The Cleveland Browns are set to go on the road to play the New England Patriots in Week 8, and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel made a surprising admission ahead of the matchup.
Despite the Browns holding a 2-5 record on the year, Vrabel believes Cleveland’s defense is the best New England will face this season.
“Yeah, I mean, just statistically and play style, they’re playing at a high level,” Vrabel said on Wednesday. “There’s quite a lot of confidence. It’s a lot of speed, a lot of disruption. They don’t give you a lot of time to make decisions, and then there’s enough change-ups in there. You just have to be good, you have to be sound, and you can’t hold onto the ball.”
Cleveland’s defense showcased their impressive form in Week 7, forcing Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to throw three interceptions during their dominant blowout win. With that performance in mind, Vrabel is well aware of the challenge ahead for his team’s offense—and especially for quarterback Drake Maye, who will need to be well prepared to face the Browns’ aggressive defense.
### Patriots Coach Continues to Praise Browns Defense
After calling the Browns the best defense the Patriots have faced so far this season, Vrabel continued to lavish praise on their speed and ability to pressure the quarterback and force turnovers.
“Well, they’re fast, they’re disruptive. They put pressure on the quarterback. And they do it through their players and their identity,” Vrabel explained. “They understand what they want to do and how they want to play. They want to force you into mistakes if you give up loose plays or guys get on the edge of somebody.
“You’ve got an elite edge rusher on the outside, and if you can’t step up it’s going to be hard to protect. And then the corners are going to be sticky, the linebackers all can run, safeties are very good tacklers. And that’s the thing that I’ve noticed, is that if a ball breaks, eight yards is a really long run against this team because the safeties are such good tacklers—Grant [Delpit] and Ronnie [Hickman].”
The Browns’ defense is currently allowing just 21.7 points per game, while averaging 2.57 sacks and five total interceptions per game—numbers that underscore their disruptive nature on the field.
### Kevin Stefanski Reveals Message to Defense
Following the Browns’ dominant defensive performance against Miami, head coach Kevin Stefanski sent a clear message to his defense, emphasizing discipline and teamwork.
“I think, obviously you score 21 points off of four takeaways, that’s a great recipe for success,” Stefanski said. “I think a big message for our defense, and I’m sure most defenses, is ‘do your job’. And you don’t go looking for an interception, or you use your technique when you’re tackling and the second guy in punches out.
“So, doing your job, the ball, you’ll be in position to make plays on the ball. And sometimes you have to wait for those opportunities to come, but you don’t go outside the framework of your defense.”
Stefanski expressed his confidence in the defense’s potential, noting there is a strong foundation to build on following their impressive showing against Miami.
### Looking Ahead
The Browns enter Sunday’s game as seven-point underdogs against the Patriots, but with a defense performing at such a high level, this matchup promises to be a test for New England’s offense. Fans can expect an intense battle as both teams look to claim a crucial win in Week 8.
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