If the Cleveland Browns are going to stun the world and pull off the upset in New England in Week 8, they will need to overcome several significant challenges. The biggest of those, on the field anyway, is the Patriots’ defense in the red zone.
New England’s red zone defense is easily summarized in one word:
Awesome.
They’re fantastic. Opposing teams are scoring on just 16 percent of red zone possessions. Not just scoring touchdowns but scoring, period. They have yet to allow a touchdown pass in the red zone, the only NFL team yet to allow one. Quarterbacks have scored a QB Rating worse than if they simply took a knee on every red zone snap through their first seven games, per NFL Inside Edge:
They’re even good at turning opposing red zone trips into points for their own offense. Opposing teams have turned the ball over twice in the last three games in New England’s red zone. Both times the Patriots scored off the takeaway. That might be the most demoralizing swing in football, and they’re really good at creating it.
Baker Mayfield and the Browns are already having a rough time in the red zone. They rank 17th in touchdown percentage, a figure bolstered by running the ball well inside the opposing 20; eight of the Browns’red zone TDs have come on the ground. Mayfield has not been good at passing in the shorter field, particularly in the last four games:
Coming out of the bye week should help the Browns reevaluate what’s working and where they can succeed. But making it happen against the Patriots and their phenomenal red zone defense is a foreboding task.
