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The Cleveland Browns welcome the conference-leading Kansas City Chiefs to Huntington Bank Field on Sunday following a disappointing loss to the Steelers in Week 14.
It’s no secret that TE Travis Kelce is one of the main components of the Chiefs’ offense, and effectively defending him is always difficult for a multitude of reasons.
He’s very, very savvy when it comes to route running and finding open pockets in zone for Patrick Mahomes to find him in. Kelce is also very in tune with his body which helps him effectively “shield” defenders away from the football when it enters his catch radius both as a stationary target and on the run.
That being said, Cleveland linebackers have been surprisingly good in coverage this season, especially last weekend when they obtained a 71.0 PFF coverage grade against the Steelers. Jordan Hicks, Mohamoud Diabate, and Devin Bush need to have another effective performance against the Chiefs if they want to slow down the Mahomes to Kelce connection in Week 15.
Jim Schwartz might choose to play more man-coverage in the secondary in order to make it “harder” for Kansas City’s pass-catchers this weekend.
Playing man coverage forces receivers and tight ends to physically beat the defender and find ways to get themselves open, whereas zone coverage puts more pressure on the quarterback to find the open man in pockets.
It’s easy to see why Schwartz would want to “man-up” Mohamoud Diabate who’s an imposing, lengthy defender (6’4”, 230 lbs.) on Kelce to limit his ability to be Mahomes’ safety valve on Sunday. Taking away the holes for Kelce to sit in at the 2nd level could be the most effective way to defend him for Cleveland.
It’s safe to say that if the Browns want to give themselves a better chance to beat the Chiefs, they need to find a way to effectively limit Travis Kelce’s production.
How do you think Cleveland should defend Travis Kelce on Sunday? Join fellow Browns fans in the comment section below.