Patriots in Positive Mode for the Browns

The New England Patriots are in the playoffs and almost all is right in their world. Not even a trip to Cleveland can bring them down.

But there is a downside. It’s just not that apparent to the Patriots.

“We’re in good position because we’re in the tournament,” coach Bill Parcells said Monday.

The Patriots (10-6) will play the Browns (11-5) Sunday at 12:30 p.m. EST at Cleveland Stadium.

After eight years of not qualifying for the playoffs, what are the Patriots going to complain about? Almost every negative can be turned into a positive.

--Negative: It’s on the road. Positive: The Patriots are 5-3 on the road this season.

--Negative: It’s against a team that beat them 13-6 Nov. 6. Positive: The Patriots have won seven consecutive games since then and the Browns have gone 4-3.

--Negative: The Patriots do not have much playoff experience. Positive: They’ve been in a win-or-else position for almost two months.

--Negative: Browns running back Leroy Hoard ran for 123 yards against the Patriots. Positive: In seven games since, no opposing running back has rushed for more than 77.

The Patriots ended up second in the AFC East when the Miami Dolphins won the title with a victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday night. The Patriots are the fifth playoff seed. Cleveland, which finished second in the Central behind Pittsburgh, is the fourth seed.

The Browns, in the playoffs for the first time since 1989, lost three of their final five games. But they beat the Cowboys 19-14 in Dallas on Dec. 11 and finished the season by defeating Seattle, 35-9, Saturday.

“They’ve played pretty well,” Parcells said. “Beating Dallas was a pretty good indicator. And they finished strongly this past weekend. Cleveland is a good solid club and has been all year.”

The Patriots, meanwhile, came on strong at the end.

“(The Patriots’) record speaks for itself,” Browns coach Bill Belichick said. “They’re as hot as any team in the league right now.”

Belichick was defensive coordinator under Parcells with the Giants, helping win Super Bowls in 1986 and 1990.

“Bill is a good friend of mine and a good coach,” Belichick said. “I have a lot of respect for him. But he’s got a job to do and I’ve got a job to do. It’s business.”

Parcells gave the players Sunday and Monday off. They get back to practice this afternoon. It will be somewhat easier preparing for the Browns because of the earlier game.

“It’s a little less in terms of the mental preparation from the coaching staff standpoint,” Parcells said. “Had we played Kansas City (the Chiefs play at Miami Saturday because of the Dolphins’ victory), who we’re pretty unfamiliar with, in terms of a recent opponent, it would have been a little more difficult to prepare. At least we have a basis of a background on Cleveland. And, of course, the corollary to that is they have that on us, also.”

(Optional add end)

The Patriots clinched a playoff berth by beating the Bears, 13-3, in Chicago Saturday. That, plus a 41-17 victory in Buffalo Dec. 18, makes a trip to Cleveland somewhat less daunting.

“Winning on the road is the thing in pro football,” Parcells said. “That’s the thing you’ve got to learn how to do -- prove you can win on the road. Until you do that in this league you’re usually just an average team. When you do it, you usually start to be pretty good. We were 5-3 on the road. That’s at least progress. You’d like to think you can be .500 or a little better on the road and play a little better than that at home. Then you’ve usually got a pretty good team.”

The positives for the Patriots are momentum and that they may not have peaked.

“I think our team is improving,” Parcells said.

Parcells also pointed out that the Los Angeles Raiders and the Buffalo Bills, preseason picks to reach the Super Bowl, are out of the playoffs.

“In this AFC, there’s no one that knows what’s going to happen,” Parcells said. “The teams that play best are going to win.” Who’s up next season

The Patriots’ opponents for the 1995 season are set. The home opponents will be Cleveland, Denver, New Orleans and Carolina, in addition to AFC East teams Indianapolis, Miami, Buffalo and the Jets. The away games will be Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and San Francisco, plus the division opponents.