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The Cleveland Browns are playing the waiting game to start the 2022 season, as they await the return of Deshaun Watson from his 11-game suspension. So far, the Browns are 2-3 without Watson as they look to stay afloat in the AFC North while he's on the sidelines. With the New England Patriots coming into town for Week 6, we will unveil our Browns Week 6 predictions for their pivotal upcoming matchup.
The Patriots enter this game with the same 2-3 record as the Browns, and are coming off a dominant 29-0 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 5, despite being forced to play with their third-string quarterback Bailey Zappe. New England has some holes, and might be forced to play without Mac Jones for their third straight game, but they have proven early on they cannot be taken lightly.
Cleveland may be favored to win this matchup, but chances are it will be a hard-fought game by two teams trying to stay alive in the AFC playoff race. It may not be the prettiest game, but it should be exciting nonetheless. With that in mind, let's take a look at three bold predictions for the Browns in their upcoming Week 6 contest.
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3. The Browns defense will allow over 200 rushing yards for the third straight game
The Browns defense hasn't been able to consistently pick up their offense to start the 2022 season, and it's a big reason why they are 2-3 so far. A big reason for that has been because of their recent struggles when it comes to defending the run. The Browns have allowed over 200 rushing yards in their last two games, and will be going up against a Patriots team that will be relying heavily on the ground game, no matter who their quarterback is.
In Week 4, the Atlanta Falcons managed to pick up 202 yards on the ground, despite losing their starting running back Cordarrelle Patterson midway through the game, and watching Marcus Mariota complete just seven passes in the air. In Week 5, Austin Ekeler torched Cleveland on the ground for 173 yards himself, even as Justin Herbert struggled through a mediocre outing.
The Patriots picked up 176 yards on the ground against the Lions, and will be turning things over to Rhamondre Stevenson given Damien Harris' recent hamstring injury. With Stevenson leading the way, New England will run all over the Browns, resulting in Cleveland allowing over 200 yards rushing for the third straight game, which isn't a great sign.
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2. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt will both score a touchdown on the ground
While the Browns have been allowing a ton of yards on the ground on defense, they have also been picking up a ton of yards on the ground as well. Nick Chubb has been leading the way, with Kareem Hunt serving as a solid secondary option, and once again, the duo have worked wonders for Cleveland's offense.
Chubb has gotten the majority of the work, which isn't surprising considering he's averaging 6.1 yards per carry this season. Chubb's otherworldly production has led to Hunt taking a bit more of a backseat to open the season, but against the Patriots, both of these guys will have big days out of the backfield.
Chubb has picked up over 100 total yards in every game so far this season, and he will continue that trend by rushing for 110 yards and a touchdown. Hunt won't have as much success, picking up 33 yards on eight carries, but he turns one of those carries into a touchdown to help keep the Browns offense rolling. All in all, this will be another successful outing for Cleveland's rushing attack.
1. The Browns will lose by a score of 23-21 on a last second field goal to the Patriots
This matchup will be tightly contested throughout, with the Patriots question mark at quarterback leading to some suspense in the buildup to this game. It doesn't really matter who is under center for New England, though, as their game plan is going to involve a heavy dose of Stevenson running the football.
Stevenson will account for 130 rushing yards and a score, with Kendrick Bourne scoring New England's second touchdown on a jet sweep from three yards out. Jacoby Brissett will struggle for much of the day under center, but he ends up finding Amari Cooper in the end zone for a five-yard score with just over two minutes remaining in the game, giving Cleveland a 21-20 lead.
The Browns defense can't close this game out, though, and they allow Stevenson to rip off a 34-yard run on the first play of the ensuing drive to put New England in great field position. They continue to run with Stevenson to bleed out the clock and get into field goal range, and Nick Folk will come on and nail a game-winning field goal right as time expires. It will be a tough loss for the Browns in which the same problems that have haunted them to start the season pop up once again.
