Chiefs by the Numbers: Five takeaways from week one against the Browns

Taking a look at some of the "hidden" week one storylines in the Chiefs first matchup.

The Kansas City Chiefs received a stern test from the Cleveland Browns in the opening game of the 2021 season, winning 33-29 over a tough AFC foe. In a game in which they didn’t take the lead until mid-way through the fourth quarter, there were many narratives to take away — which we’ll get to throughout the week here at KC Sports Network.

However, there were a few takeaways that jumped out quickly in the statistical breakdown of today’s game. I’m here to run you through five that stood out to me as the Chiefs started their 2021 campaign with a hard-fought win against the Browns.

16 - Mahomes regular season games with 300+ yards and 3+ TD’s

It’s not an overstatement to say that when this team needs Patrick Mahomes, he delivers. That held true once again this week, as Mahomes kept the Chiefs in it when they needed him most, putting up 337 passing yards and throwing for three touchdowns — while adding another on the ground. Mahomes crests these numbers on over ⅓ of career games, while losing just three times. He helped make sure number four didn’t happen this week.

While it’s easy to get a bit lost in the magic that surrounds one of the best players in the NFL, it’s worth taking a moment in these performances to remind how far this team has come. The Chiefs had just four of these such performances from 2010-2017 in the regular season, leaving a fair amount to be desired on the offensive side of the ball. It’s nice to know that the NFL’s trump card at quarterback is suiting up for the Chiefs each and every week.

64% - Percentage of targets received by Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce

There’s a clear-cut “top two” in Chiefs receiving weapons, so the fact that these players received the lion’s share isn’t a surprise. However, no other receiver was targeted more than three times, and only two — Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Mecole Hardman — shared that distinction. Hill and Kelce accounted for 45% of the receiving targets last year, so having to rely on them that much more could play into the hands of some defensive coordinators more capable of eliminating the Chiefs weapons.

We’ll see if another receiver can separate from the pack next week against a depleted Baltimore Ravens secondary, but early returns on the fight for Mahomes’ third weapon left a little to be desired in week one.

29% - Third down conversion rate for the Browns offense

While there weren’t many bright spots on defense, third downs were good for Steve Spagnuolo’s unit. They allowed just two third down conversions on the day — a 16-yard pass on the first drive and a 4-yard pass on the last drive — in seven tries. The Browns had an average of 8.7 yards to go on third downs, playing into Spagnuolo’s tendency to get the most out of his third and longs.

While some of this was a byproduct of Kevin Stefanski’s play-action passing attack, the Chiefs found themselves finally able to get into their blitzes late in the game in some late-down situations. That’s what we expected the bread-and-butter of this defense to be — opposite a more-than-likely pass-heavy script from the opposition — so early signs may point to some positive developments on that front.

8.27 - Average yards allowed on first down by the Chiefs defense

Unfortunately the defense didn’t get to third down very often due to the Browns early-down successes. The Browns achieved the line of gain 18 times on first or second down, a truly abysmal number for the defense. They were missing two of their biggest contributors — and a dynamic second-year linebacker — but Spagnuolo will want his group to win more on early downs to play the type of defense this squad is built to play.

The Chiefs weren’t much better on second down as well, allowing 8.06 yards per play. Stefanski’s Browns offense is built to kill defenses on early downs when they have the lead — which they did for much of the first half to the Chiefs defense. However, the performance overall left a lot to be desired on the defensive side of the ball, and Spagnuolo will certainly have plenty to critique in the film room this week.

3 - Impactful special teams plays by Chris Lammons

Arguably no player was questioned more for his inclusion on the 53-man roster than Lammons. The impact on special teams was noted, but Dave Toub’s influence on the bottom of the roster was discussed at length after the final cutdowns — and a fair bit of it focused on Lammons. Through the first week, it’s hard to argue with his inclusion.

Lammons brought down Browns returner Demetric Felton in open field twice short of the 20 yard line on returns — one kick return in the second quarter, and a final one just before the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter. He also helped Tommy Townsend pin the Browns to the one-yard line with 1:45 left in the first half by downing an excellent punt. He certainly made his presence felt in special teams in week one, and might prove to be a bit of a weapon for Toub’s group in 2021.