CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns will host the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday. This is the first game since Browns fired both head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was promoted to interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The Browns are 2-5-1 on the season and sit in last place of AFC North. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are an impressive 7-1 on the season, lead the AFC West and are considered one of the NFL’s best teams.
Here are three keys for a Browns victory:
1. Defense: One of the strengths of the Browns defense has been their ball-hawking ability. In every week but one they have been able to create multiple turnovers. That said, one major area the Browns defense has struggled in is the running game. The Browns currently rank 28th against the run, while the Chiefs rank 14th in rushing offense this season. The biggest key for the defense though is slowing down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs passing attack. The Chiefs enter Sunday ranked fourth in passing offense. The Browns, meanwhile, rank 25th against the pass. Defensive back E.J. Gaines will be returning for the Cleveland Browns this week, which will hopefully give them some needed help in the secondary.
2. Consistent running game: The Browns have been one of the better teams running the football this season. The only problem is that they are constantly playing from behind. When things go south, the Browns tend to go away from the run. Cleveland has to control the pace of play and time of possession if they want to win Sunday, making it vital to run the ball successfully early and often.
3. Capitalize on opportunities given: This is easier said than done for the Browns. Cleveland’s defense has been the best in the league at creating turnovers this season, but the offense has consistently failed to convert many of those opportunities into points. For the Browns, it’s pretty simple: if they get a turnover, they have to capitalize, otherwise, they have no shot at beating Kansas City.
Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. on CBS. The Chiefs are -8 point favorites on the road.
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