In the AFC Divisional round last season, the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Cleveland Browns, where they would go on to win 22-17. Fast forward to Week 1, Kansas City and Cleveland win again. Once again, the two-time defending AFC champion came out on top, taking down the Browns by a score of 33-29. Let us look at the details of this game and some key factors for both teams.

Game Details

For Kansas City, it was a bit of a slow start for them, but a strong second-half led them to victory. QB Patrick Mahomes continued his September success, going 27/36 with 337 yards and 3 TD. In September, he is now 11-0 with 35 TD and 0 INT, incredible. Star WR Tyreek Hill led the air raid with a line of 11/197/1. This included a long 75-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. TE Travis Kelce dominated the middle of the field once again, catching six balls for 76 yards and 2 TD. The running game was not as effective, on the other hand. HB Clyde Edwards-Helaire went 14/43, while Mahomes scored the lone rushing touchdown on a scramble. Defensively, Juan Thornhill forced a crucial fumble on Browns RB Nick Chubb and CB Mike Hughes had the game-winning interception to seal it. DT Chris Jones also recorded two sacks in the victory.

In the loss, the Browns offense played well. QB Baker Mayfield, went 21/28 with 321 and an interception. Mayfield targeted nine pass catchers in the game, with TE David Njoku leading the way with 76 yards on three catches. Chubb led the running game, which is a staple in the Browns offense, with 15 carries on 83 yards and 2 TD’s. RB Kareem Hunt also pitched in a 6/33/1 line. WR Jarvis Landry also scored a rushing TD on top of his five-catch, 76-yard day. On the other side of the ball, LB Anthony Walker led the way with nine tackles. DE’s Joe Jackson and Myles Garrett both recorded sacks in the game as well in the loss.

Don’t Call it a Comeback

It seems like every time Mahomes and the Chiefs fall behind in a game, they find a way to come back. With his 2020 playoff run being the most notable of his accomplishments via the comeback, Mahomes has made a career out of it in his short but illustrious career. In his career, Mahomes has 8 game-winning drives and 7 4th Quarter Comebacks. He is also now 10-6 in his career when trailing by 10 or more points in any game. He is truly special and is never out of a game no matter what the score is. In this game, the Chiefs were down 15-3, 22-10, and 29-20, yet still found a way to win the game 33-29. While yes, it is a team effort, Mahomes leads the way and is a major reason for the comeback.

Browns, Baker Fall Short

We talked about the stats before and for the Browns, they were very encouraging. In the second half though, the Browns beat themselves and failed to finish the game. With the ball up five, Nick Chubb coughed up the rock, giving the Chiefs three free points because of field position. Later in the game, P Jamie Gillan dropped a punt, giving the Chiefs a short field, something you never want to do. Lastly, when Mayfield went to throw it away, he tripped and ended up throwing an interception. The Browns beat themselves, which can happen when you are a young team, as the Browns have the third-youngest roster in football. Their talent kept them in this game but learning how to finish games will be the next step the Browns need to take to catch the Chiefs in the AFC.

Looking Ahead

Next week, the Kansas City Chiefs get a Sunday Night Football matchup on the road against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens (0-1), who are coming off an overtime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. For the Browns, they will have their home opener against the Houston Texans (1-0), who are coming off a blowout win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Stats from profootballreference.com

Schedule info from espn.com

Writer

-By: Richie Dordas

After making the playoffs for the first time in two decades, the Cleveland Browns enter the 2021 season full of expectations. The Browns will be going into the season under reigning Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski for year two with a revamped defense and an offense that will look to improve from 2020. Let us analyze the schedule and see how the Browns will fare in 2021.

Last Year’s Record: 11-5

Most Intriguing Game: at Kansas City Chiefs, Week 1

It can be argued that the Browns drew the worst possible matchup for Week 1 as they take on the reigning AFC champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. This game is a rematch of the divisional round of the 2020 NFL Playoffs, where the Chiefs knocked off Cleveland 22-17. This game is intriguing because it is arguably the game of the week between two of the top teams in the AFC and will prove to be a good measuring stick for the Browns to see where they need to improve during the year. It is going to be tough to go into Arrowhead for the first game of the year and get a win, but anything is possible.

Most Important Game: at Baltimore Ravens, Week 12

This may be by far the most important game of the Cleveland Browns season will be their last game before their bye against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12. Cleveland plays the Ravens in back-to-back games with a bye week splitting the games. This matchup is the first of the two and could prove to be huge in the division race. As of right now, the Browns and Ravens are projected to fight for the division, making the head-to-head matchups that much more important. If Cleveland can get off to a hot start and cap it off with a huge road victory over their division foe before the bye week. If they lose, it might put them behind the eight ball in the race for the division with an uphill climb going into their bye week.

Most Important Stretch: Weeks 4-7

While it is tough to judge a team in May, it is looking like right now the most important stretch for the Browns will be from Week 4 to Week 7. In this stretch, Cleveland travels to Minnesota to play the Vikings, followed by another road game against the Chargers. After that, the Browns will get two home games against the Cardinals and Broncos. The Broncos, while not projected to be the toughest of teams, will be a big game for the Browns as it is the week before a divisional matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. If Cleveland can rattle off three out of four in this stretch, it will put them in a good position to start their season.

Prediction: 13-4

After reviewing the Browns schedule, I predict the Browns win their division with a record of 13-4. With the team likely to gel on the defensive side as the year goes on, they might get off to a bumpy start, starting the year 3-2 with losses to the Chiefs and Chargers. After that, I expect them to start rattling off victories with wins over teams like the Broncos, Patriots, and Lions. Cleveland should also take care of business against the Raiders and win a tough battle against the Packers on Christmas Day. In division, Cleveland should finish 4-2, sweeping the Bengals and splitting the season series with both the Ravens and Steelers. If everything goes right, it should be a fun season for the Cleveland Browns.

Info from profootballreference.com

Writer

-By: Richie Dordas

Round 1, Pick 26: Gregory Newsome II CB, Northwestern

With their first pick in the NFL Draft in 2021, the Cleveland Browns selected Greg Newsome II, a cornerback out of Northwestern. Cleveland does not have any gaping holes, so going with the best player on their board available was the correct thing to do and will add depth to a secondary that looks to be getting stronger by the day. Newsome is at his best covering the deep ball and fits well in a zone scheme, something the Browns have been known for under DC Joe Woods. Newsome is also a solid tackler in the run game, making him a player that will be on the field on third down. Newsome will join Denzel Ward, Greedy Wiliams, and Troy Hill in a CB room that will look to give time for DE Myles Garrett to get to the quarterback.

Round 2, Pick 52: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah LB, Notre Dame

While often regarded by many as a possible first-round pick, LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah somehow fell into the second round and the Browns capitalized. Cleveland used one of their two third-round picks along with swapping from the 59th pick with the Carolina Panthers to move up seven spots and take the linebacker with their second-round pick. According to sources, Koramoah was a possibility for Cleveland at the 26th slot but still landed him in the second round. Coming out of Notre Dame, Koramoah showed versatility with speed and agility in coverage, along with a tremendous burst when pressuring the quarterback. This might end up being the best pick the Browns make from a value standpoint when the dust settles.

Round 3, Pick 91: Anthony Schwartz WR, Auburn

With their third selection of the 2021 draft, the Browns switched gears and addressed the receiver position, taking speedy receiver Anthony Schwartz out of Auburn. Schwartz expresses elite speed, running a 4.25 on his pro day. Despite this, Schwartz is a little undersized and is still developing as a route runner, but his speed will make him an option as a kick returner with an upside to pose as a deep threat in the future.

Round 4, Pick 110: James Hudson OT, Cincinnati

With a bit of a surprise in the fourth round, the Cleveland Browns took offensive tackle James Hudson with LB Jabril Cox still sitting undrafted to this point. Hudson, who will fight to replace OT Kendall Lamm on the roster, earned First Team All-AAC honors in 2020 for his play as a Bearcat. Hudson was known for his athletic ability and his brute strength but is a work in progress with his fundamentals. Hudson will most likely be a backup to start but has the potential to develop because of his raw ability.

Round 4, Pick 132: Tommy Togiai DT, Ohio State

With their second fourth-round pick, GM Andrew Berry and crew went back to the defensive side of the ball, drafting Tommy Togiai, a defensive tackle out of Ohio State. Togiai improved vastly in 2020 with his hand fundamentals and is known as a guy who never takes a play-off. Togiai is a bit undersized and inconsistent but will look to clean up the inconsistency with the help from veteran pass rushers already on the roster. Togiai will look to join the defensive line rotation in 2021 but will struggle to see the field if everyone stays healthy.

Round 5, Pick 153: Tony Fields II LB, West Virginia

With their first out of two fifth-round picks, the Browns took linebacker Tony Fields II out of West Virginia. After starting at Arizona, Fields had a nice career transferring to West Virginia, earning First Team All-Big 12 honors in his final season as a Mountaineer. Fields is a run-savvy linebacker that is known for his discipline and IQ in the run game. Despite this, Fields will need to work on his craft against the passing attack, something he has struggled with in the past. With the linebacking core deep, Fields will produce depth at a position of need for the Cleveland Browns.

Round 5, Pick 169: Richard LeCounte III S, Georgia

Moving to the secondary, Cleveland used their last fifth-round pick on S Richard Lecounte III. Lecounte plays big with a small body, delivering big hits and playing aggressively. According to his scouting report, he has a good understanding of the game and recognition of routes early, resulting in seven picks in 14 games. Like most fifth-round picks, Lecounte is a work in progress and will have to develop and grow into his body to earn playing time. His ball hawk mentality might get him time soon if he can turn that into taking the ball away.

Round 6, Pick 211: Demetric Felton WR, UCLA

For the second time in as many years, the Browns used their final pick on a wide receiver. Last year, it was Donovan People-Jones. This year, it is Demetric Felton, a wide receiver out of UCLA. Felton is known as a hybrid receiver who can be a running back and a wide receiver, like Deebo Samuel and Curtis Samuel. His athleticism will give him a role in the Browns offense immediately despite his lack of natural catching ability. This is the second receiver taken by the Browns in this draft with the first one being Anthony Schwartz. With the depth at the receiver, there is a chance Felton does not gain many snaps in 2021 but will see some special teams time because of his versatility.

Draft info from nfl.com

Stats from profootballreference.com

writer

-By: Richie Dodas