Five things to know about the Kansas City Chiefs’ first opponent: Cleveland Browns
Sunday will mark 217 days since the Chiefs last took the field. And that game, Super Bowl LV, was not the Chiefs’ finest hour.
That’s 31 weeks of a bad taste in the mouths of the Chiefs players, who are ready to try and get back to the Super Bowl for the third straight season.
Sunday’s game at Arrowhead Stadium won’t be easy.
The Cleveland Browns, who had an 11-5 record a year ago, will face the Chiefs in a rematch of the AFC Divisional playoff game in January.
Each week I take an early look at the Chiefs’ next opponent, and here are five things to know about the Cleveland Browns ahead of the 2021 season opener for both teams. Kickoff is at 3:25 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on CBS (Ch. 5):
1. A rebuilt defense
Chad Henne’s play late in the Chiefs’ playoff win over the Browns is what many people remember from the game. But the Chiefs had a comfortable 19-3 lead at halftime before quarterback Patrick Mahomes was injured in the third quarter.
The Chiefs offense sputtered and Cleveland fought its way back into the game.
In the offseason, the Browns focused on improving the defense, signing six free agents. Those players are defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, defensive end Takk McKinley, defensive tackle Malik Jackson, linebacker Anthony Walker, safety John Johnson III and cornerback Troy Hill.
Cleveland then drafted cornerback Greg Newsome II and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Both are expected to start Sunday.
“We want to be a fast, aggressive team,” defensive coordinator Joe Woods told reporters at training camp, per The Athletic. “We want to be able to take away the ball. We really want to dictate the way the game is played.
“I want to be aggressive with our game planning, aggressive in terms of getting after the quarterback with blitz packages and not really worry about what (the opponent is) doing. Make them worry about what we are doing, that is the hope.”
2. OBJ is A-OK
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. missed the Chiefs-Browns playoff game because of an injury, but it appears he’ll be ready to face the Chiefs.
This is from Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot: “Beckham, coming off the torn ACL suffered Oct. 25 in Cincinnati, has taken on more and more work each day, and has passed each test with flying colors. He looks great in practice, and shows no signs of wear and tear from his November surgery.”
Cabot, the Browns beat writer, doesn’t expect OBJ to play more than 80% of the snaps, but he’s shown in the past that he can be a handful for a defense.
Beckham will give Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield a deep target on Sunday.
3. ’A very good test’
Cleveland had the third-ranked rushing offense a year ago, averaging 144 yards per game. Nick Chubb (1,067 yards rushing in 2020 and 5.6 yards per attempt) and former Chiefs star Kareem Hunt (841 yards rushing) are a potent 1-2 punch.
“That’s a very good test,” Hunt said in June, per the Akron Beacon Journal. ”That’s a great team, a great program, and I can’t wait to play some of my old teammates and brothers. We’re excited. It’s a game we believe we should have won last year, and now we’ve got another chance to get back out there Week 1.”
4. Slow starters
The Browns returned to Cleveland for the 1999 season, and there is one thing they have been fairly consistent in one respect.
They have just one victory in a season-opening game since then. This is their record in Week 1 games from Twitter user Danny Neckel:
Among those losses was one of the most bonkers endings in Chiefs history. In 2002, the Browns lost 40-39 to the Chiefs in Cleveland on a field goal after the clock had hit zero.
5. Kickin’ it
Chase McLaughlin will handle kicking duties for the Browns because Cody Parkey was injured while warming up before Cleveland’s second preseason game, which was against the Giants.
This is from the Browns website: “McLaughlin, who has spent time on a number of teams since entering the league in 2019, handled kicking duties in four games for two different teams last season. For his career, McLaughlin is 22 of 28 on field goals and 31 of 32 on extra points.”
Last year he kicked for the Jaguars and Jets.
This story was originally published September 7, 2021 at 8:35 AM.
