Products You May Like
As the season winds down, the Cleveland Browns will return home to take on another AFC West foe, this time it’s the defending Super Bowl Champions the Kansas City Chiefs.
Dynasty and excellence are just a few words to describe the current iteration of Kansas City. The team is looking to three-peat, which isn’t an easy task to accomplish but when you talk about the class of the AFC, the Chiefs are the top of that class.
Offensively, it’s a unit that is starting to find its footing. Everyone knows about quarterback Patrick Mahomes but it’s a unit that has added pieces to it. Wide receiver Rashee Rice was lost for the season but the team was able to trade for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Running back Isiah Pacheco has returned after missing half the season with a fibula injury but former Browns running back Kareem Hunt filled in admirably in Pacheco’s absence. Tight end Travis Kelce is still a reliable target in the passing game. As far as the offensive line goes, the tackle spots have been shaky at best for most of the season.
Defensively, the unit isn’t nearly as dominant as it was last year. The secondary is questionable outside of cornerback Trent McDuffie. As far as the pass rush goes, it hasn’t been as consistent but defensive tackle Chris Jones is a force along the interior. It’s a unit that has its flaws but hasn’t been as dominant as they were going back to last year. Solid unit but not as dominant.
Here are the big three for the Chiefs:
QB Patrick Mahomes
Obviously. If there is one thing that I have learned while watching Mahomes is to never doubt him. In any capacity. Sure, Mahomes is having a down statistical year by his standards but he is still the best quarterback in the league. Arm strength, mobility, football IQ, he has all of it. When he has the ball late in the 4th quarter, you might as well chalk up the game as a loss.
Mahomes can find ways to make you pay, even when you doubt him. For Cleveland’s defense, there is no easy way to stop the top QB in the league. You can contain him but pressuring him also works. Kansas City’s tackle spots have been a weakness for the majority of the season. If Cleveland is able to pressure Mahomes and make life uncomfortable, then they will have a chance to come out with a victory.
TE Travis Kelce
You can’t forget about Kelce. Cleveland Heights native and well-known superstar, Kelce is someone who you can’t obviously miss. We all know that he dates well-known pop superstar Taylor Swift but as a football player, he’s still a reliable target in the passing game. He finds ways to find the soft spots in the zone and is able to get open in many ways.
For the Browns to stop or limit Kelce is to simply play man coverage on him. Last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, Chargers safety Derwin James was lined up against Kelce and gave the tight end issues. Safety Grant Delpit is likely to be assigned to Kelce in the passing game so look forward to that matchup.
DT Chris Jones
If there is one defensive player that is in the same category as Myles Garrett, it is Jones. The big defensive tackle is arguably one of the best, if not the best, interior defensive lineman. He lines up inside and outside and can cause havoc in multiple ways.
Power? He has it. Speed? Yep. Jones is the standard for everything that you want in a defensive tackle. The fact that he hasn’t won a Defensive Player of the Year in his career is crazy when you think about it, he’s just been that dominant. For Cleveland, containing Jones is key. The Chiefs pass rush hasn’t been nearly as dominant as before but Jones (similar to Garrett) can find ways to take a game over if he gets going. Double-team and chip blocks can prove to be effective. Let someone else other than Jones emerge from a Chiefs pass rush that has been inconsistent.