The Cleveland Browns will play in the biggest game in modern franchise history on Sunday when they go out to Kansas City to face the Chiefs.
The Cleveland Browns are staring down the barrel with this one, folks. The Chiefs aren’t just the top dog in the AFC this season. They aren’t just the defending Super Bowl champions. They don’t just have one of the two best quarterbacks in the league. They are the bully on the block. They are talented. They are well-coached. They are efficient and they are beatable.
The Browns are not limping into the playoffs 8-8 with bad quarterback play and a head coach that is lucky to still be employed. No, the Browns were one win away from being the third seed in the playoffs. This is about as much of a mismatch as Nick Diaz and Conor McGregor.
When the Browns come out firing on all cylinders, just remember, “I’m not surprised….”
To beat the Chiefs though isn’t going to be easy. So here’s how the Browns can dog walk their way into the AFC title game.
Play mistake-free football
The Cleveland Browns offense is among the best in the league. Save for two games that were negated by the weather, and a third that saw every receiver forced out due to COVID-19 protocols, this is a team that has proven time and time again that they can put points on the board. Not just against the Bengals of the world, either but against the hardest teams to score against in the league. Against the Giants (9th), The Ravens (2nd), Steelers (3rd), Colts (11th), and Washington (4th), the Browns averaged 27 points (26.5) per game. Not only that, but the Browns have only turned the ball over 16 times this year, good enough for 5th in the league. Tied with the Chiefs.
This offense is among the best in the league and has had to prove it against the league’s best defenses, without key players almost every week, and in some of the worst weather in recorded history. Yet, they persist.
For the Browns to really take down the Chiefs, they’ll have to put their expert, near-perfect offense to work and attack the Chiefs. The Chiefs aren’t good enough defensively to beat stop the Browns, if the Browns don’t turn the ball over that is. So that needs to be imperative, play mistake-free. No boneheaded penalties, no jumping offsides, none of that.
Run the ball to control the clock
They say the best defense is making sure the opposing team doesn’t get to play offense. At least that is what’s said around Berea. The Browns are coming into this game without many guys on defense worth their weight. Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward are really good when they’re healthy, except, neither man is.
The Browns are going to have a hard time limiting the Chiefs from scoring. Patrick Mahomes is a dynamo on the field and his eight turnovers are among the fewest committed in the league. It’s not like he’s in his own league, however, as Mayfield only has 12 turnovers on the season. Both quarterbacks protect the ball well, and that’s going to be key. Protecting the ball. The Browns need to make sure to put the pressure on the Chiefs as early and often as possible. That means putting together drives that eat up the clock and end in scores.
The best way to do such a thing is to give the ball to Nick Chubb 25+ times and make sure the clock is as depleted as possible before putting the Chiefs back on the field. You can’t rely on your defense to create five turnovers this week, so you have to find things to actually control, like how much time you use.
Pass the ball to control the clock
Seriously, control the clock. We’ve already highlighted that Mayfield, like Mahomes, doesn’t turn the ball over. Nearly half of Baker Mayfield‘s turnovers were the result of a blown play by a receiver, or through some type of convoluted mess, like not having key linemen to protect his blindside. So we know that Mayfield can protect the ball, even if he does have a gun-slinger reputation. That type of control, however, is going to be needed. The Browns can’t afford to break off huge gains against the Chiefs. Not on the ground, not through the air.
The Browns need to get as many first downs as possible each drive, and part of a way to do that is to utilize quick passes to the flats or slants across the middle. Screen-plays will also work here. The purpose, however, is to get short-yard gains not just on the ground, but through the air too. Test the middle of the Chiefs defense early and often as well. Make them run around so much that they’re sucking wind and being rotated out.
The Browns should look for a big play only if needed. If they can get a lead on the Chiefs early on, then their job from that moment forward is to build upon that lead and make every Chiefs’ position as pressure-filled as possible. If the Chiefs get down and know that they are only going to get five or six possessions, then maybe the Chiefs start forcing plays.
Mistakes happen when you force things.
To get the Chiefs to that state of mind, however, the Browns need to utilize quick, fast routes. Prolonging drives, then scoring touchdowns to close them out, is the only sure-fire thing that will work against this Chiefs offense.