Browns-Patriots primer: Bill Belichick's Cleveland return comes at critical point

CLEVELAND − The Browns are at a crucial juncture in their season.

The past two games have both been opportunities to get wins. Instead, the Browns (2-3) have found ways to lose one-score games.

Now, they welcome in arguably the greatest NFL coach of the modern era and his own 2-3 football team. Bill Belichick's New England Patriots snapped their own two-game losing streak a week ago with a shutout win over the Detroit Lions.

In a lot of ways, Belichick's former team and his current team are similar. Both are going to want to run the football, a lot.

Both may also have backups starting at quarterback. Jacoby Brissett has always been known as the starter for the Browns' first 11 games, and Bailey Zappe may get his second career start for the Patriots if the injured Mac Jones can't go.

What both can't do is win Sunday's game. Only one team is going to leave FirstEnergy Stadium with a victory.

Will it be the Browns ending their two-game losing streak? Or will it be the Patriots leaving on a two-game win streak?

Matchup to watch: Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson vs. Browns LB Jacob Phillips

This isn't necessarily a one-on-one matchup that may happen a large percentage of the game. It's more a matchup to demonstrate a greater point. The point is this: the Browns' run defense has been awful the last two weeks, and middle linebacker Jacob Phillips − who has played every snap the past two games with Anthony Walker Jr. out − has been viewed as one of the weakest links on that defense, grading out to a 32.7 on 102 run snaps this season by Pro Football Focus.

Now entering the picture is Stevenson, who is coming off a career-best 161 rushing yards against the Lions last week after replacing the injured Damien Harris as the Patriots' featured back. This isn't some random practice-squad elevation − see: Huntley, Caleb − but a promising second-year player who has already run over the Browns once before in his career in a 100-yard, two-touchdown performance last year.

Stevenson and Phillips will likely meet several times over the course of Sunday afternoon. The Browns need Phillips − or, really, whomever it may be − to win that one-on-one matchup a significant number of times if they hope to keep Stevenson from having another big day rushing.

And another big day rushing for Stevenson would mean another bad day for the Browns' run defense.

Cleveland Browns player to watch: TE David Njoku

Belichick directed much of his praise when it came to the Browns this week toward running back Nick Chubb. However, he also had some bouquets to toss David Njoku's way, saying, "After Ozzie, probably the best tight end the Browns have ever had." That "Ozzie" would be, by the way, Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome. Could it be Belichick pumping the tires of an opponent? Sure. However, Njoku's starting to play at a much more consistently high level. The past three games, going back to the Thursday Night Football win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, he's caught 20 passes for 250 yards. He's becoming a much more frequent target in the passing game, and the potential that the Browns have believed in since making him a first-round pick in 2017 is finally starting to appear. The next Ozzie Newsome? Well, let's pump the brakes a bit. The next step in Njoku's development? That it might just be.

New England Patriots player to watch: LB Matthew Judon

The abilities of Judon shouldn't be unfamiliar to the Browns or their fans. He spent his first five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before signing with the Patriots as a free agent prior to the 2021 season. This season may be as good as any for the three-time Pro Bowler. Judon was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Lions, with three tackles, two sacks, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble. He's the only player in the NFL to have a sack in each of the first five games. Judon has six sacks and 11 quarterback hits, so the Browns will have to know exactly where he's at on every snap.

Three numbers: Browns rushing attack historic so far

150

The Browns have rushed for at least 150 yards in each of the first five games this season. It's the third time in team history they've done so, joining the 1947 and 2021 teams. They've rushed for 962 yards in that span, the third-most in team history and most since the 1963 Browns rushed for 1,042 yards.

323

Belichick returns to the town where his head-coaching career began. His first career win came on Sept. 8, 1991, a 20-0 win over the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts, as the Browns' head coach. Now, in his 22nd season as the Patriots' coach, he comes to Cleveland with 323 wins, including the postseason. A win on Sunday would tie him with George Halas for second place in all-time wins among NFL coaches at 324, and put him 23 wins behind Don Shula for No. 1 on the list.

593

Chubb's leading the NFL in rushing after having topped 100 yards in four of the first five games. He's also scored seven rushing touchdowns, which is first in the league as well. Chubb's done all of that on just 98 carries, making him the only player in NFL history to rush for at least 575 yards and seven TDs on fewer than 100 carries in the first five games of the season. His five-game total is most by a Browns running back since Jim Brown ran for 787 in 1963.

Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Bill Belichick returns to Cleveland at key point in Browns season