Browns slaughtered in New England to fall to 2-6

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns and NFL analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.

FOXBOROUGH, MA

Instant takeaways from Browns’ 32-13 loss to New England Patriots … 

1. Time for a bye: The Browns reached their bye week with a 2-6 record after getting boat-raced by the Patriots, 32-13. They’ll need the week to find an offense. The score could have been worse if not for Myles Garrett’s three sacks in the first half, which resulted in three New England field goals. Garrett added two more of Drake May in the second half for a Browns’ record of five. Maye shook them all off and torched the Browns with three TD passes in the second half. He finished with his seventh consecutive game with a 100+ passer rating. Two of Maye’s TDs came after Dillon Gabriel’s first two interceptions of his career. The Browns actually took a 7-3 lead on Gabriel’s best possession in his four starts – a 70-yard scoring drive. But after that, he generated only 47 total yards over the next six possessions. A seventh possession was turned over on downs when Gabriel’s fourth-down pass for Jerry Jeudy in the end zone was incomplete. It was Jeudy’s only second target of the game, the first coming with 12:18 left in the fourth quarter. Late in the game, Gabriel was called for intentional grounding throwing from the end zone, which counted as a New England safety. Gabriel, who completed his first five passes, was 21 of 35 for 156 yards, two TDs, two INTs and a passer rating of 65.9.

2. Why not?: A New England shanked punt of 15 yards set up a garbage Browns TD in the fourth quarter. Gabriel squeezed the ball in through a needle hole to David Njoku from 11 yards out. After a 2-point play failed on an incompletion for Harold Fannin, the Browns declared they would try an onside kick. Andre Szmyt’s left-footed bouncer was recovered by Patriots tight end Austin Hooper. After the safety, the Browns tried another onside kick. This time, Gage Larvadain recovered for the Browns.

3. Oh, no: With the tedious remaining minutes taking forever, linebacker Carson Schwesinger got rolled on the back of his legs by teammate Isaiah McGuire chasing a play. Schwesinger spent some moments lying on his back and then limped off the field.

4. The other Buckeye back: Ex-Ohio Stater TreVeyon Henderson has had a quiet rookie season, but he sparked the Patriots to a TD on their first possession of the second half. Henderson ran for 6 yards and a first down on his first carry and then broke the right edge for 27 yards. The Patriots followed with a successful razzle dazzle play – toss to Rhamondre Stevenson, who threw back to Maye, who connect to Mack Hollins for 19 yards. Three plays later, Maye play-faked and tossed to wide open tight end Hunter Henry from 7 yards for New England’s first touchdown and a 16-7 lead.

5. All she wrote: The Browns’ offense had gone south since its first possession of 70 yards. The next five netted merely 44 yards. And after the Patriots scored, Gabriel was intercepted for the first time in four games. He threw it right to linebacker Robert Spillane in front of David Njoku. Spillane’s 32-yard return took it to the Browns’ 7. After Myles Garrett’s fourth sack of Maye, Maye hit Stefon Diggs for two quick completions, getting the TD from 1 yard out. It was 23-7, Pats, at that point.

6. Friendly fire: On the Patriots scoring drive, cornerback Tyson Campbell left the game with a possible concussion when he was accidentally kneed in the head by linebacker Devin Bush at the end of a Diggs reception.

7. Order the headstones: The Patriots led at halftime, 9-7, and it could have been much worse if not for Garrett. Garrett populated his Halloween graveyard display with three headstones of Maye. Each of his sacks ended New England drives in plus-territory – the first two inside the red zone.

8. The Carson show: Schwesinger unofficially led Browns defenders in interceptions in training camp practices, per the coaches. During the week, coordinator Jim Schwartz presciently said, “The ball’s going to find him.” And it did. Schwesinger scored his first NFL interception in the second quarter when Maye’s short pass for Diggs went right to him. Schwesinger’s 7-yard runback gave the Browns’ offense possession at the Patriots’ 34. But the offense squandered the opportunity when Gabriel was late locating Isaiah Bond open inside the 5 and Bond couldn’t catch the ball in bounds. Then Andre Szmyt missed a 47-yard field goal try wide left. It was Szmyt’s first miss since Game 1.

9. Nice adjustment: Stevenson was a one-man show on New England’s first possession. He had 45 yards on six touches (four runs, two receptions) on the Patriots’ field goal drive. But after that, Stevenson was quiet. He added only 4 total yards and had 49 at the half.

10. Finally: Gabriel’s first possession marked his best TD drive in his four starts. He converted a third-and-11 with a 19-yard completion to tight end Harold Fannin. Malachi Corley rang up 31 yards on a jet sweep, and then Gabriel play-faked and hit a wide-open Fannin from 18 yards for the touchdown. Six plays, 70 yards, in 3:35.

11. You wanted creativity: As the Browns’ offense bogged down, Stefanski tried to open it up with a couple trick plays on the same possession. First, a flea-flicker from Judkins to Gabriel failed, as Gabriel threw it away to avoid a sack. Two plays later, Gabriel tossed the ball across the field to receiver Gage Larvadain, who stopped to throw, but tucked the ball in and run for just a 3-yard gain on third-and-14. Larvadain, a lefty like Gabriel, played quarterback in high school in Louisiana.

12. Pre-game notes: Shedeur Sanders was made inactive because of a back injury apparently suffered at Friday’s practice. Sanders complained of tightness in his back when he reported to facility on Saturday prior to departing for team flight here. Timing is everything, and it resulted in ex-Patriot fourth-round draft pick Bailey Zappe returning to Gillette Stadium as Browns QB2. Other inactives: cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse, safety Damontae Kazee, running back Rocket Sanders, guard Zak Zinter, offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas, and defensive tackle Adin Huntington.