Cleveland Browns vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Game Preview

Dec 20, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) runs with the football against Baltimore Ravens safety

(23) at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City Chiefs 2015 Season So Far

Kansas City is possibly the quietest team in the NFL. The Chiefs have not been breaking records or showing up too much on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays.

Over the past few years, the Chiefs have been quietly in playoff contention each year. However, not many people have talked about them. The three main reasons behind their consistent playoff contention are: Smith, the Chiefs’ running game and their great defense.

Smith to start, is a quarterback that does not got enough credit. While he is not New England’s Tom Brady or Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, he has consistently been able to keep teams in playoff contention as the starting QB. Not only has Smith done this with the Chiefs, but he has done this with the San Francisco 49ers as well.

So far this year, Smith has thrown 278 completed passes on 424 passing attempts for 3,205 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Even I was surprised at his stats due to the lack of attention he has received throughout 2015.

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Then there’s the running game. While the Chiefs are one of the few teams in the NFL who runs the ball almost as much they pass, they have good reasoning to do so. That is because Kansas City is simply great at it.

Usually the Chiefs have their running game headlined by Charles, who has arguably been the greatest running back in the NFL over the past few years. Unfortunately, he has his career plagued with injuries and this year has been no different.

After suffering an ACL tear, Charles was put on IR ending his 2015 season. West and Ware have since stepped in for Charles. While neither back on their own is as good as Charles, together the Chiefs have been able to run the ball behind Ware and West very well.

Ware, West and Smith as a trio have combined for 1,233 yards on 253 rushing attempts (4.87 yards per attempt). As a team, the Chiefs have run for 1,719 yards on the ground. The 1,719 yards is the eighth most in the NFL.

Finally there is the Chiefs defense which has been a staple for them lately. One of the main reasons as to why this Chiefs defense is so great is because of how well they can force turnovers.

Through 14 games the Chiefs have forced 27 turnovers. (20 interceptions and seven fumbles). The 27 forced turnovers is the fourth most in the league.

Not only that, but they also give up the eighth fewest total yards per game (335.4 yards per game). From top to bottom, the Chiefs are a solid team.

Next: The Browns In Week 15