Chiefs’ keys vs. Browns: Bottle up Browns’ backfield + go after Cleveland’s secondary
The Chiefs’ defense of their Super Bowl title effectively kicked off in Week 1 of the 2020 regular season.
The quest to return, however, really begins Sunday, when they, as the AFC’s No. 1 seed at 14-2, play host to the sixth-seeded Cleveland Browns (11-5) in a Divisional Round showdown at Arrowhead Stadium.
Sunday’s matchup marks the 26th time these two will meet, but their first matchup in the postseason. Kansas City holds a 13-11-2 edge, including a 37-21 win in Week 9 of the 2018 regular season.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid is 7-0 against the Browns (4-0 with the Philadelphia Eagles, 3-0 with the Chiefs), and his teams have outscored Cleveland 193-132.
The Chiefs opened the week as a 9 1/2-point favorites. The Browns stunned the Steelers with a 48-37 victory at Pittsburgh Sunday night.
Here are four key areas to monitor for the Chiefs as they look to advance to their third straight AFC Championship Game.
BOTTLE UP THE BACKFIELD
Easier said than done, as the Steelers learned in the first round.
Anchored by running back Nick Chubb and former Chief Kareem Hunt, the Browns’ ground attack finished the season ranked third in the league at 148.3 yards per game.
“You’ve got to be able to play physical on those guys, because they do a nice job,” Reid said.
The 5-foot-11, 227-pound Chubb, a third-year pro, notched his second straight 1,000-yard season to earn the second Pro Bowl selection of his career. He averaged a career-high 5.6 yards per carry and scored a team-high 12 rushing touchdowns.
And the Chiefs are well aware of Hunt’s skill-set after using a third-round pick on him in the 2017 NFL Draft. Before they released him in November 2018 after off-field transgressions, Hunt totaled 2,150 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns, adding 833 yards receiving and 10 TDs in 25 games here from 2017-18.
Hunt finished the 2020 regular season with 1,145 total yards (841 rushing) and 11 touchdowns.
“I’m glad things are going well for him,” Reid said.
What the Chiefs don’t want to see, however, is Hunt and Chubb running free Sunday afternoon. KC’s run defense had its share of issues and finished the regular season ranked 21st in the league against opposing ground attacks, allowing an average of 121.1 yards per game.
GO AFTER THE SECONDARY
Sunday’s Wild Card Game in Pittsburgh was a beacon of sorts, especially after Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger passed for 501 yards and four touchdowns with four interceptions against Cleveland.
Granted, the Steelers were in catch-up mode for most of the game and the Browns were without cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Kevin Johnson, both of whom were on the reserve/COVID-19 list. But the Browns finished the regular season ranked 22nd against the pass, allowing just 247.6 yards per game.
Hello, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the NFL’s No. 1 passing offense.
Mahomes didn’t play in Week 17, so he finished the season with 4,740 yards passing and 38 touchdowns with six interceptions.
Wide receivers Tyreek Hill (hamstring) and Sammy Watkins (calf) also didn’t play in the Chiefs’ regular-season finale. Hill returned to practice Wednesday, so he’s on track to play. Watkins, however, didn’t get in any on-field work Wednesday and his availability will become clearer before Sunday’s kickoff.
Even if Watkins doesn’t play, Hill and record-setting tight end Travis Kelce, the Chiefs should be very active in the passing game against a suspect Cleveland pass defense.
CONTAIN GARRETT
Passing the football also means protecting Mahomes.
That mission takes on added importance Sunday, as the Chiefs’ offensive line must deal with Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who finished the season with 12 sacks and 18 quarterback hits.
The two-time Pro Bowler is a disruptive force, and the Chiefs have some concerns at right tackle Sunday.
Mike Remmers has been dealing with a back injury, which forced him to miss Week 15, and the Chiefs rested him in Week 17. The Chiefs have also been without Mitchell Schwartz, who landed on injured reserve with his own back injury in Week 6.
Remmers practiced fully Wednesday and his availability for the AFC Divisional Round is essential to the Chiefs’ mission of neutralizing Garrett.
MAKE A CHAMPIONSHIP STATEMENT
The Browns are the perfect Cinderella story. Their upset of the Steelers secured their first postseason win since 1994. To put that drought in perspective, longtime New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was Cleveland’s head coach in that win.
Everybody loves the underdog, and quarterback Baker Mayfield’s team qualifies. But the “Run it Back” Chiefs are heavily favored for a reason. They won their final seven games by one score or less, but winning those close games should only strengthen KC’s resolve Sunday.
It helps that Mahomes will be under center. He’s proven over the past two seasons that his play alone can erase mistakes on offense and put the Chiefs’ defense in position to win.
The road to Super Bowl LV starts now.
This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
