RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 27: Drew Biber #43 of the Cleveland Browns runs the ball during the third quarter of a preseason game against the New England Patriots at Huntington Bank Field on August 27, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ahead of his first training camp as New England Patriots head coach in 2025, Mike Vrabel explained that he was judging his team’s performances by three distinct categories. The Patriots’ 37-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night saw mostly the second of those categories: there was little of the good, but a lot of the bad and the s—t that gets you beat.
If Vrabel looks at his team through those specific categorizations, let’s follow his lead and break down Patriots-Browns accordingly.
The good: No major injuries
As noted above, the Patriots’ loss to the Browns was mostly bad. There were still a few positives such as wide receiver Kyle Williams scoring his third touchdown in three preseason games, linebacker Namdi Obiazor being active on defense and special teams, or the kicking operation looking good.
The biggest positive from our perspective, however, was the lack of any significant injuries. The only scary moment came midway through the second quarter, when left tackle James Hudson — the Patriots’ starter at that spot in lieu of usual backup LT Marcus Bryant — got banged up. However, Hudson eventually reentered the contest and finished with 37 of 59 snaps.
It remains to be seen whether or not Hudson actually factors into the 53-man roster mix come Sunday evening. However, the fact that his was the only issue and still seemingly minor in nature is good news for a New England team that lost three valuable players over the first two weeks of preseason: backup interior offensive linemen Ben Brown and Andrew Rupcich against the Colts, followed by Bryant versus the Eagles.
The bad: Money downs
The Patriots were unable to deliver in most areas on Thursday, but one that stands out in particular were key situations on offense and defense. Offensively, the team went only 4-for-12 on third down, followed by a 1-for-2 fourth down performance (with one of those failed fourth downs a Behren Morton interception that was returned 36 yards to the New England 12-yard line). The unit also finished an uninspiring 0-for-2 in the red zone.
The defense, meanwhile, allowed Cleveland to move the chains on eight of 13 third downs. The Browns also went 4-for-6 in the red area, and a perfect 3-for-3 in goal-to-go situations. It wasn’t great.
The s—t that gets you beat: Lack of juice
Mike Vrabel was hired by the Patriots in January 2025 in large parts because of his reputation as a culture-builder, and he has indeed done a commendable job turning the team around after back-to-back 4-13 seasons. Thursday night, however, saw little of that. Instead, Vrabel’s team showed little juice and was simply outclassed by its opponent from start to finish.
The positive is that the team that took on the Browns will not be the one that will face the reigning world champion Seahawks in just under two weeks. None of the true core Patriots were on the field Thursday, and even roster-worthy depth options that struggled — think: Charles Woods and Kindle Vildor — should benefit from the “rising tide lifting all boats” effect.
But if we look at the Browns game in a vacuum, none of that matters. For those 60 minutes, the performance and demeanor simply were not good enough.
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