There is only one way for the Browns to stick with the Chiefs, and it's through the trenches
The Browns have one big advantage: A great offensive line facing a mediocre defensive line.
Trench talk!
Chris Jones and his teammates on the Chiefs defensive line will have their hands full against Cleveland on Sunday afternoon.
It may have gone unnoticed, but the Browns have the best offensive line in the NFL right now. They just trampled the Pittsburgh Steelers to the tune of 127 rushing yards and two touchdowns and now they’re facing one of the most feeble run defenses from the regular season.
It’s actually Cleveland’s interior line — left guard Joel Bitonio, center JC Tretter and right guard Wyatt Teller — that has powered the Browns run game, which thrives on big plays. If those guys can keep Jones at bay and make their way to the second level of the Chiefs defense, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt should be able to rip off long chunks of yardage. (Bitonio missed the Wild Card game due to a positive COVID-19 test and has yet to return to the team, though.)
The ground game going off is pretty much the only way that the Browns can win. Their defense, even with cornerback Denzel Ward back, probably won’t be good enough as a whole to slow down the Chiefs offense. They’re going to need some help from their offense to keep the Chiefs off the field and eat up clock with long drives.
That specific part of the game won’t be very difficult for the Browns. They might have some success in the pass protection department too. According to Pro Football Reference, the Chiefs got pressure on 24.2% of their dropbacks, ranking 11th in the league. The Browns allowed a pressure on just 18.8% of their dropbacks, ranking 8th in the NFL. Chris Jones will be a tough test for the Browns offensive line in pass protection, but they should have the talent advantage along the rest of the front.
No one outside of Jones should really scare Browns fans. Frank Clark only mustered six sacks in 15 games this year. No other player on the Chiefs had more than three sacks. Baker Mayfield will have to do a stellar job of managing the pocket to avoid creating unnecessary pressure for himself and the Browns offense, but the Browns have the skill up front to keep him clean.
All this should be taken with a grain of salt — Kansas City is favored by double digits with good reason. The Browns’ advantage in the trenches doesn’t mean they can win, but it does mean they have an avenue to score points and attempt to keep up with Mahomes and the Chiefs offense.