With Week 7 behind us, Week 8 of the NFL season is already here as fans prepare for another action-packed slate of games. With six teams heading towards their bye weeks, the week still offers an intriguing group of matchups that should bring some close finishes and exciting moments. We'll give our bold predictions for one game in particular when the Cleveland Browns (2-5) visit the New England Patriots (5-2).
The Cleveland Browns most recently took down the Miami Dolphins 31-6 in their highest-scoring and best overall performance of the season. Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins put the team on his back with three touchdowns as their top-ranked defense forced four total turnovers. They'll hope to build upon their momentum as underdogs in this game.
The New England Patriots currently lead the AFC East following their recent 31-13 win over the Tennessee Titans. They've now won four games in a row as quarterback Drake Maye is emerging as one of the bright young stars in the league. They'll look for five-straight as the favorites to win this game at home, despite a 1-2 record at Gillette Stadium this season.
The New England Patriots are favored to win this game by a touchdown with an implied total of 40.5 points for the game.
Browns vs. Patriots Bold Predictions
Drake Maye emerges as an MVP favorite
After a strong start in 2024, Drake Maye was due to take a significant leap in his second year as New England's starter. He now has his Patriots at 5-2 and he's already in the conversation for most valuable player, listed with the fourth-best odds (+850) to win the award behind names like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Baker Mayfield.
Maye currently ranks fourth among quarterbacks with 1,744 passing yards and 14 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He's also fourth league-wide in QBR (76.8) and is one of the more active quarterbacks in rushing the football. Following the Patriots' win over the Titans, Maye's MVP odds jumped from +1800 to +950, another great performance against a 2-5 team could see him jump into the top-3 MVP talks.
Quinshon Judkins struggles against the New England defensive front
Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins is already making a solid case for Offensive Rookie of the Year with five touchdowns and 467 rushing yards through his firs six games. He's been able to post solid rushing totals against strong defenses like those in Green Bay or Detroit, but he's also had his off games when the offense isn't working as a whole.
The New England Patriots' defense is allowing the third-fewest rushing yards per game (77.5) to opponents and they've only allowed three rushing touchdowns all season. With Dillon Gabriel under center still adjusting to the speed of NFL defenses, there's a ton of pressure for Judkins to perform as the main option in this offense. Don't be at all surprised if this Patriots' defense is able to keep the explosive rookie in check during this potentially low-scoring game.
Harold Fannin Jr. takes over starting TE1 role
Speaking of rookie sensations, tight end Harold Fannin Jr. out of Bowling Green has been one of the bright spots of this Cleveland Browns team. Listed on the depth chart behind NFL veteran tight end David Njoku, Fannin Jr. has posted 32 total receptions (leading the Browns) for 290 total yards and a touchdown. Fannin Jr. also leads his teammate Njoku is all the previous statistical categories.
Njoku was ruled ‘out' in Week 7 with a knee injury and his status ahead of this game is ‘questionable.' While the Browns have implemented schemes with both Njoku and Fannin Jr. on the field at the same time, Fannin has flourished in Njoku's absence with 11 receptions and 117 yards over his last two starts. If the rookie tight end is able to post another solid stat line against the Patriots in Week 8, he could make his case for the starting role in this offense and the go-to option in the passing game.
Patriots lead in a blowout, Browns' Shedeur Sanders enters the game
With the Patriots defense and offense both being the superior sides in this game, we can expect New England to be leading late much like they did against the Titans last week. While rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel has managed to be relatively mistake-free with no interceptions this season, he hasn't been able to throw for a touchdown over the last two games either.
If this game turns into a blowout by the fourth quarter, there wouldn't be any hurt in throwing rookie Shedeur Sanders in the game and allowing him to see some game-speed reps. Fans have been wondering when Sanders will take the field and although head coach Kevin Stefankski has shot the idea down, it could be smart playing Sanders and preserving Gabriel as his starter if the reps at the end of the game are meaningless.
