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The Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs will face off in a highly anticipated Week 1 matchup this weekend. As the two heavily loaded rosters go head-to-head, here's a look at which team could edge the contest. Both teams think they're powerhouses in the AFC. But on Sunday, one team will stand above the other.
Match details
Fixture - Cleveland Browns vs Kansas City Chiefs | 2021 NFL Regular Season Week 1
Date & Time - Sunday, September 12, 4:25 PM ET
Venue - Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Cleveland Browns Preview
The Browns will look to see how their revamped defense handles the Chiefs' passing onslaught. Jadeveon Clowney, John Johnson III and Troy Hill were brought in to assist in the pass rush and secondary. If the defense holds its own, the offense can run through Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. The Browns will look to keep things n check and avoid putting their defense on the field too much.
Key player - Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr. is coming off a torn ACL and didn't play in the preseason. The offense has capable wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Donovan Peoples-Jones. But Beckham is the ceiling raiser the Browns need in potential shootout games like this. Beckham's athleticism could be a nightmare for the Chiefs' secondary. This will be his first game since Week 7 last season.
Cleveland Browns predicted lineup
Quarterback - Baker Mayfield Case Keenum
Running Back - Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, D'Ernest Johnson, Demetric Felton
Fullback - Andy Janovich
Wide Receiver - Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Rashard Higgins, Anthony Schwartz
Tight End - Austin Hooper, David Njoku, Harrison Bryant
Offensive Linemen - Jedrick Willis Jr., Joel Bitonio, JC Tretter, Wyatt Teller, Jack Conklin, James Hudson III, Michael Dunn, Nick Harris, Blake Hence, Chris Hubbard
Defensive Linemen - Myles Garrett, Malik Jackson, Andrew Billings, Jadeveon Clowney, Takkarist McKinley, Jordan Elliot, Malik McDowell, Joe Jackson, Tommy Togai
Linebacker - Mack Wilson Sr., Anthony Walker Jr., Sione Takitaki, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Malcolm Smith, Tony Fields II
Cornerback - Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II, Troy Hill, Greedy Williams, A.J. Green
Safety - John Johnson III, Ronnie Harrison Jr., Grant Delpit, Richard LeCounte III, M.J. Stewart Jr.
Kicker - Chase McLaughlin
Punter - Jamie Gillan
Returners - Demetric Felton, Donovan Peoples-Jones
Kansas City Chiefs preview
The Chiefs will use Week 1 to see how in-sync their offense is. Their biggest change from a year ago is the offensive line with five new starters on it. Protecting Patrick Mahomes is a high priority against the duo of Clowney and Myles Garrett. Another position to watch is at safety, where Tyrann Mathieu's status is up in the air. Mathieu is a Jenga piece for the secondary and his loss could be exploited.
Key player - Orlando Brown Jr.
Out of all the new offensive linemen, none might be more important than Orlando Brown Jr, who was brought in from the Baltimore Ravens and is looking to earn a contract extension after 2021. Brown only allowed three sacks on 1,027 snaps in 2020. Going against the Browns duo of Garrett and Clowney is a tough matchup in Week 1. Brown will be tasked with holding them off to allow Mahomes time for plays downfield to develop.
Kansas City Chiefs predicted lineup
Quarterback - Patrick Mahomes, Chad Henne
Running Back - Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Darrel Williams, Jerick McKinnon
Fullback - Michael Burton
Wide Receiver - Tyreke Hill, Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson, Byron Pringle, Marcus Kemp, Daurice Fountain
Tight End - Travis Kelce, Blake Bell, Noah Gray, Jody Fortson
Offensive Linemen - Orlando Brown Jr., Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Lucas Niang, Mike Remmers, Nick Allegretti, Austin Blythe, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Andrew Wylie
Defensive Linemen - Chris Jones, Jarran Reed, Derrick Nnadi, Frank Clark, Alex Okafor, Tershawn Wharton, Khalen Saunders, Mike Danna, Joshua Kaindoh
Linebacker - Ben Niemann, Anthony Hitchens, Nick Bolton, Dorian O'Daniel, Darius Harris
Cornerback - Charvarius Ward, L'Jarius Sneed, Mike Hughes, Rashad Fenton, Chris Lammons, DeAndre Baker
Safety - Daniel Sorenson, Tyrann Mathieu, Juan Thronhill, Armani Watts
Kicker - Harrison Butker
Punter - Tommy Townsend
Returners - Mecole Hardman, Byron Pringle, Mike Hughes
Browns vs Chiefs matchup prediction
Expect the Browns to control the pace of the game. The Chiefs have a lot of firepower and will be able to score in a hurry. But the Browns defense will get a couple of crucial takeaways that give them a slight edge.
It'll be a one-to-two possession game where both teams show a lot of positives. The Browns, though, will come out on top.
