The Patriots have won four straight — dating back to a Week 4 win over the Panthers — and have a chance to make it five against the visiting Browns on Sunday.
While Drake Maye seems to have cemented himself as the Patriots’ quarterback of the future, the Browns’ quarterback situation continues to look bleak; they have had 24 quarterbacks start five or more games since 2000.
Rookie Dillon Gabriel could soon become No. 25 on that list as Cleveland struggles to find a long-term solution; Sunday marks his fourth start since taking over for Joe Flacco.
We’ll have live updates and analysis from Gillette Stadium throughout the game, which kicks off at 1 p.m. on Fox. Follow along.
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Catch up on what you may have missed from the Patriots this week.
Inside Drake Maye’s second-year leap — 11:00 a.m.
By Julian Benbow
In nearly every measurable way, Drake Maye is having as good a sophomore season as anyone could have imagined.
In the past, other quarterbacks made huge second-season leaps.
Nick Foles, for instance, went from a backup who threw nearly as many interceptions as touchdown passes as a rookie with the Eagles in 2012 to a Pro Bowler who racked up 2,891 passing yards and 27 touchdowns against just two picks his second year. His passer rating jumped from 79.1 as a rookie to 119.2 the next year.
Through seven games, Maye leads the league in completion percentage (75.2), he’s top 10 in completions (152, tied for ninth), yards (1,744, eighth), and touchdowns (12, tied for eighth). His leap in terms of passer rating (from 88.1 a year ago to a league-high 116.4 this season) is the second-largest leap a quarterback has made since 2000.
Four things to watch for when the Patriots host the Browns — 10:45 a.m.
By Nicole Yang
The Patriots return to Gillette Stadium on Sunday for the first time since Week 4.
Here are four things to watch for in their game against Cleveland . . .
1. Can the Patriots stop rookie running back Quinshon Judkins?
Judkins is averaging 77.8 rushing yards per game, while the Patriots have yet to let an opposing running back eclipse 50 yards in a game. Judkins has also registered a league-high four runs of at least 30 yards this season, while the Patriots have yet to surrender such a play.
The battle between Judkins and New England’s stout, top-rated run defense could be one of the deciding factors on Sunday. Cleveland’s offense ranks last in the league in explosive passing plays (12). The unit relies on the run game, namely Judkins, to move the ball and open up other opportunities for rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Emma Healy can be reached at emma.healy@globe.com or on X @ByEmmaHealy. Amin Touri can be reached at amin.touri@globe.com. Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at christopherprice.bsky.social. Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com. Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com.Follow her @nicolecyang.
