How can the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Cleveland Browns? Follow these keys to the game
The Chiefs’ quest to make a third consecutive Super Bowl appearance officially begins Sunday against the Cleveland Browns at Arrowhead Stadium.
And fresh off their own postseason appearance, these aren’t the Browns of old.
“We know they’re a heck of a football team,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “So our guys started their preparation and will get ready to play in a great venue here at Arrowhead.”
Sunday’s matchup marks the 27h time these two storied NFL franchises will square off. The Chiefs hold a 14-11-2 edge in the all-time series, which includes a physical 22-17 win in last year’s AFC Divisional Round game at Arrowhead Stadium.
Reid is 8-0 against the Browns (4-0 with the Philadelphia Eagles, 4-0 with the Chiefs) including the postseason, and his teams have outscored the Browns by a 215-149 margin.
What will it take for the Chiefs to keep Reid’s perfect record intact against the Browns? Here are four key areas to monitor.
CHIEFS’ O-LINE VS. BROWNS’ D-LINE
The Browns already had defensive end Myles Garrett, one of the NFL’s elite pass-rushers, but spent the offseason adding veterans Jadeveon Clowney, Takkarist McKinley and Malik Jackson to their defensive line.
The Chiefs will find out sooner than later if their overhauled offensive line, which is set to feature new starters at all five positions, can handle a big test. Left tackle Orlando Brown, left guard Joe Thuney, rookie center Creed Humphrey, rookie right guard Trey Smith and in all likelihood rookie right tackle Lucas Niang face a stiff challenge against the Browns’ front.
Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy believes his new-look line is up to the task.
“We expect our guys to go out there and play hard and play fast,” Bieniemy said. “The biggest thing that I’ve seen with our guys is just the overall communication aspect of it. (Offensive line c)oach (Andy) Heck has done a great job with those young guys up front.”
The Chiefs lost the battle in the trenches in Super Bowl LV. How their retooled offensive line plays against what appears to be a stacked Browns defensive line will go a long way in determining their success Sunday and beyond.
THE OBJ FACTOR
The Chiefs were fortunate to not face superstar Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr., a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time second-team All-Pro selection, in last year’s playoffs.
Beckham missed that game with a torn ACL, but he’s back now. And Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo knows what his group is dealing with.
“Listen, he is the ultimate game-wrecker, in my opinion,” Spagnuolo said. “He can wreck a game from an offensive standpoint.”
Spagnuolo speaks from experience, having seen plenty of OBJ during practices when the two were with the New York Giants. Beckham has five 1,000-yard plus receiving campaigns in his seven pro seasons.
“He can catch a ball for a 5-yard slant, and it can be 60 (yards),” Spagnuolo said. “He can catch a hook and make a guy miss, and it can be 80. That’s a concern; we’ll have our eyeballs on it. Corners, safeties, everybody is talking about it.”
The Chiefs won’t over-commit to taking away Beckham, however, because there are other players to worry about. Receiver Jarvis Landry and tight ends Austin Hooper and David Njoku lurk in the passing game for quarterback Baker Mayfield, and the Browns also have a formidable backfield in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.
“They got some other weapons, too,” Spagnuolo said. “You can’t commit too many guys to Odell Beckham (or) you can’t tackle all those running backs. So we’ll play that game within the game, but we’re aware of the talent that he is.”
It all starts with containing Beckham so he doesn’t take over the game.
TWO-HEADED BACKFIELD
Chubb and former Chiefs standout Hunt anchor one of the NFL’s top rushing attacks. The Browns ranked third in 2020, averaging 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 recorded his second straight 1,000-yard season a year ago, averaging a career-high 5.6 yards per carry. He rushed for 12 touchdowns.
Hunt, at 5-11, 216, amassed 1,145 total yards (841 rushing) and 11 touchdowns last year. He was an ideal complementary piece to Chubb.
“The overall team is built to run the ball,” Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones said of Cleveland. “We used to have Kareem Hunt, who was very aggressive, and Nick Chubb and those guys set the standard.”
The Chiefs did a good job of bottling up the Browns’ potent backfield in last year’s postseason meeting. While the Browns rushed for 112 yards on 22 carries, the Chiefs weren’t hurt on the ground.
Jones said the Chiefs need a repeat performance Sunday.
“You have to play fast, physical and try to match the physicality they’re giving us,” he said.
HOME COOKING
Arrowhead Stadium is hallowed ground for fans — and the Chiefs themselves. The KC coaching staff feeds off the fans’ energy, and the players thrive on it.
With the Chiefs allowing full capacity this season — capacity was limited in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic — they need to take full advantage of that rowdy environment.
“I kind of tweeted out watching college football and seeing those environments got me ready to go for this week,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “I kind of told some of the guys that they’re going to have to keep me calm running out of the tunnel at Arrowhead ... Seeing those fans and them going crazy and just enjoying that moment will be special.
“And I’m sure it will help us on the football field, as well.”
It doesn’t hurt that the Chiefs hold a 10-3-1 all-time advantage over the Browns in games played in Kansas City, but Chiefs tight end Travis Kecle readily agreed with his teammates’ assessment of the impact that fans in this town can have on the flow and outcome of a game.
“I think Arrowhead is going to show up and do their part,” he said. “They always do.”
