Cleveland Browns vs. Chiefs: 5 bold predictions for Week 1

Cleveland Browns bold prediction No. 1: Baker Mayfield enacts his revenge

Before digging into this one, it needs to be noted that Baker Mayfield has nothing to be ashamed about from his first playoff run. He led the Browns to a win on the road against the hated Pittsburgh Steelers and then played incredibly well against the Chiefs. His numbers — 23-of-37 passing for 204 yards with a touchdown and interception — don’t accurately account for how controlled he was in this game. Especially when you realize that his wideouts weren’t beating one-on-one coverage deep, meaning he was having to nickel and dime it for much of the day.

Even with his performance, no quarterback likes to lose. And Baker Mayfield hates losing more than most of them. For that reason, he’s going to be out to prove himself against the best in the business, Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs.

Throw in the fact that this is the first time in his young career that he will be entering Week 1 with the same system he ran for an entire campaign the season prior and there’s even more reason to expect big things from him. Despite the constant change he faced through his first three seasons in the league, Mayfield led the Browns to an 11-5 record and a playoff win. Now, he’s not trying to learn anything new but will be operating with a coach and an offensive arsenal he knows very well.

Look for Baker to ride that momentum to a great performance. This final prediction is that he throws for 350 yards without a turnover. And most importantly, he leads the Browns to a win over the Chiefs, to start the season out on the right foot.