Are the Patriots facing a revenge game in week six?

Typically, a Patriots versus the Browns game wouldn’t garner much attention outside of their home cities. But other than the obvious storylines going into this week six matchup, a new layer has been added since Cleveland players spoke to the media this week.

In reflecting upon the last time these two teams met, Browns player Greg Newsome II had a lot to say. It was week ten of the 2021 season and the rookie quarterback-led Patriots team demolished Cleveland in a 45-7 victory. Mac Jones threw for three touchdowns on the day, with Rhamondre Stevenson totaling 20 carries for 100 yards and two touchdowns and receivers showed out with 283 receiving yards and four total touchdowns.

It was a memorable part of the Patriots’ season, becoming the fourth win in a row and propelling them into becoming a more competitive team within their division. For the Browns, however, Newsome expressed the outcome was embarrassing and not a loss that is easily forgotten.

"“I just think when you have to take a loss like that, like we did last year, it was embarrassing losing like that. You never want to be embarrassed. I think the competitors we have on this team, you never want to see a game, an outcome like that whether it is a loss. You never want to see a loss where you just get completely blew out.”"

When speaking about their upcoming matchup taking place in their backyard this time, Newsome shared he’s viewing the game as a sort of ‘revenge’ with the hopes of righting the wrong of last year’s loss.

"“I think we’ll play them tough again. We definitely need revenge for this game, though. For sure.”"

Despite being an earlier meeting than last season, both teams have a lot on the line. New England and Cleveland currently sit with a record of 2-3 and intend to use a win from this game as the foundation to build upon for the rest of the season. Both are working with backup quarterbacks and playing a similar style of football to help win games, making their upcoming game much more intriguing.

The Patriots are viewed as the underdogs again, with the Browns favored by just 2.5 points, likely due to the question marks at quarterback for New England. And both teams will be playing aggressively in hopes of adding another check to the win column.

Will Newsome and his teammates viewing the matchup as a “revenge game” give them the edge to come out on top? Will the Patriots’ defense become too much for the Browns to overcome? We’ll have to wait until Sunday to find out.