3 Keys to victory for the Cleveland Browns against Kansas City

1. Defense

There is no doubt about it, the Browns defense has been mediocre all season. However, there hasn’t been one week where all their starters were on the field together. And great news, with both Denzel Ward and Kevin Johnson back, the defense could be at full strength. B.J. Goodson will be limited in practice, but I would expect him to give it a go on Sunday.

The Chief’s offense is a tricky one. While they love to throw the ball around the field, they can hit you on the ground and screen game as well to just keep defenses from teeing off on Mahomes. Not only can the Chiefs hand it off, but Mahomes is also one of the most underrated mobile quarterbacks in the league. If you play man to man and leave a crease, he can hit you for a huge run.

Cleveland’ss defensive line must stay disciplined. Ends need to get after the quarterback while also defending the backside for reverses. The defensive tackles must try to collapse the pocket, and not allow chunk plays up the middle. They must also be alert for screen reads and tracking the football.

Their linebackers must have the game of their lives. They will have to fly around the ball and play tight zones before the sticks on third downs. Travis Kelce is a huge piece of the offense at tight end, and they must try to limit him.

The biggest task will be in the secondary. They must keep receivers close to them and can’t have any busts or it will lead to a touchdown. Mahomes is likely the most accurate quarterback in the league and can easily pick them apart if they don’t play aggressively. Pressure from the front four will be the secondary’s best friend.

The Browns defense is going to give up points, the key will be holding them to field goals, forcing at least one turnover, and trying to get 2-3 punts. Holding this team under 30 points would be a major win on Sunday.