The New England Patriots are going to lose some games eventually, but they probably aren’t going to lose to the Cleveland Browns.
New England is one of two remaining undefeated teams, along with the San Francisco 49ers. In a change of pace for the Pats, it is the defense that has carried them so far this year. Heading into Week 7, New England was the number one team in terms of Defensive DVOA.
This defense has been amazing at all levels. Stephon Gilmore is probably the league’s best cornerback. Linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins have taken to calling themselves “The Bogeymen,” thanks to their fearsome play. Defensive tackle Danny Shelton is having a Pro Bowl-caliber season.
While Tom Brady has played well, the Pats have a dearth of reliable offensive weapons this season. This reality has been masked by the team’s terrible opponents, which have included the Redskins, Dolphins, Steelers, and Jets. If you watch the Pats play, however, you see that the offense isn’t as dynamic as past New England squads.
Luckily for the Patriots, the Browns are yet another good matchup. There is a lot of offensive talent on this team with Nick Chubb and Odell Beckham Jr., but Baker Mayfield has been the kind of inconsistent, turnover-prone quarterback that Bill Belichick has built his career beating.
Mayfield has thrown five interceptions in his last two games. Against the 49ers, Mayfield put up this abysmal stat line: 8/22 for 100 yards and two interceptions. Even with dominant play from running back Nick Chubb, you can’t win with games with quarterback play like that.
The interior of the Browns defense, both on the line and in the linebacking corps, has been poor in Cleveland. Running backs have had big weeks against Cleveland recently, and while the Pats don’t have an amazing group of running backs, they should gain yardage easily here. Poor tackling has been a persistent problem with this sloppy unit as well.
Unless Baker Mayfield has one of his best games, this feels like a comfortable win for the Patriots. Even if Nick Chubb has a big day, the difference between these defenses (1st and 21st in Defensive DVOA) and the chasm between Brady and Mayfield make the Pats the clear favorites here.
| HOW TO WATCH PATRIOTS VS. BROWNS WITHOUT CABLE | |
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New England Patriots vs. Cleveland Browns
- When: Sunday, Oct. 27 at 4:25pm ET
- Where: Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Streaming: CBS, NFL Sunday Ticket
There are a number of options for watching Patriots vs. Browns on streaming platforms that carry CBS. However, consult a coverage map to see what game your regional channel will be playing.
If a game is not being carried in your area, the only option might be an NFL Sunday Ticket package.
Patriots vs. Browns live stream: How to watch NFL online
1) FuboTV
- Cost: $54.99 per month
- FuboTV devices: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, iOS and Android devices
- FuboTV local channels: Fox, NBC, CBS (check local availability here)
If you’re a big-time sports fan, FuboTV is your best streaming service option. If you love international soccer and you’re a Spanish speaker, FuboTV also offers various add-on packages, including Fubo Latino and Fubo Português. FuboTV’s basic plan showcases nearly 100 channels and includes NFL Network. At $54.99 per month, you’ll also get FS1, FS2, NBCSN, NBA TV, Big Ten Network, Pac 12 Network, BeIn Sports, and CBS Sports Network, along with premium channels like FX/FXX/FXM. The only notable omission for sports fans is ESPN. You can add Fubo’s Sports Plus package for an additional $8.99 per month, which allows you to stream NFL RedZone. (Here’s the complete FuboTV channels list.)
2) Hulu with Live TV
- Cost: $44.99 per month
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
- Hulu local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)
Hulu with Live TV includes sports programming among its offerings with ESPN and FS1, and as a subscriber to the service, you’ll get free access to Hulu’s sizable on-demand library. (Check out the full list of Hulu Live TV channels.)
3) Sling TV
- Cost: $25-$40 per month (40% off first month)
- Sling TV devices: Amazon Fire TVs, Android Fire Stick, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, Google Chromecast, Oculus Go, and iOS and Android devices
- Sling TV local channels: NBC, Fox (check your local availability here)
Both Sling Blue ($25 per month) or Sling Orange + Blue ($40 per month) include NFL Network and a number of sports channels—like three ESPN channels and NBCSN—and it’s still a nice perk that Sling subscribers can order a la carte packages. Sling TV also offers a special Latino package for bilingual viewers. Sling TV is currently offering a deal where you can subscribe for 40% off the regular price for the first month of your subscription. That means Sling Blue would cost $15, and Sling Orange + Blue would cost $25. (Here’s a complete guide to Sling TV channels and our Sling TV review.)
For $10 extra per month, you can get NFL RedZone via the Sling Blue Sports Extra package.
Unfortunately, due to a contract dispute, as of Sept. 26 Sling no longer carries Fox, FS1, and FS2. But there is a workaround…
How to use AirTV with Sling
AirTV solves one of Sling’s biggest problems: The inability to receive all of your local channels. By purchasing a basic AirTV for $79.99 or the AirTV Player for $119.99, you can merge those local channels into your Sling TV, (or on your mobile device if you have the basic AirTV). As the Daily Dot wrote in its AirTV review, “It’s practically magic.”
The basic AirTV is a dual-tuner streaming device, while the AirTV Player is basically an upgraded Chromecast that has Netflix preinstalled. You’ll still need to own an HD antenna because even though AirTV gets you access to your local channels, it doesn’t actually physically show them to you.
But AirTV—which has no monthly fee—serves to strengthen one of Sling’s biggest weaknesses compared to other live streaming services like Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, and PlayStation Vue. All those services have plenty of local channels. While select NFL and college football games (on Fox, FS1, and FS2) are no longer on Sling, you can still catch Fox games with AirTV.
4) PlayStation Vue
- Cost: $44.99-$79.99 per month
- PlayStation Vue devices: PlayStation 3 and 4, Roku, Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast, Kodi, iOS and Android devices
- PlayStation Vue local channels: NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
If you’d like to watch live NFL games directly from your PS4, PlayStation Vue is your best bet. PlayStation also works with streaming devices like Roku and Amazon Fire products, but what separates PlayStation from the rest of the streaming services is that it’s also compatible with Kodi. No matter how you stream the Chiefs vs. Texans, you’ll get to choose from four tiers of channels—all but the cheapest include NFL Network. From there, you can also add NFL RedZone as part of the $10-per-month Sports Pack, which also unlocks ESPN Bases Loaded, ESPN Classic, Longhorn Network, Outside TV, and NBCUniversal regional sports networks. You can see the full list of PlayStation Vue channels here. Two other great perks: You can stream on up to five devices at once, and there’s also unlimited cloud DVR.
5) YouTube TV
- Cost: $50 per month
- YouTube TV devices: Google Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices
- YouTube TV local channels: NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
YouTube TV is a great option for college football fans, including ESPN and FS1. (Take a look at the full list of YouTube TV channels here.)
6) NFL Sunday Ticket
Cost: $73.99 per month for four months, or one single payment of $293.96
There are two—and only two—ways of acquiring NFL Sunday Ticket without DirecTV.
There’s NFLSundayTicket.TV, which costs $73.99 per month for four months. It’s everything you love NFL Sunday Ticket but online-only. You can stream from pretty much any device that connects to the internet (but only on one device at a time).
You can also upgrade to the NFLST.TV Max bundle for a total of $99 per month for four months or one single payment of $395.99. You can also add on NFL Game Pass, which allows you to watch replays of every game after they air, for $50 for the full season.
There’s another way to watch NFL Sunday Ticket without DirecTV: Amazon Prime. While you can’t pay for the package using Amazon Prime, you can at least watch all of the games on the service. To start, first download the NFL Sunday Ticket channel on Amazon Prime. It’s free. From there, you’ll just need to sign in with your subscription credentials to watch the Patriots vs. Browns.
College students can purchase NFL Sunday Ticket at a discounted price through NFLSundayTicket.TV U.
TRY NFL SUNDAY TICKET ON AMAZON PRIME
Fantasy football: Who should I start?
Patriots
Tom Brady, Quarterback: The Browns have a bad habit of getting into shootouts with good teams and losing. Brady seems like a safe start here, though he has not found a consistent offensive weapon besides Julian Edelman. Unless Brady adds a nice receiving option before the trade deadline (and we’re not sure Mohamed Sanu is that), it will likely just be Brady and Edelman who are fantasy relevant the rest of the way.
Browns
Nick Chubb, Running Back: If Frank Gore ran for 109 yards against this team, Nick Chubb can too. The Pats have been stingy against the run, but Chubb should still get his.
New England Patriots vs. Cleveland Browns: Why it matters
There are a few teams trying to catch up to the Pats in the AFC. The Colts, Texans, and Ravens are all having great seasons thus far. When Mahomes gets healthy, we’ll see where the Chiefs are, but they have the kind of explosive offense that reminds you of past Pats squads.
New England has had a cupcake schedule thus far, and with games against the Ravens, Cowboys, Texans, Chiefs, and Bills ahead, they don’t want to lose games against inferior competition.
Cleveland is on the verge of irrelevance. Now that they’ve dropped to 2-4, the preseason hype is starting to become a distant memory. If they drop to 2-5, it gets harder to see them as a playoff team, even in the weak AFC North. If the Browns continue to play like they have been, catching the Bills or Texans in the wild card race seems next to impossible.
Trust Tom Brady to keep the game in control here and trust the New England defense to take advantage of Cleveland’s mistakes.
READ MORE:
- How to watch NFL RedZone without cable
- How to watch NFL Sunday Ticket without a DirecTV satellite
- How to watch NFL Network online (without cable)
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