The New England Patriots have been perfect this season, going 7-0 through the first seven weeks thanks in large part to a dominant defense.
The Cleveland Browns, on the other hand, have been far from perfect, stumbling to a 2-4 record despite Super Bowl aspirations, and the discrepancy between the teams is reflected in the point spread for their Week 8 matchup, with New England a hefty 13-point favorite for Sunday’s showdown at Gillette Stadium.
That said, Cris Carter isn’t ruling out an upset. While he believes New England owns a clear advantage on paper, Carter outlined Friday on FS1’s “First Things First” how the Browns could do the unthinkable and upset the Patriots in Foxboro.
“These are the things that are gonna have to happen: (the Browns are) gonna have to score on special teams or they’re gonna have to score two defensive touchdowns,” Carter said. “You can’t rely on that offensive line given the pressure that New England has put on every team the first seven games. They’re going to need some assistance. And (Nick) Chubb. Chubb is the MVP for the Browns. If they’re able to get it done, he’s gotta touch the ball 25 times, milk out that clock, try to go through the heart of that New England defense, force them into man-to-man coverage, and then (Jarvis Landry) and (Odell Beckham Jr.) on the outside can make some big plays. But that is the challenge. You have to shorten the game. You have to win time of possession. Baker has to have a clean game, no turnovers. But that defense has to create several turnovers, and I want to see a couple of scores.
” … And Myles Garrett, the defensive end who got off to a fast start, the last couple of weeks not the productivity. If he is on No. 12 in Tom Brady, the chances for the Browns are realistic. But this would be one of the biggest Browns wins in a number of years.”
One certainly could argue this is the toughest test to date for the Patriots, who have benefited from a favorable schedule amid their hot start. But the Browns have several weaknesses that Bill Belichick and Co. undoubtedly will look to exploit this Sunday. An upset would be shocking, to say the least.
