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The New England Patriots finished their preseason with the kind of score that would normally set off alarms across New England. Fortunately for Mike Vrabel, almost none of the players expected to determine the Patriots’ regular-season fate were responsible for it. New England rested 38 players Thursday night and suffered a 37-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Drake Maye and the Patriots’ established starters remained safely on the sideline while the coaching staff conducted one final evaluation of its reserves. That context does not make the performance good. It does make it far less meaningful than the scoreboard suggests. Patriots Can Finally Turn Attention Toward Week 1 Cleveland controlled the game almost immediately. Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw three first-half touchdown passes, including two to Luke Floriea. Cleveland scored on its opening five possessions and finished the night with 37 points despite using its own collection of backups. LIVE: Patriots Postgame Press Conferences https://t.co/GCNkTjKxRj — New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 28, 2026 New England’s defense allowed too many explosive plays, missed tackles and extended drives with penalties. The most frustrating sequence came late in the third quarter when Cleveland traveled 98 yards over nearly nine minutes for another touchdown. Rookie quarterback Behren Morton also threw two interceptions after replacing Tommy DeVito. Those mistakes will matter to players competing for the final spots on New England’s 53-man roster. Several participants Thursday might not remain with the organization when the regular season begins. That is the important distinction. The Patriots team that was overwhelmed in Cleveland will look almost nothing like the one that opens the regular season. Maye, A.J. Brown, TreVeyon Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson, Christian Gonzalez, Milton Williams and the rest of New England’s frontline talent did not play. Vrabel’s primary objective was to leave Cleveland without another significant injury. The Patriots seemingly accomplished that while gathering one final game of film before making roster cuts. MORE: Patriots Speedster Pulls Off Eye-Opening Preseason Feat New England finished the preseason 1-1-1 after tying the Indianapolis Colts and defeating the Philadelphia Eagles. The record will now disappear along with the experimental lineups and simplified game plans. There are legitimate lessons for Vrabel to take from an embarrassing night. The secondary depth remains questionable, the bottom of the roster struggled with discipline and the offensive drop-off behind DeVito was substantial. Still, the regular season will not begin with 38 Patriots watching from the sideline. Thursday’s loss was ugly. It also was the last game New England could afford to lose without consequences.