The Browns head into their bye week in Week 9 after losing to the Patriots 32-13 on Oct. 26.
Cleveland trailed 9-7 at halftime but 21 unanswered points in the second half allowed the Patriots to pull away with the win. Now, the Browns have a bye week, allowing them to evaluate their season thus far to try and shift the momentum.
"Frustrating on a bunch of different levels, not to play our best, not to coach our best in that game," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "Just that frustration will lead to us looking at how to get better, and that's where this bye will be huge for this football team. We still have more than half of the season left, but we definitely have to look at it. As a coaching staff, look at it and find ways to set our players up for success, and that's what our sole focus will be this week."
Here are the main pieces of news heading into the Browns' bye week.
Injury Updates
Stefanski announced that LB Carson Schwesinger is week to week with an ankle injury he suffered in the fourth quarter against the Patriots. He said the Browns will see how Schwesinger looks coming out of the bye week but didn't believe the injury would require putting Schwesinger on injured reserve.
CB Tyson Campbell is in the concussion protocol after leaving the Patriots game in the third quarter. S Rayshawn Jenkins is day to day with a groin injury. RB Quinshon Judkins is also day to day with a shoulder injury.
Stefanski added he expects WR Cedric Tillman to return to the practice field following the bye week. Tillman suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4 against the Lions that forced him to miss Cleveland's last four games.
Building in the bye week
Cleveland is going into its bye week with an all-in mentality for the rest of the season, according to Stefanski. The Browns are two games behind the Steelers in the AFC North and can decide how their season goes in their final nine games. With three divisional games and five home games remaining, including four of their last six games, the Browns have a home-field advantage to finish the regular season.
"You are what your record says you are, so we have to own it," Stefanski said. "That's where we are, but we're excited about the challenge in front of us. Again, guys will take a breath this week, but then you have nine games coming up, five of them at our place."
Reviewing the Patriots game on Oct. 27 began the Browns' efforts to change the course of the season. Evaluating what needs to change, both from the Week 8 loss and before, will help rally the Browns in the second half of the season.
"We had the analogy today that it's a 17-round fight for us, and we're only at the halfway point," G Joel Bitonio said. "So, finding any way that we can fix things or if we have ideas. I think Myles (Garrett) has played football at a high level for long enough to have his opinion and I'm sure the coaches and players will listen to what he says."
Check out photos from DE Myles Garrett's record-setting game against the Patriots in Week 8, in which he set the NFL record for most sacks by a player under the age of 30 with 112.5 career sacks. He also set a Browns single-game record with five sacks. His 10 sacks this season placed him among Reggie White (1995-85) and John Randle (1992-99) as the only players in NFL history to record at least 10 sacks in eight consecutive seasons.
Defensive end Myles Garrett's cleat and pads before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) and Defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. (51) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) and Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Cameron Thomas (99) and Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
The defense during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
The Week 8 Captains Photo before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett's cleats before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
The captains before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) and Linebacker Jerome Baker (17) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
The captains before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) and Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel after a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots on October 26, 2025 at Gillette Stadium. The Browns lost 13-32.
Playing complementary football
In the first half of the season, Stefanski has reiterated the importance of the offense and defense playing complementary football. The idea has set in with the players, understanding that when the offense has trouble, the defense has to help and vice versa.
"If the offense makes a play, we're happy for them," DE Alex Wright said. "If they're down, then we pick them up. If we're down, then they pick us up. That's just the thing of a winning football team, like Kevin (Stefanski) would say. Real complementary football is picking your brother up when he's down."
Complementary football also exists within the offense itself. The run and passing game coexist within the offense along with the offensive line to help the skill players out.
The Browns played complementary football on their first possession in Week 8, with all 11 offensive players being in tune. Cleveland took six plays to score a touchdown and take a 7-3 lead against the Patriots. However, the cohesiveness faltered, as the offense struggled to score again until the fourth quarter. The Browns have scored more than 17 points once this season, fueling their goal as an offense to put points on the board through consistent, complementary football.
Bitonio said they can use any collective frustration of the offense as motivation to make a difference. He cited WR Jerry Jeudy as an example of using negative feelings and molding them into positive momentum.
"I know (Jerry Jeudy's) had conversations with Coach Stefanski and the offense about just getting everybody on the same page," Bitonio said. "We saw glimpses last year of what Jerry Jeudy can do as a receiver. So, we know that's still in there, and we know we have to give him opportunities to make those plays. But the frustration, we just need to turn that into urgency and turn that into motivation to get it right."
