SPRINGFIELD, Missouri (KY3) – Kansas City (12-1) at Cleveland (3-10)
Sunday noon, CBS.
Against the spread: Leaders 5-8; Browns 4-9.
Series record: Chiefs lead 14-11-2.
Last meeting: the Chiefs defeated the Browns 33-29 on September 12, 2021, at Arrowhead Stadium.
Last week: Chiefs beat Chargers 19-17; The Browns lost to the Steelers 27-14.
Chiefs offense: total (16), rush (21), pass (13), score (7)
Chiefs defense: total (6), rush (3), pass (20), score (7)
Browns offense: total (22), rush (30), pass (15), score (29)
Browns defense: overall (21), rushing (22), passing (13), scoring (26)
Turnover differential: Chiefs minus-4; Browns minus-10.
Chiefs player to watch
WR DeAndre Hopkins has been exactly what the Chiefs hoped he would be when they acquired him from Tennessee. He excelled at opening the line of scrimmage, which allowed Patrick Mahomes to pick apart defenses with quick strikes, and his ability to catch jumpers was a key in the red zone. Hopkins has 30 catches for 357 yards and four touchdowns in his first seven games with the team.
Browns Player to Watch
BY Myles Garrett. The NFL Defensive Player of the Year makes a late effort to try to defend his title. Garrett has two three-sack performances in his last five games despite double teams, chips and game plans designed around him. He’s at 99 1/2 sacks and can make 100 even more memorable if he did it by tackling Mahomes.
Key match
Browns LB and DB vs. Chiefs TE Travis Kelce. Cleveland’s defense will be called upon everywhere, but especially in the middle because that’s where Mahomes usually finds Kelce. This is a nightmare for many reasons, including the connection he has with Mahomes and their ability to finish off schedule. Kelce grew up in Cleveland and would appreciate the chance to shine at home.
Series Notes
The Chiefs have won the last four regular season games and five in a row, including the 2020 divisional playoff game against the Browns. … Kansas City coach Andy Reid is 5-0 against Cleveland since taking over the Chiefs in 2013. He is 8-0 overall against the Browns. … Mahomes is 3-0 against the Browns. … Cleveland is 8-4-1 at home against Kansas City.
Statistics and others
The Chiefs clinched their ninth straight AFC West title last week. … Kansas City begins a stretch of three games in 11 days. The Chiefs host Houston on Dec. 21 and play at Pittsburgh on Christmas Day. …Kansas City’s last two victories ended by identical scores of 19-17. … Mahomes totaled 31,613 yards in his first eight seasons, or 109 games. He needs 88 to pass Derek Carr (31,700 in 127 games) for third among QBs through their first eight seasons. … Mahomes passed for 337 yards and three touchdowns the last time the teams met. … Kelce has 80 catches this season, reaching that mark for an NFL-record ninth straight. … Kelce needs a TD catch to pass Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (76) for the most receiving scores in team history. …Hopkins has caught a pass in an NFL-leading 175 consecutive games. Kelce has the second-longest streak with 171. … Chiefs C Creed Humphrey can pass Brandon Carr for the second-longest streak to start a career in franchise history with his 65th game on Sunday. …The Chiefs have a sense of drama. They tied the NFL record for most wins by seven points or fewer in a season, sharing the mark with the 1978 Houston Oilers. …Kansas City won six times on the final play of the game with three different kickers – Harrison Butker, Spencer Shrader and Matthew Wright – who made the game-winning field goal. … Including the playoffs, the Chiefs have won their last 15 games decided by just one possession. … The Chiefs lead the league in third-down conversions (52%). … The Browns are playing for pride after being eliminated from the playoffs last week. … Cleveland has lost at least 10 games in 18 seasons since 1999. … Winston has thrown six TD passes in the last two weeks, but also five INTs. … In six games since taking over the starting job, Winston has averaged 315.3 yards per game, the second-highest total in the league over that span. … WR Jerry Jeudy has 26 catches for 526 yards and three touchdowns in his last four games. Jeudy has 29 catches and four touchdowns in eight games against KC… K Dustin Hopkins has missed six of his last nine field goals, including two in last week’s loss. Hopkins is just 16 of 25 (64%) this season, the worst of his 10-year career. The Browns signed K Riley Patterson to the practice squad this week, a sign Hopkins could sit a week.
Fancy tip
Jeudy has been one of the hottest receivers in the league, filling the vacant No. 1 receiver spot created when the Browns traded Amari Cooper for Bufalo. Jeudy has 678 total yards since Week 8 and will need to have a big game for the Browns to have a chance of winning. He is 56 yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season.
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