The Browns defense gave the Patriots offense plenty of trouble in the first half on Sunday, but for the second week in a row, Drake Maye and company kicked into gear and pulled away around halftime, earning a 32-13 victory that moved them to 6-2 on the 2025 season.

Dillon Gabriel and the Browns offense came out hot, scoring a touchdown on their opening drive of the game, but from that point, the Patriots defense took over, holding Cleveland off the scoreboard for the rest of the half. The D then started the second half off with back-to-back interceptions, the first by Robert Spillane, the second an acrobatic one-handed pick by Jaylinn Hawkins, as the momentum in the game quickly and decisively swung in the Patriots favor.

With consecutive scores and interceptions in the third quarter, the Patriots created the separation they needed, pulling away and ensuring a fifth-straight win.

Here's how it all unfolded!

1. Pats Get Three, Browns Get Seven

The Pats took an early lead on their first drive of the game, getting solid chunk plays from TreVeyon Henderson, who had a 12-yard run and an 18-yard run, while Drake Maye chipped in a 16-yard scramble of his own. Rhamondre Stevenson delivered a key third-down conversion but unconventionally, motioning outside and running a slant that he caught for 15 yards. It was a reminder of how well-rounded Stevenson's game is and how many different ways he can contribute.

The drive fizzled out inside the red zone, with Myles Garrett picking up a sack on the final third down to get the red zone stop for Cleveland. New England settled for the 36-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead.

The Browns quickly answered as the Patriots early-game defensive struggles continued. New England forced a long third down initially, but rookie QB Dillon Gabriel. Rookie tight end Harold Fanin did the most damage on the drive, picking up 31 yards on a 3rd-and-11 and then walking into the end zone with an 18-yard touchdown catch. The drive took just six plays to go 70 yards as the Browns took back the lead. Receiver Malachi Corley also tallied a big play, taking a jet sweep for 31 yards. Three chunk plays, including the touchdown, were the story on the drive

2. Patriots Turn It Over

The defenses stepped up on the second drives for each team. The Patriots went three-and-out, and the Browns went four-and-out. On the Patriots third possession came the game's first turnover as Maye threw a pick directly to Browns rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger on a third-down play. It was the Patriots first turnover since the Bills game three weeks ago and Maye's first since Week 3 against the Steelers.

Cleveland took over at New England's 40-yard line after the interception. But the Patriots defense stepped up off the quick change, getting stops on three-straight downs, including a key pass breakup by Marcus Jones on what nearly looked like a wide-open touchdown. The Browns missed the ensuing 47-yard field goal, averting any negative swing off of the turnover. It was solid complementary football as New England looked to reestablish the offensive rhythm that they had on their first drive.

3. Pats Grind Out a Halftime Lead

The Pats passing game reignited after the missed field goal, with Maye hitting a wide-open Austin Hooper up the seam for 31 yards, then finding Mack Hollins for another 13 yards down the sideline. But once again, the drive would stall out inside the red zone, and once again, it was Myles Garrett coming up with the sack on third down to keep New England out of the end zone. The Patriots settled for a second field goal, this one a 32-yarder that closed the Cleveland lead to 7-6 about midway through the second quarter.

The defensive stalemate continued for both teams with three-straight punts before New England got one final possession before halftime. It was off to a bumpy start as the Pats faced a 3rd-and-2 on their own side of the field, but instead of just picking up the first down, Maye spied an uncovered Pop Douglas downfield and hit him for a 44-yard gain.

But Garrett continued to be a one-man wrecking crew as New England got inside Cleveland territory, coming up with a sack and a forced fumble on Maye that the Patriots were fortunate to recover. That backed the Patriots out of field goal range, setting up a 3rd-and-18, which became 3rd-and-23 after a Hunter Henry false start penalty.

Undeterred, Maye delivered a downfield strike to Kayshon Boutte for 21 yards that left them short of a first down but back within field goal range. Andy Borregales then hit his third field goal of the game, this one from 42 yards out, to give New England a slim 9-7 lead at halftime.

4. Pats Start Third Quarter Hot

The Patriots came out with a strong start to the second half, first forcing a three-and-out on the Browns first possession, then stringing together their first touchdown drive of the afternoon. Big plays again were a big part of the drive, which lasted seven plays and went 77 yards. Henderson busted off a 27-yard run up the sideline while a double pass of Maye-to-Stevenson-to-Maye-to-Hollins added another 19 yards. A well-drawn-up play near the goal line did the trick against game-destroyer Myles Garrett, as Josh McDaniels schemed Hunter Henry wide open for an easy catch-and-walk-in score.

That made it 16-7 Patriots in the third quarter as New England started to open up a significant lead on Cleveland.

5. Spillane, Hawkins Get Picks

Three plays later, Robert Spillane picked off Gabriel's third-down pass intended for David Njoku and took it back 32 yards to quickly set the offense back up inside the Cleveland red zone. It was Gabriel's first turnover since taking over as the team's starter, and it came at a critical moment with the Browns chances of a win hanging by a thread.

While a second-down pass to Stefon Diggs fell just short of the end zone, Maye went back to Diggs again on 3rd-and-1, and this time he got in for his first touchdown of the season. That extended the lead to 23-7 with the extra point as New England continued to surge in the second half with back-to-back touchdowns.

Then, safety Jaylinn Hawkins got in on the action with an incredible diving one-handed interception to hand the ball back to the offense yet again and Maye would continue to make Cleveland pay, this time with a 39-yard touchdown strike to Boutte that made it 30-7.

According to ESPN Research, Maye's three passing TDs in the 3rd quarter made him the first Patriots QB with three passing TDs in a quarter since Tom Brady (Dec. 9, 2018 at Dolphins).

What was a 7-6 Cleveland lead just before the two-minute warning in the second quarter, quickly became a 30-7 game as New England scored a field goal and three touchdowns in four-straight possessions, with the defense chipping in two takeaways in a near-perfect third quarter.

The defense added a safety in the fourth quarter to help offset a late touchdown by the Browns to finalize the scoring.

6. Patriots are now 6-2

With the win, the Patriots move to 6-2 on the season and run their winning streak to five games. After completing a perfect three-game road trip, there was no letdown as the Pats returned home to the friendly confines of Gillette Stadium. Myles Garrett and the Browns defense came as advertised, but once Maye and the Patriots offense found their ability to finish inside the red zone and the defense started forcing turnovers, the game quickly turned lopsided.

Maye continued his torrid pace, despite throwing his first interception since Week 3 and almost losing a fumble, which was luckily recovered by Garrett Bradbury. The Pats overcame a somewhat slow start, didn't blink at the mistakes and came away with another complementary and dominant win. Mike Vrabel's Patriots are rolling.

New England will look to continue their win streak at home next Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons at 1 pm.

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