Chiefs vs. Browns: Week 1 Game Preview

Matty talks problems Browns face with Chiefs' RPO game, Kent is focused on Nick Bolton and others, and Craig is watching plan for Browns' star Myles Garrett, plus more - presented by Tickets For Less

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Sep 10, 2021

The Chiefs and Browns both kick-off their highly-anticipated 2021 campaigns Sunday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium (3:25 p.m. CST).

The Chiefs are looking to become just the fourth team in NFL history to earn their way to three-straight Super Bowls, while the Browns are looking to take a step forward from a year ago when their season ended in a playoff loss to the Chiefs.

Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield have put up some huge numbers in some legendary games against one another dating back to college, and it’d be surprising to see anything less than 30 points win this game on Sunday for either team.

It’s a key AFC matchup in Week 1 - one that’ll likely have playoff implications down the road for at least one of these teams, if not both.

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For those attending the game at Arrowhead:

Game Entertainment

The Kansas City Symphony will play the national anthem while the Missouri National Guard will present the colors, followed by a B-2 flyover from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB in Knob Noster, Missouri. At halftime, there will be a tribute for former Chiefs Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer with Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt and the Schottenheimer family.

Timeline for Chiefs-Browns on Sunday, September 12

11:00 a.m. – Parking Gates Open
11:30 a.m. – Ford Tailgate District Opens
1:00 p.m. – CommunityAmerica Club Level Gates Open
1:30 p.m. – All Stadium Gates Open
2:25 p.m. – Team Warm-Ups Begin
3:14 p.m. – Browns Team Introduction
3:15 p.m. – Chiefs Individual Introductions
3:19 p.m. – National Anthem
3:21 p.m. – Flyover
3:23 p.m. – Coin Toss
3:25 p.m. – Kickoff

For more info on going to the game, click here.

There has been a ton of talk all offseason about the Chiefs’ revamped offensive line and how it will help their rushing attack and improve the pass protection. I’m as excited as anyone else to see the new offensive line in action and what they bring to the team but as it pertains to the Chiefs beating the Cleveland Browns, I anticipate them relying on a tried and true concept… the Run-Pass Option.

The Chiefs have had one of the best RPO games in the NFL for years and that’s — in part — thanks to the never-ending evolution of Andy Reid. Starting with simple Bubble Screens attached to the back end of run plays, followed by Stick/Slant-Flat combinations, and finally adding some shot-plays attached to the backside of the play. The Chiefs RPO game is ever-evolving and with some changes to the offense's run scheme, 2021 could be even more impressive.

The Cleveland Browns shored up some holes in their defense by adding talent to the secondary but it may not be enough. The second level of their defense is still quite susceptible in the passing game relying on rookie Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoa to be the main coverage player in the linebacker unit. He’ll be working with another new addition in Anthony Walker who is a much more stout run defender than coverage player.

With the Chiefs expected threat of an improved run game, the Browns defense may be forced to honor the run aspect of the RPO game a little more than years past. Additionally, both Patrick Mahomes and Eric Bieniemy have made references to looking to improve some of the quick passing game this season. I’m specifically keeping an eye out for an increase in Slant-Flat RPO looks to challenge the range of the Browns’ LB group.

This game could easily follow a similar blueprint to the AFC Divisional Round playoff with the Chiefs picking apart the opposing defense. One more thing I am keeping an eye out for is the next level of evolution for the Chiefs RPO attack.

Whether it’s getting more targets deep down the field or including a new element — like pop passes for example — there is going to be some new flashed in this game. Andy Reid in Week 1 always brings something new to the game and I fully anticipate that to manifest with the Run-Pass Option game. Either way, the Browns don’t seem well equipped to handle an RPO offense and this feels like a game that the Chiefs can metaphorically flex their muscle on.

The buzz surrounding the Chiefs’ rookie class is as high as I’ve seen in the last few years. There’s a reason for excitement too — this group appears primed to make an impact early.

What does that mean? There aren’t going to be six players making the All-Rookie team, but they should have a meaningful impact. Here’s what I expect from the entire group.

The Trio

The Chiefs are rolling out three rookies starting side-by-side to each other on a revamped offensive line. A strong preseason saw center Creed Humphrey, right guard Trey Smith, and right tackle Lucas Niang (2020 opt-out) make great strides in the three preseason games they played together.

Smith’s draft stock fell due to medical concerns, but the Chiefs felt confident they have it under control. The pay-off is getting a day two (possible day one) talent in the sixth round of the draft.

He took advantage of an opportunity early on in camp with Kyle Long missing time to get starting reps. Smith never looked back.

Niang also seized his moment when veteran Mike Remmers was forced to miss time due to a back injury. He’s made steady improvement throughout the preseason and has earned the right to see if he can hold down the right tackle position.

Niang will be in for easily the biggest challenge he’s faced if Myles Garrett lines up across from him. While he’s played well in the preseason, he hasn’t been threatened off the edge by quality competition. I’ll be paying close attention to him this first week.

Humphrey has been the starter since OTAs for the Chiefs — and has performed well throughout the process. He’s left little doubt that he’s ready to be battery mates with Patrick Mahomes. Having veteran Joe Thuney next to him certainly helps.

If these three are able to play at a quality level, the Chiefs will have four offensive linemen (including Thuney) locked up for at least the next four years.

Nick Bolton

We may not have seen as much of Bolton as we are likely to have Willie Gay Jr. not got hurt. Ben Niemann had played well enough to fend off the young Bolton as he gets acclimated to the NFL.

He won’t have time to catch up. The Chiefs need him immediately.

Expect Bolton to play mostly in the base defense to start the season — that’s his role defensively early on. That could be some more snaps than usual if the Browns operate in 13 personnel (three tight ends).

The energy and physicality that Bolton plays with should lead to an impact on special teams — look for him to make a play or two in the hidden third.

Joshua Kaindoh

I’d expect Kaindoh to be active on game day — and a rotational piece to start out.

The fourth-round pick boasts an excellent athletic profile and plays with great effort. He’s got real juice off the edge and should be a rotational piece to start the season. Kaindoh is more than athletic enough to execute the games up front you’ve come to expect from a Steve Spagnuolo defense.

Noah Gray

It will be extremely interesting to see if the Chiefs keep four tight ends active on game day. It’s one of the bigger roster construction questions I have.

If not, special teams could play a big factor in whether or not Gray suits up on Sunday. While he got opportunities early on in training camp, the hype train has slowed down on the former Duke product. He could take a little more time.

If they keep three active, it’s like between him training camp darling Jody Fortson for the third spot.

Matchup to watch: Orlando Brown vs. Myles Garrett

It’s not often that a team gets to see their biggest offseason investment in his biggest test so early in the season, but that’s exactly what’s happening this week. After trading away a top asset to require Brown, the Chiefs are expecting him to be the future at left tackle — and worthy of a major contract. A quick way to acquiring that would be to shut down one of the league’s premiere EDGE rushers in Garrett.

Brown and Garrett are familiar foes, having spent time in the same division for the last three years. Garrett primarily rushes off the left side of the defense — where Brown only recently began playing at the NFL level. That means their Week 14 matchup from last year is the best interpretation of what we could see in this week’s face-off.

Brown was able to limit Garrett to 3 pressures on 30 pass-rush snaps - below Garrett’s typical pressure rate. He was able to utilize his length and power to control Garrett for much of the day and got some help from the left guard to protect the inside when Brown had to have deeper drops in pass protection. That’s not unexpected against a strong pass rusher, and we might see quite a bit of inside help from Joe Thuney in this week’s matchup.

That said, Baltimore played a quicker-passing offense with shallower drops than Brown will have to execute in Kansas City, so there’s only so much that can be taken from their singular EDGE-versus-LT matchup. We know that Patrick Mahomes likes to drift out of the back of the pocket, forcing the tackle to carry the pass rusher further up the arc — something that favors Garrett’s athletic ability over Brown’s length.

We’ve seen throughout the years how singular pass rushers have wrecked Kansas City’s offensive game plan. With Week 1 Andy Reid busting out some of his best play calls of the year, one of the few ways that the Browns can slow things down will come through their effective pass rush. That makes this Brown-vs-Garrett matchup arguably the most pivotal piece of the entire game — and one that could make or break the Chiefs offense.