How the Patriots defense can shut down Baker Mayfield’s Browns

Buckle up.

The Patriots are expecting their most physical game of the season from Cleveland, the NFL’s best rushing team. The Browns boast a more talented roster than the Pats, and they’ve committed significant resources to their backfield and offensive line. Just this week, Cleveland inked starting guards Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio to sizable long-term contracts.

Teller and Bitonio embody the physical, run-first style the Browns want to execute. And the only way to stop bully ball is to punch back.

Here’s how the Patriots can limit Baker Mayfield and the Browns:

1. Beef up in base defense

Last week, the Pats played more defensive snaps in base personnel (a combination of seven defensive linemen and linebackers) than they had in any other game this season. That figure should increase Sunday.

The Browns have run more plays with multiple tight ends than all but two teams this season. They lead the NFL in three-tight end usage. They own the second-highest run rate in the league.

The best way for the Patriots to combat the beefed-up Browns is to beef up themselves. Expect inside linebackers Dont’a Hightower and Ja’Whaun Bentley to play a ton of snaps together, crashing down hard against Cleveland’s offensive line to stop the run. The Pats must win on early downs to put the game on Mayfield’s shoulders and force the Browns to play off-schedule. That calls for an old-school approach — playing 3-4 defense — to win an old-school game.

“We always feel comfortable playing base against any personnel group. It’s good to see,” inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo said of last week’s win at Carolina. “And those guys did a good job.”

2. Call more man coverage

Unlike last week — when the defense also played a season-high percentage of zone — the Patriots should return to their man-to-man roots Sunday.

Mayfield’s quarterback rating drops from 99.4 overall to 83.9 against man coverage, per Sports Info. Solutions. He’s managed positive plays on fewer than half his dropbacks against man-to-man this season. Best of all, none of the Browns receivers pose significant mismatches against the Patriots defensive backs.

The Pats can capably match their tight ends with safeties Adrian Phillips and Kyle Dugger, and help young nickelback Myles Bryant inside against Jarvis Landry with occasional double-teams. J.C. Jackson will have the upper hand against any Browns wideout on the perimeter, especially with Odell Beckham Jr. gone.

The Patriots can’t play man coverage every down, but they should embrace closer to a 50/50 split after running zone on more than 75% of their snaps last weekend. The only major concern is …

3. Beware of deep ball to Schwartz, Peoples-Jones

The long ball.

Anthony Schwartz, a third-round rookie, can roast any secondary with his 4.2 speed. He’s only averaged just a catch per game, but the Pats can’t afford to let him loose downfield, where the Browns have targeted him almost exclusively. Schwartz’s average depth on targets is more than 20 yards past the line of scrimmage, followed closely by Donovan Peoples-Jones and his 17.9-yard average.

Peoples-Jones leads the NFL with 20.9 yards per reception, and he’s scored three touchdowns the past two weeks. His development, from former sixth-round pick to reliable starting receiver, is surely a reason Cleveland felt comfortable parting ways with Beckham. The Patriots should keep a safety over the top to keep Peoples-Jones uncomfortable in obvious passing situations.