Over the last five years, the Patriots have relied heavily on their defense to keep them in games, as their offense continued to fall behind and become more of a liability when on the field. A lot of that had to do with inconsistent quarterback play and less-than-stellar offensive playcalling, which has not been an issue this season so far.
In fact, the offense has arguably been the better part of the team in the first seven games, but that doesn't mean the defense has fallen to the backseat. They have become a significantly improved group from last year and will face one of their toughest tests yet against the Browns this Sunday.
Although Cleveland is far from an intimidating team, they do have a young roster of players with a lot of potential, the most imposing of which appears to be rookie running back Quinshon Judkins, who played alongside Patriots' rookie TreVeyon Henderson at Ohio State.
Given that New England's defense has been the most impressive in shutting down opponents' run game, they will have a tall task in stopping Judkins this week, especially after his unstoppable performance in the Browns' win over the Dolphins last week.
Through 7 weeks, the Patriots remain the only defense in the NFL who have not surrendered 50 rushing yards to any opposing player. pic.twitter.com/amqKYt3RfH
— Meghan Ottolini (@Meghan_Ottolini) October 20, 2025
The Patriots defensive line have a tough matchup against Quinshon Judkins this week
The Patriots aim to extend their win streak to five games with their second home win against the Browns this Sunday, and the defense will be crucial in achieving that.
The defense has played a pivotal role over the last four weeks, and that will need to continue against a very good running back in Judkins, who recorded 25 carries for 84 yards and three touchdowns just last week. He might have only averaged 3.4 yards per carry, but he's proven to be a weapon for a mostly unimpressive Browns team and a threat in the red zone, which will force the Patriots' defense to be on their toes all game long.
On the season, Judkins has totaled 109 carries for 467 yards and five scores, and there's clearly no sign of him slowing down any time soon.
The Patriots will need to slow him down if they don't want to force their offense to score on nearly every drive. Clearly, Judkins is going to be the Browns' workhorse, and because of that, the game could very easily get away from the home team. Although they can overcome deficits, as we've seen this season, it's better for them not to play from behind.
That will likely be the determining factor in whether they have the chance to add a fifth win in a row this week, and hopefully, they can continue to build upon what they've accomplished in recent weeks.