Cleveland @ Kansas City preview
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 27, 2013 ) Cleveland 17, Kansas City 23
The Kansas City Chiefs look to match the franchise record with a ninth consecutive victory and bolster their playoff chances when they host the struggling Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Kansas City can clinch a playoff spot with a win and a loss by either the New York Jets or Pittsburgh.
The Chiefs’ season looked lost when they were 1-5 and had lost star running back Jamaal Charles to a season-ending knee injury, but they've rebounded with eight straight wins and have outscored opponents by an average of 17.5 points during the streak. “Everybody knew what this team was capable of,” Chiefs receiver Jeremy Maclin told reporters. “Now we’re kind of putting it together. We still have a way to go before we get to where we want to be.” The Browns have gone in the other direction, losing eight of their last nine to fall into a tie with Tennessee for the league’s worst record. Chiefs coach Andy Reid is 5-0 all-time against the Browns.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Chiefs -12.5. O/U: 42.5
ABOUT THE BROWNS (3-11): Much of the focus of Cleveland’s season has been on the revolving door at quarterback, where Johnny Manziel has reclaimed the starting job. The volatile star led the Browns to a win over San Francisco two weeks ago but was just 19-of-32 for 161 yards with a touchdown and an interception in last week’s 30-13 loss at Seattle. For all the attention paid to the quarterback situation, though, the Browns’ bigger issues are their 29th-ranked running game and a defense that ranks 31st against the run and 22nd versus the pass.
ABOUT THE CHIEFS (9-5): Kansas City turned in another dominant defensive performance in last week’s 34-14 win at Baltimore, forcing three turnovers and returning two of them for touchdowns. That unit is a bit banged up with Justin Houston (7.5 sacks) recovering from a knee injury and Tamba Hali (6.5) questionable with a broken thumb. The offense has been efficient, if not prolific, with Alex Smith taking care of the ball and getting it to Maclin and tight end Travis Kelce, while Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware have picked up the slack on the ground in Charles’ absence.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Kansas City rookie CB Marcus Peters snagged two interceptions last week, returning one 90 yards for a touchdown, and is tied for second in the league with seven picks.
2. Browns TE Gary Barnidge (930) needs 70 receiving yards to join Ozzie Newsome and Kellen Winslow Jr. as the only tight ends in franchise history with 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
3. The Chiefs have forced a turnover in 10 straight games and recorded two or more takeaways in eight of the last nine contests.
PREDICTION: Chiefs 27, Browns 16