12 takeaways from Patriots' victory over Browns: Drake Maye unstoppable in second half

FOXBOROUGH — It wasn't the prettiest start, but it sure ended well.

The New England Patriots improved to 6-2 on the season with a nice win over the Cleveland Browns that truly came down to an impressive defensive performance, along with the offense clicking in the second half.

While the Browns' strong defensive front did prove to be a problem for Maye and the offensive line at times, the offense wasn't able to match their production, which ultimately allowed New England to jump out into the lead following some halftime adjustments.

There was so much to talk about in this one, so let's get into the Week 8 takeaways:

1. 'MVP!' chants at Gillette Stadium

The love Patriots fans have for Maye is unmatched, and they are so happy to see him thriving in this new offense despite only being in his second year in the league. But there was one play in the second half that had the crowd chanting, "MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Maye hit Kayshon Boutte for a 39-yard touchdown, marking his third touchdown in the second half and giving New England a 30-7 lead.

2. Myles Garrett was a problem

Browns' star defensive end Myles Garrett was one to watch heading into this matchup, and he was a problem for the Patriots. In the first half, on two separate occasions, Garrett sacked Maye in the red zone, forcing New England to settle for a field goal rather than scoring seven points and taking the lead. He also recorded a strip sack on Maye after beating left tackle Will Campbell, but Jared Wilson was able to jump on top of the ball, allowing New England to maintain possession.

While it wasn't enough, Garrett finished the day with a career-high five sacks, setting a new Browns franchise record, which he had set before.

3. We've got a trick play!

Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels decided to have some fun at the start of the second half, calling up a nice trick play.

Maye threw the ball out for running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who was quickly rushed by the Browns' defensive line. The running back then threw it back to Maye, who hit Mack Hollins for a 19-yard gain, making the play while taking a hard hit.

After that, the offense continued to roll, and the drive ended with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Maye to Hunter Henry, which was fitting seeing as it's National Tight End Day.

4. And a safety!

TreVeyon Henderson was having a solid day, but unfortunately fumbled the ball on the goal line. However, the result of those moments later actually turned into points for the Patriots, and it was all thanks to the defense.

Putting Gabriel under pressure, they forced him to throw the ball quickly, and he was called for intentional grounding. But because the penalty occurred in the end zone, it resulted in a safety for the Patriots. The Browns attempted an onside kick after the safety, and were able to recover but ultimately ended up punting it away.

5. Robert Spillane's interception led to Stefon Diggs' first touchdown as a Patriot

The Browns' offense was having no luck early in the second half, and things got even worse when Dillon Gabriel was picked off by Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane, who took it 32 yards, putting New England into the end zone.

While Stefon Diggs has had an impressive start in New England, there was one thing he wasn't able to do in the first seven games... score a touchdown. But he finally crossed that off the list on Sunday, getting into the end zone against the Browns.

However, the best part right before the one-yard touchdown pass by Maye was that he hit Diggs for eight yards the play prior, but he was brought down on Cleveland's one-yard line. Afterwards, he appeared to be joking about how he was so close to getting his first touchdown, but then McDaniels and Maye made it happen moments later

6. One-handed INT by Jaylinn Hawkins

Dillon Gabriel attempted a deep pass to Isaiah Bond, but the safety did an incredible job of keeping track of the receiver, along with keeping his eyes on the ball. And because of that, he was able to make an impressive one-handed interception, giving Maye and the offense the ball once again.

7. TreVeyon Henderson gets more involved

After being missing in action in the team's Week 7 win over the Titans, the team got TreVeyon Henderson much more involved on offense this week. Henderson finished the game with 10 carries for a career-high 77 rushing yards, finally getting to show off his speed, along with his ability to break tackles.

However, the running back did record a fumble after the ball was knocked out of his hands on the goal line with just under five minutes remaining in the game.

8. Drake Maye throws first interception in four weeks

For the first time since Week 3, Maye threw an interception as his pass that was intended for Stefon Diggs was easily caught by Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger.

Cleveland's defensive front was going to be a problem for the Patriots' offensive line, and they lived up to the hype as New England clearly was not winning up front, giving Maye little time to make a play happen. However, the defense bailed him out as they were able to stop the Browns and force them to attempt a 47-yard field goal that went wide left. Luckily, Cleveland came away with no points on the turnover.

9. Where was Christian Barmore in the first quarter?

The Patriots were without one of their star defenders on Sunday as Christian Barmore was sidelined for the entire first quarter and didn't enter the game until the Browns' third offensive drive.

10. Patriots manage to take the lead at the half

Somehow, even though they were unable to get into the end zone in the first half, New England walked into the locker room with the lead following the first two quarters. Andy Borregales made the 42-yard field goal, so the Patriots led 9-7. However, a lot of adjustments were needed on offense as they needed a way to contain Garrett and get things going in the red zone.

11. Fast start-ish on offense

The Browns won the toss and elected to defer, placing the ball in Drake Maye's hands to start the game. The Patriots were moving the ball well, relying on the run game, with Henderson going for two first-down runs, along with one by Maye. And the quarterback had a nice 15-yard completion to Stevenson on third down.

However, once they got into the red zone, things started to fall apart.

The first play was a run by Stevenson, but the Browns tackled him behind the line of scrimmage, marking a loss of four yards. Maye's pass to Diggs was incomplete on second down, and then he was sacked by Garrett on third down.

With that, New England had to settle for a field goal, getting the first points on the board. But, it's safe to say they would have preferred seven points instead of just three.

12. But, a bad defensive start once again

So far this season, the Patriots' opponents have scored on six of the eight opening drives, highlighting a major weakness for New England. The Browns had some big plays, including a 19-yard pass from Gabriel to tight end Harold Fannin Jr., followed by a 31-yard run on a jet sweep by Malachi Corley. And then to cap it off, Gabriel hit a wide-open Fannin for an 18-yard touchdown.

It was just too easy for Cleveland.

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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 12 takeaways from Patriots' victory over Browns