New England Patriots Flashback: Peyton Hillis destroys defense in Browns win
By Duncan Day
Eric Mangini’s Cleveland Browns handily beat the New England Patriots, 34-14, for the AFC East squad’s second and final loss of the 2010 regular season.
The New England Patriots had a 6-1 record and were fresh off a five-game winning streak when they traveled to Cleveland. At this point, the trajectory of the Browns’ season wasn’t flattering. They held a 2-5 record, facing an uphill journey in order to make the playoffs.
Running back Peyton Hillis first started for the Browns in a Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and former Texas Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy, a third-round draft pick and Heisman Trophy candidate, ended up starting against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6 after Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace succumbed to injuries.
Mangini and Browns offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who both worked for the Patriots years earlier, knew Belichick better than most. Current Pats defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was Belichick’s linebackers coach at this juncture in NFL history, while incumbent Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien was the quarterbacks coach.
Versus the Patriots, the Browns jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, as Hillis ran for a whomping 184 yards on 29 carries and two rushing touchdowns, adding 36 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. To put these numbers in perspective, as of Jan. 20, 2017, the Patriots hadn’t allowed a 90-yard rusher in the past 24 games, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
McCoy resisted mistakes and made plays when he had to, completing 14 passes on 17 attempts and running for a 16-yard touchdown to hand the Browns a 24-3 advantage in the third quarter.
Two weeks before they took on the Patriots, the Browns defeated the reigning Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, with quarterback Drew Brees having a rare four-interception game. The Browns, who finished 5-11 and missed the playoffs, were in high spirits following the triumph over New England.
Here’s what return man and wide receiver Josh Cribbs had to say after the win over New England, via the Associated Press in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
"“We know we can beat anybody,” Browns wide receiver Joshua Cribbs said. “If you beat these supposedly best two teams in the league, it gives us confidence there isn’t one team in this league that we don’t think we can beat.”"
The Patriots offense stumbled as well. Brady, though he threw for two touchdowns, no interceptions and over 200 yards, barely completed 50 percent of his passes as the schemes of Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan held the dynamic tight end combination of Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski in check. Neither player surpassed 50 receiving yards, and Gronkowski lost a fumble inside the Browns’ 5-yard line with seconds remaining in the first half.
In the end, 2010 wasn’t a banner year for Brady and Belichick, even though they were capable of rattling off eight victories to conclude the season with a 14-2 record. Rex Ryan’s New York Jets eliminated New England in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
Next: Patriots: 5 players ready to break out in 2017
Winning two more Super Bowls since then, Belichick and the Patriots are faring fine in the aftermath of the Browns’ loss. The Browns, on the other hand, haven’t made the postseason since 2002 and haven’t procured a championship in more than 50 years.