5 reasons 2021 Cleveland Browns will shock Chiefs in Week 1

3. Cleveland Browns can exploit middle of field

The Chiefs are pretty stout up front and their secondary is expected to be better, but if there’s one area of the field that the Browns might be able to exploit, it’s the middle of the field.

Cleveland boasts a nice trio of linebackers in David Njoku, Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant, and this group might be to cause some headaches for a Chiefs’ linebacking corps that is missing Willie Gay Jr. (Injured Reserve).

With the injury to Gay, Kansas City will lean more heavily on 2021 second-round pick Nick Bolton. This isn’t to say he won’t be a good player, but the inexperience of having someone having an increased role playing his first NFL game should benefit the Browns.

From the Browns point of view, Njoku had a really nice training camp. Could this be the season he finally breaks out? Austin Hooper may be the Browns best all-around tight end, but Njoku oozes explosiveness and I wonder if Stefanski will try and utilize the 2017 first-round pick more.

Additionally, Harrison Bryant is coming off a solid rookie season. That said, he tailed off toward the end of the 2020 season.