Three keys for Patriots to avoid trap game against Browns

The New England Patriots (5-2) are on a roll. Winners of four straight, they head into Sunday's matchup against the Cleveland Browns (2-5) leading the AFC East and sitting second in the AFC.

Much of the team's success can be attributed to quarterback Drake Maye, who has tossed for 1,744 yards, 12 touchdowns and two interceptions. 

Maye's performance on Sunday will be a deciding factor, but there are many other elements that the Patriots must consider when game-planning.

Here are three things the Patriots must do to defeat the Browns.

Expect offensive struggle

The Browns have a stronger defense than their 2-5 record suggests. They have allowed the fifth-fewest rushing yards (577) and seventh-fewest passing yards (1,345), despite facing QBs Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson and Jared Goff. They have also snagged five interceptions (tied for seventh) and forced a league-leading seven fumbles.

What does that mean for the Patriots? This is a textbook trap game.

Because of Cleveland's sneakily talented defense, Maye and the offense may perform worse than expected during the game's opening drives. When this happens to a young QB who enters the game a clear favorite to win, it becomes easy to panic.

But Maye must stay calm.

The Patriots' offense was near-perfect against the Titans last Sunday. It scored 31 points, rushed for over 100 yards and Maye, in a record-setting performance, completed 91.3 percent of his passes (21-of-23) for two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The game against Cleveland will likely be much sloppier. Compared to last week, there will likely be more turnovers, incomplete passes and sacks, which is manageable as long as players do not get frustrated.

The Patriots need to focus on executing during key moments, not replicating perfection. If they do that, the offense will be just fine.

Force QB Dillon Gabriel to make plays

New England's best asset on defense may be the opposing QB. Gabriel is a third-round rookie who was promoted to a starter in Week 5. He does not turn the ball over much (zero interceptions) but is a well-below-average playmaker. Through three starts, he has completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 546 yards and three touchdowns.

If the Patriots want to limit Cleveland's offensive production, they have to force the ball into Gabriel's hands. The only way they can do that is by shutting down starting running back Quinshon Judkins, whom Cleveland's offense is increasingly relying on. 

Shutting down the run and forcing the pass requires players like defensive tackle Christian Barmore, Milton Williams and inside linebacker Robert Spillane to make key tackles on first- and second-down to create long-yardage situations.

Don't overcomplicate anything

When facing a strong team, teams typically design trick plays or make major scheme tweaks to create an edge over a talented opponent. 

This Sunday, however, simpler is better. The Patriots need to stick to their standard offensive and defensive schemes, trusting that their raw talent will be enough to defeat Cleveland. Changing too many things before the game risks complicating a straightforward game.

On offense, that means keeping matchups, formations and lineups as they have been all season. If the unit has been fine the last seven games, they will be fine on Sunday.

Defensively, coaches may focus on creating proper cornerback-receiver matchups, but they should not game plan around a specific player. Cleveland's offense is too weak for that. New England's defensive success will be determined by how well the group executes basic coverages and concepts.