FOXBORO, Mass. — Some assorted notes and nuggets from the New England Patriots’ 27-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday at Gillette Stadium:
— Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore turned in another strong performance against Browns star receiver Odell Beckham Jr., but he was kicking himself after the game over one missed opportunity.
On a third down early in the fourth quarter, Gilmore switched off Beckham to undercut a deep out by slot receiver Jarvis Landry. Quarterback Baker Mayfield never saw him, but his pass clanged off Gilmore’s hands, causing the All-Pro corner to double over in frustration.
Gilmore still was salty about the dropped interception — which would have given him his third pick in the last three games — when he met the media at his locker.
“I should have picked that,” he said. “I’m not going to sleep tonight for that. I’m not going to sleep.”
Gilmore spent the majority of the game shadowing Beckham and held the three-time Pro Bowler in check. Beckham finished with five catches on seven targets for 52 yards, 31 of which came on one reception in garbage time.
“Steph’s a great competitor,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “I love Steph. He always wants whatever the biggest challenge is. ‘Whatever you need me to do, whatever the biggest challenge is, put me on that player and that situation and I’ll give you my best and be ready to go.’ I love that about him. He’s very competitive and will take on whatever challenge we want to give him.”
Beckham and Gilmore traded verbal and online barbs after their last meeting in 2015, but all was civil after Sunday’s contest. Beckham has high praise for Gilmore during his postgame media session, and the two later met up for a quick chat outside the visitors’ locker room.
— Mike Nugent had a 29-yard field goal blocked during the second quarter. It was the first time an opponent had blocked a Patriots field goal since 2006, according to ESPN Stats and Info.
Nugent also missed badly from 34 yards out in the fourth quarter, finishing the night 2-for-4 on field-goal attempts. The Patriots passed up tries from 51 and 42 yards to go for it on fourth down, continuing a trend that’s persisted since Nugent took over for an injured Stephen Gostkowski in Week 5.
Over the previous three games, the Patriots opted to keep the offense on the field rather than attempt 37-, 40-, 47-, 50- and 53-yard field goals, all of which would have been within Gostkowski’s range.
— The Patriots tried running back/special teamer Brandon Bolden out at fullback during a third-quarter touchdown drive, and the experiment worked. Running behind Bolden, Sony Michel picked up 2 yards to move the chains on third-and-1, and Tom Brady connected with Julian Edelman on a 14-yard score one play later.
Bolden is one of five Patriots players who have taken snaps at fullback in the last two weeks, joining tight ends Eric Tomlinson and Ben Watson, linebacker Elandon Roberts and Ferentz. Tomlinson, Watson and Roberts also were used in that role Sunday.
New England currently is without a traditional fullback with James Develin and Jakob Johnson both on injured reserve.
— Speaking of injured reserve, might finally see N’Keal Harry make his regular-season NFL debut next Sunday in Baltimore. The rookie wide receiver is eligible to be activated off IR this week after returning to practice Oct. 15.
Harry, the Patriots’ top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft (32nd overall), hasn’t played since suffering a hamstring injury on his third snap of the preseason. New England currently has one open spot on its 53-man roster after trading defensive end Michael Bennett to the Dallas Cowboys earlier in the week.
With just one game remaining before the Patriots’ bye week, the team also could wait until after the Ravens game to activate Harry. They have until Nov. 5 to add him to their roster, at which point he would revert to IR and be ineligible to return this season.
Left tackle Isaiah Wynn, the leading candidate to fill the second of the Patriots’ two IR-return slots, can begin practicing this week, with the potential for a return to game action in Week 12. Veteran Marshall Newhouse has started in his place since Week 3.
