Tom Brady threw for 259 yards and two touchdown passes and Bill Belichick earned his 300th career NFL coaching victory in the Patriots’ 27-13 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
New England capitalized on three first-quarter turnovers by Cleveland to take a 17-0 lead. Running back Nick Chubb had back-to-back fumbles and quarterback Baker Mayfield had an interception.
Nick Chubb ran for 131 yards, and Mayfield finished 20 of 31 for 194 yards and a touchdown.
Cleveland’s first-quarter turnovers came on three consecutive plays. Along with the three turnovers, the Browns committed 13 turnovers.
After the Patriots took a 3-0 lead, Chubb took a handoff from Mayfield but had the ball inadvertently kicked out of his hands by left guard Joel Bitonio . It was scooped up by Dont’a Hightower and returned 26 yards for a touchdown.
On the first play of the ensuing series after the Patriots’ kickoff landed out of bounds, Chubb got the ball again, this time getting around the edge and scampering 44 yards down the sideline.
He appeared headed for a touchdown, but New England cornerback Jonathan Jones gave pursuit and hammered the ball from Chubb’s hands on the Patriots 4. It was recovered by safety Devin McCourty.
Following a Patriots’ punt, the Browns’ next series ended when Lawrence Guy broke into the backfield and stepped in front of Mayfield’s shovel pass attempt to Chubb on the Cleveland 16 for his first-career interception.
The Browns are at Denver next week