The Patriots are a 3-point underdog in this week's game, indicating a passing game script.The New England Patriots O-line grades out as the 5th-best in football this year in protecting the quarterback, which has a strong impact on all air attack stats across the board.The Cleveland Browns pass defense has been particularly weak when opposing TEs have gotten into space, surrendering an average of 5.65 yards-after-the-catch since the start of last season: the 7th-most in the NFL.The Cleveland Browns safeties profile as the 4th-worst group of safeties in football this year in covering receivers.The New England Patriots have been faced with a stacked the box on 27.7% of their plays since the start of last season, most in the NFL. Keeping an extra defender close to the line of scrimmage improves run-stopping at the cost of better passing efficiency.
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