Cleveland Browns vs Kansas City Chiefs prediction, NFL Playoff AFC Divisional game preview.
Cleveland Browns vs Kansas City Chiefs Broadcast
Date: Sunday, January 17
Game Time: 3:05 ET
Venue: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Network: CBS
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Cleveland Browns (12-5) vs Kansas City Chiefs (14-2) Game Preview
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Why The Cleveland Browns Will Win
Yeah, the Browns got off to a hot start and carried the momentum to a massive lead they were able to hang on to, but they also showed they could weather the storm.
Pittsburgh was charging. It was never to make that one big push in the second half to get past the Browns, but Ben Roethlisberger kept throwing and throwing and throwing some more on the way to a 501-yard day.
And Cleveland still won because the offense kept working late.
The Browns only came up with 390 yards for the game, but Baker Mayfield threw three touchdowns with no interceptions, The running game was effective enough and there weren’t any turnovers.
They can’t count on five takeaways like they got against the Steelers, and the defense hasn’t been consistent at forcing mistakes, but they’re 7-0 when generating multiple takeaways. Kansas City has turned it over two times or more in two of the last three games with Patrick Mahomes starting.
The Browns need KC mistakes, and they need to mix it up with the running game early on. They’re not going to be able to keep the Chief offense from rolling, but they have to keep up, generate a good balance, and run for 140 yards.
They’re 5-0 when they hit 140 yards on the ground. KC has allowed that many rushing yards six times.
However …
– Why Kansas City Chiefs Will Win
– What’s Going To Happen, Who’ll Win
NEXT: Why The Kansas City Chiefs Will Win
Why The Kansas City Chiefs Will Win
Yeah, those 501 passing yards by Ben Roethlisberger.
Yes, the Steelers have absolutely no ground game, and yes, they got down so fast and so big that Roethlisberger had to throw 68 times, but the Brown secondary wasn’t always a rock against everyone else, either.
They allowed 309 passing yards to Mason Rudolph, too.
Cleveland has given up 200 passing yards or more seven times in the last eight games, and it’s about to get hit really, really hard by the Kansas City passing game.
The Chiefs weren’t razor sharp to close out the regular season struggles to get through the finishing kick – they haven’t won a game by more than six points since taking out the Jets on November 1st.
But they won them all, except for the regular season finale against the Chargers when the main men sat.
Don’t discount just how huge the bye week was to go along with the rest against LA. After the run to the Super Bowl last year and with everything going into this year, Kansas City was playing like a team in need of a recharge, and it’s had three weeks to effectively do that.
Keep Mahomes clean – Cleveland failed to generate any real pass rush last week, sort of by design – and watch him get out to the hot start the Browns did against the Steelers.
– What’s Going To Happen, Who’ll Win
NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, Who’s Going To Win The AFC Divisional Playoff
What’s Going To Happen, Who’s Going To Win The AFC Divisional Playoff
Is this when the switch to the machine flips back on?
Kansas City has been able to come through with the key drives when it had to over the second half of the season to keep on winning, but it also played at times like it was just trying to get here.
It’s hard to get up for a dog days game against Denver in early December when you’re waiting for mid-January.
Get ready for the Kansas City team at its fully-functioning best, at least offensively.
Cleveland will have its bursts when the offense works, and it’ll keep up with a good balance and yet another strong day from Baker Mayfield, but the flash of home runs that weren’t there enough for the Chief offense at times will return early in the second half to pull away.
Patrick Mahomes won’t get hit enough, and he’ll make the Brown secondary pay.
The Browns will fight back after getting down early, but the Chiefs will pull away late.
– CFN Experts Picks: NFL Playoffs Divisional
Cleveland Browns vs Kansas City Chiefs Prediction, Line
Kansas City 34, Cleveland 20
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Kansas City -10, o/u: 57
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Must See Rating: 4
5: Tiger
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