Image courtesy of David Richard/AP
Sunday was a tough afternoon for those that heavily critiqued Bill Belichick’s 2022 draft.
Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe thew for over 300 and two touchdowns in his second career start, while draft classmate Tyquan Thornton scored his first two career touchdowns – one receiving one rushing – and the Patriots cruised to a 38-15 win over the Browns.
The defense also held the highly hyped Cleveland running game and Nick Chubb to just 70 yards total on the ground. The Pats are now 3-3 with a Monday Night Football matchup against the Bears up next and a quarterback controversy brewing. The win also tied Bill Belichick for second all time in wins with George Halas with 324.
“In the end, good complimentary football,” said Belichick. “Got some turnovers, we were able to make some plays in the kicking game, another five or six fourth down plays, two-point conversion, seems like that’s becoming a theme here. Defensively, we’ve got to be ready to tackle those, but got some contributions from some of our younger guys here today.
“(Pierre) Strong, (Kevin) Harris got a chance to play, (Tyquan) Thornton made a couple big plays for us. Obviously, (Cole) Strange, he’s been doing that for us all year. (Bailey) Zappe hung in there. So, good team win, big week coming up here, but good to come into Cleveland and win.”
Leading 10-6 at halftime after a sluggish opening 30 minutes for both teams, New England wasted no time adding to it in the third quarter. Two plays in, Jonnu Smith came out of nowhere with a 53 yard catch and run down to the Cleveland 21. Five snaps after the big play, Zappe (24-34, 309 yards) hit Tyquan Thornton for the speedy wide receiver’s first career touchdown, quickly pushing the lead to 17-6.
Jacoby Brissett gave the ball back with a little over six minutes to go in the third when Jalen Mills came down with a fluttering ball after Ja’Whaun Bentley flew in untouched and got to the former Patriots’ quarterback.
With the offense set up at the Browns’ 40, Zappe found Hunter Henry absolutely wide open for a 31 yard touchdown on third and short, putting the Pats up by 18, a lead they carried into the fourth quarter.
Cleveland put a drive together in the latter stages of the third and had to settle for a 51 yard field goal, cutting it to 24-9. Zappe continued to raise eyebrows on the next possession, slinging some impressive passes in various situations. The rookie QB passed the 300 yard mark during the drive, but Nick Folk’s streak of 64 straight field goals made inside 50 yards was snapped when he missed a 45 yard attempt with 9:00 to go.
Cleveland converted a fourth and two with a 37 yard catch down the right sideline for Donovan Peoples Jones to the New England 20 moments later. With 6:17 to play, Amari Cooper reeled in a TD pass from Brissett in the back right corner of the end zone, but the failed two point conversion left it a 24-15 game.
The Browns went onside kick and recovered it. Luckily for New England, AJ Green recovered the ball while he was out of bounds and After a review, the Patriots ended up with possession at the Cleveland 47. An ugly three and out ensued, but the Browns muffed the punt and Brendan Schooler recovered at the Browns’ 20. One play later, Thornton scored his second touchdown of the game, this one coming on a jet sweep, officially putting the game out of reach at 31-15.
Carl Davis brought back memories of Vince Wilfork when he recovered a fumble and nearly got in the end zone after rumbling, bumbling and stumbling before being tackled deep in Browns territory. Three plays later, Rhamondre Stevenson punched in an eight yard TD, his second of the day to cap the scoring onslaught.
“Of course, there’s some things we can continue to clean up moving on to the weeks, but that was a great win for us, that’s for sure,” said Zappe. “I think the biggest thing is just staying with the task at hand, staying with the game plan, not getting outside the game plan. We did a phenomenal job. O-line played well, receivers played well, tight ends played well, running backs ran…I mean, we just had a really good offensive day today.
“Celebrate today and then it’s on to the Bears.”
The Browns took the football to open the game, but could have saved some time and just given it to New England as Kyle Dugger picked off Brissett on the second play at the Patriots’ 36. Deatrich Wise Jr. provided pressure on the play that ultimately forced a bad throw towards the sideline that Dugger was able to get his hands on.
Two big third down throws by Zappe to Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker extended the ensuing drive. Another false start penalty on Isaiah Wynn on third and short forced the Patriots into a third and seven from the Browns’ 11 yard line, but a throw to the back left corner intended for Meyers resulted in a pass interference call. Stevenson was stuffed twice on first and goal from the one, but Zappe appeared to hit Hunter Henry for a touchdown on third and goal, until he was clearly out of bounds before coming back in to make the grab and the Pats settled for a 19 yard Nick Folk field goal.
David Njoku shook Dugger with a double move for a 33 yard reception on the Browns’ second possession, moving the ball to the New England 26. A third and four Kareem Hunt run was stuffed by the Patriots defense and Cleveland answered the field goal with one of its own.
Zappe threw a dart over the middle to open the Pats’ next drive, but penalties quickly backed them into first and 25. It looked like Zappe was moving his arm forward when Myles Garrett came screaming off the edge and got to him, hitting Zappe’s arm while the ball rolled forward. The Browns jumped on ruled a fumble, giving Cleveland the ball back at the New England 38 in the final minute of the quarter.
A big third down tackle short of the sticks by Adrian Phillips set up fourth and one and Brissett tired a quarterback sneak, but Matthew Judon and others got off the field with another big stand at their own 18. Meyers drew another pass interference call on third down, putting the Pats at the Browns’ 38, but a three and out and the first punt of the day soon followed.
Brissett got the Browns out to midfield with a few nice throws and some hard nosed Chubb runs, but the defense forced the Browns to punt for the first time. More importantly, Christian Barmore was injured on the third down play (knee) and did not return to the game.
Throws to Henry and Meyers to open the ensuing drive moved the Pats from their own 12 to the 46. Chunk plays from Parker and Tyquan Thornton moved the ball into Browns’ territory before Matt Patricia was either a genius or really lucky when he pulled out a third and 10 draw call that Stevenson took to the house from 31 yards out, with Folk’s PAT making it 10-3.
Aided by a PI call on Jalen Mills but hampered by some horrendous clock management, Cleveland settled for a field goal in the final 30 seconds to cut it to four at the half.
So, now what if you’re Bill Belichick? Jones made the trip to Cleveland but ultimately didn’t dress while the third string rookie continued to impress. It should be one hell of a week on sports talk radio and TV in New England and as George Costanza once said:
“Alright, you want to get nuts? Come on, let’s get nuts!”