despising being one of the Browns only noteworthy targets. Isaiah Crowell is currently the NFL’s #2 rusher with an impressive 6.5 yard average. However, BB isn’t known for losing two in a row. Belichick will have the team incredibly well prepared to deal with the Browns and I have no doubt Tom Brady will be playing like his life depends on it. Ninkovich’s return should also provide a nice boost to the team. There has never been a better opportunity to right the ship against an 0-4 Browns team with their leader. Here’s their chance.
Welcome back TB12. We missed ya.