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Cornerback Marcus Jones: On a third down at the beginning of the second quarter, Jones made an impressive play to ensure Browns wide receiver Isaiah Bond landed out of bounds after hauling in a deep pass from Dillon Gabriel. Then, on the Browns’ next possession, Jones again came up big on third down, this time blanketing Bond to break up a short pass. The 5-foot-8-inch Jones was all over the field. He also aggressively hunted out a screen pass to tackle rookie running back Quinshon Judkins for a loss of 2 yards. Jones has nine pass breakups, six tackles for loss, two interceptions, and a sack on the season. He plays above his size. Linebacker Robert Spillane: After a rocky start to the season, Spillane has become a reliable starting inside linebacker. According to Pro Football Focus, Spillane has missed only three tackles over the last six games after missing on eight over the first two. On Sunday, he finished with 14 tackles, including two for loss. He also intercepted a third-down pass by Gabriel and nearly returned it for a touchdown. Spillane has been on the field for 96 percent of the defense’s snaps. It sure looks as though he has settled in well. First-quarter defense: During his pregame interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub, coach Mike Vrabel said he had Ben McAdoo, a former offensive coordinator and head coach, design an opening script to test the Patriots’ defense in practice in an effort to prepare it to start faster in games. The idea didn’t have its intended effect. The Patriots surrendered a six-play, 70-yard touchdown drive on the Browns’ first possession. On their opponent’s opening possessions this season, the Patriots have allowed three touchdowns and two field goals. They’ve forced one punt (Week 2 against Miami) and one fumble (Week 5 against Buffalo). Opponents are scoring an average of 18.3 points per game against the Patriots, which ranks fourth-fewest in the league, but a third of those points are coming in the first quarter. Special teams penalties: The Patriots still rank third in the NFL in penalties, but have largely cleaned up their play the past two weeks. On Sunday, officials flagged the Patriots seven times — three on special teams. New England’s special teams unit has now committed a league-high 17 penalties. That number is unacceptable, given the low proportion of plays the unit is on the field. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore: Vrabel benched Barmore in the first quarter because of actions he felt were not “commensurate with what we want to do here.” Vrabel has declined to elaborate, saying that both parties have moved on after the issue was addressed. For all the talk this season about the improved culture and the increased buy-in inside the locker room, it was disappointing to see Barmore, one of the team’s most important and highest-paid players, require internal discipline. Running back TreVeyon Henderson: Although Rhamondre Stevenson is still getting the bulk of the snaps, Henderson turned in his best performance as a pro on Sunday. He rushed for 75 yards on 10 carries, including a 27-yarder. Stevenson, meanwhile, rushed for 34 yards on 14 carries. If Henderson can continue to outproduce Stevenson, then maybe the coaching staff will have to reconsider the backfield’s playing-time split. For now, though, Stevenson’s usage is unlikely to decrease because of his role in pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus, Stevenson has been on the field for 55 pass-blocking snaps, compared with Henderson’s 13. Running back Terrell Jennings: The Patriots are out of game-day activations for Jennings, who is signed to the practice squad. The team temporarily elevated Jennings in each of the last three games, in which he served as a kickoff returner and a depth running back. Vrabel indicated the staff plans to find a way to keep Jennings around, though that would require clearing a spot on the 53-man roster if the Patriots want him to be available on Sunday. Said Vrabel, “I think that’s only probably procedural at the end of the week.” Falcons injuries: The Falcons played without quarterback Michael Penix (bone bruise) and wide receiver Drake London (hip) last week. Starting safety Jessie Bates also left their game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. All are key contributors.
