Cleveland Browns: 5 Bold predictions vs. Chiefs in Divisional Round

4. The turnovers keep cooking

There’s no denying the Browns have their share of issues on the defensive side of the ball. Those issues have also been highlighted by the fact that many key players have been missing for various reasons. Olivier Vernon, for example, was lost at the end of the regular season to a torn Achilles. Then there’s Denzel Ward, who has missed time after testing positive for COVID-19.

In addition to those two, there have been a number of players in and out of the lineup for injuries and virus-related reasons alike which have made the job tough on defensive coordinator Joe Woods. And the first-year Cleveland coordinator has taken his share of criticism for the defensive struggles, but he should get some credit.

While there are plenty of yards surrendered, he does have a defense that’s incredibly opportunistic and always finds a way to get their hands on the ball. This was seen last week when they had a turnover on the very first snap of the game. Ben Roethlisberger had to watch as the failed snap went over his head and Cleveland safety Karl Joseph wound up with the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.

After that, there were four more turnovers as Sheldrick Redwine, M.J. Stewart, Sione Takitaki, and Porter Gustin all had picks. For those keeping score at home, that’s a defensive lineman, linebacker, cornerback, and safety that all picked off passes.

That shows that every level of the Browns defense is looking to make a play on the ball and that can turn a game in your favor, especially in the playoffs. This bold prediction is that these guys continue to get the ball for their offense even though turnovers aren’t the norm for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.