Chiefs to host Browns in Week 1 of 2021 NFL season
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The Kansas City Chiefs season opener has been revealed and it’s a rematch from one of the more exciting games of last year’s playoffs.
The Chiefs will host the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 of the NFL season. It’ll be one of the two games on CBS afternoon slate, taking place on Sunday September 12 at 3:25 p.m. CT.
Baker Mayfield and the Browns last came to Kansas City in the divisional round of the 2020 playoffs. That season marked their first playoff appearance since 2002. The Chiefs secured and held the lead early on in the game, but a concussion suffered by Patrick Mahomes in the middle of the third quarter made this game interesting. Veteran backup Chad Henne relieved Mahomes and made some clutch plays late in the game to put things on ice for the Chiefs, helping them to take home a 22-17 victory over Cleveland.
The Browns have seen a lot of praise in the media for the additions they’ve made on the defensive side of the ball this offseason. They added former Rams DB’s John Johnson and Troy Hill, while also grabbing Jadeveon Clowney late in the free agency period. Their draft class was also regarded highly, coming away with Northwestern CB Greg Newsome II in the first round and getting a steal in Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah later in the draft.
At the end of the day, it feels like this matchup will always come down to quarterback play. Will the defense-leaning offseason for Cleveland be enough to help them slow down Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense behind a rebuilt offensive line?
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