Believeland in Cleveland

Don’t Stop Believin’

“The Browns is the Browns.” That’s what Steelers WR Juju-Smith-Schuster stated before Cleveland beat Pittsburgh 48-37. It was a historic moment for the Browns as they earned their first playoff victory since 1994 in the AFC wild-card matchup against the Steelers.

Celebrations erupted throughout the city of Cleveland as the team ended the NFL’s longest postseason drought of eighteen years. However, the Browns know there’s still unfinished business to take care of.

Underdogs Paving the Way

After defeating the Steelers in Heinz Field last Sunday, Cleveland opens as 10.0- point underdogs to Kansas City. The team will travel to Arrowhead Stadium to face the No.1 seeded Chiefs in their AFC divisional round duel. This is the first time that the two teams have met each other in the playoffs.

Meanwhile, head coach Kevin Stefanski will return to the sideline after missing their first playoff appearance since 2002 last week due to COVID-19. Stefanski will take reign over a high-powered offense featuring franchise QB Baker Mayfield, Pro Bowl RB Nick Chubb and star-studded receivers Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins. He later spoke about what it means to face the Super Bowl Champions.

The Browns need to continue firing on all cylinders in order to not play catch-up versus the Chiefs high-scoring offense.

Cleveland will need to lean on star RB Nick Chubb early on to open up the run game that leads to Baker Mayfield’s dominant air attack. Cleveland is 5-0 when rushing for 140 yards or more, consequently; the team has to generate the ground game to keep Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense from rolling on the field as long as possible.

Turnovers are key for the Browns as they’re 7-0 when forcing multiple takeaways in a game. Although it’s unlikely that they’ll create five turnovers like they did against the Steelers, their defense has to remain consistent in order to force the Chiefs to make mistakes.

Sunday Evening Matchup

Catch the Browns clash with the Chiefs to clinch a spot in the AFC Championship game as kickoff is set for 3:05 PM on CBS.