The Cleveland Browns face-off with the Kansas City Chiefs on the road in Week 1 of the NFL season. In what is expected to be the best game of the day, Cleveland is a 5.5 point underdog to the reigning AFC champions.
Following an exciting game in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs in 2020, both teams have made adjustments to their rosters to try to win a Super Bowl in 2021. The Browns added a ton of new defenders while maintaining continuity on offense while the Chiefs revamped their entire offensive line in one offseason following a brutal loss in the Super Bowl.
While Cleveland is the underdog in Week 1, many believe they will be fighting with Kansas City, along with the Buffalo Bills, for the AFC title this season. While Week 1 isn’t a must-win, especially in a 17 game regular season, it still could play a big role in tiebreakers at the end of the season and a win would set the teams off on the right foot.
Here are five reasons the Browns will beat the Chiefs in Week 1:
Baker Mayfield‘s Growth
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As a rookie, Baker Mayfield was the talk of the NFL. His second year was marred by terrible coaching under Freddie Kitchens. Last year, Mayfield established his base level under new head coach Kevin Stefanski but still has room for growth. Last year was the first year Mayfield was under center a majority of the time and he also had to learn completely new footwork. This year is the first time as a pro that the Oklahoma product has the same offensive system and coaching staff in place from the year prior. Building on the success from 2020 will only help Mayfield’s production and it starts with Week 1, a game the team has been preparing for since they lost to Kansas City last year.
Healthy Myles Garrett Plus New Friends
Myles Garrett was putting together a Defensive Player of the Year type performance last year before being diagnosed with COVID-19. Not only did the defensive end miss two weeks but he was limited when he returned. Garrett noted that it took some time after the season for him to feel completely healthy. Going into 2021, Garrett is completely healthy and looks even more physically imposing than he did a year ago. The matchup between Garrett and the entire Chiefs offensive line is the key to the game for both sides. Garrett doesn’t come alone. While last year Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson provided spurts of quality play, neither is with the team going into 2021. Vernon is still recovering from injury while Richardson was cut then moved on to Minnesota. Vernon’s injury took him out of the matchup with Kansas City last year. Out with the old, in with Jadeveon Clowney, Takk McKinley, Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell. Cleveland brought in new teammates whose primary goal, and skill, is to disrupt the passer while not being a hindrance against the run. Clowney is the big name as he comes into a season healthy for the first time in a long time. McKinley missed time due to a personal issue but the team hopes he can produce in Week 1. Jackson is the steady veteran while McDowell is the amazing reclamation project story with great physical tools. The Browns defensive line can cause havoc this year and it isn’t all on Garrett to achieve. They will test the Chiefs new offensive line in Week 1.
Offensive Speed
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When Odell Beckham Jr. went down in the middle of the season, the Browns offense lost most of its speed on offense. Then-rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones provided some spark but wasn’t ready to carry that load alone for the team. This year, not only is Beckham back and Peoples-Jones more prepared to carry a heavier load but Anthony Schwartz and Demetric Felton have been added to the roster. At times, the Browns could line up track level speed at every skill position. The ability to stretch the field both vertically and horizontally will open things up against a Kansas City defense that still has to prove they can hold their own. Not mentioned is the Browns great offensive line and run game that will get even more space because of all of that speed.
Defensive Speed
(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
We already noted what was added to the defensive line, which has speed comparable to other big guys. It is the team speed added to the defense that will be noticeably different. At linebacker, Anthony Walker and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah can fly around the field in both the run and pass games. At cornerback, Troy Hill and Greg Newsome II are full of speed and quickness while the safety room added John Johnson III, Grant Delpit and Richard LeCounte to help Ronnie Harrison Jr. cover the rest of the field. While no defense can really match up with the Chiefs offense, the Cleveland additions can help them slow it down, have Mahomes hold the ball an extra half a second and make enough big plays to change the game. Compared to their matchup in the 2020 NFL playoffs, the Browns defense has been speed up by multiple levels.
More Important for Cleveland
(AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
In the end, Week 1 just means a little bit more for Cleveland than it does Kansas City. While the Chiefs have a Super Bowl loss to get over, many still doubt that Mayfield and the Browns can beat a great team. Week 1 has been circled since the schedules were announced. For Cleveland, the team that ended their season is the team they want to start their season off with a win. For Kansas City, beating a team that thinks they can compete with them in the AFC would be nice but doesn’t have the same importance.
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