New England Patriots 4 Downs: Week 8 versus Cleveland Browns

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 27: Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu Sr. #14 of the New England Patriots warms up prior to their game against the Cleveland Browns at Gillette Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images) /

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – OCTOBER 21: Tom Brady #12 hands off the ball to Sony Michel #26 of the New England Patriots during their game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 21, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

1st Down: First drive momentum

It took a number of weeks for the New England Patriots to get off to a hot start, but they did just that last week against the New York Jets. The opening drive took almost nine minutes as they ran 16 plays. The biggest play was a three-yard touchdown from Sony Michel that capped off the 78-yard drive.

The first drive today could be very important if the Patriots win the coin toss and elect to receive, as they could add even more pressure to Cleveland to answer any open-drive points they’d score. The Browns are still very much in the hunt for a convincing statement win this season.

Even if the Patriots get the ball second, the odds that the defense swings the momentum to Tom Brady and company are really good. That being said, a long drive ending in a touchdown would be the best case scenario for the offense looking to start off on the right foot.

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