Be bold! How the Browns view their playoff game with the Kansas City Chiefs – Terry Pluto’s pre-game doodles

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Scribbles in my notebook as the Browns prepare to face Kansas City in the playoffs:

1. The Chiefs are the reigning Super Bowl champions. They have Patrick Mahomes and an offense with a high score. The Browns have a good running game, No. 3 in the NFL at 148 yards per game. So it looks like the Browns should run the ball – a lot. Chew the stopwatch, keep Mahomes & Co. off the field.

2. I thought it would be the same strategy when the Browns played Tennessee earlier this year. Instead, they came out throwing. Not all the time, but they fired on the ground. They jumped over the Titans with 17 points early in the second quarter and had a 38-7 lead at the half.

3. Browns fans probably remember what happened. The offense stalled in the second half, but Cleveland hung on to win, 41-35. In other words, they won a shootout.

4. Think about the 48-37 first-round playoff victory over Pittsburgh last week. The Browns scored 28 points in the first quarter. The Steelers made five turnovers. Still, the Browns needed nearly 40 points (38 to be exact) to beat Pittsburgh – despite those five turnovers.

5. What will it take to beat the Chiefs? I hear the Browns think they need something like 40 points. Hey, they scored 42 against Baltimore and still lost, 47-42. The Browns plan to be bold on offense, as they have been in the last major games against Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Baltimore.

6. They don’t plan to neglect the racing game. But they could do things like throw passes to Nick Chubb (four catches, 69 yards) like they did against Pittsburgh. Kareem Hunt is usually the receiver out of the backfield. He was only targeted once, a 13-yard catch. But Hunt ran the ball for two touchdowns.

7. In the win over Pittsburgh, the Browns had a 34/31 pass-to-run ratio. Against Tennessee, it was a 34/36 pass / run ratio. So the Browns don’t lose their identity as a racing team. But Baker Mayfield’s rise to power in the second half of the season boosted Kevin Stefanski’s confidence in QB.

8. When Andrew Berry’s front office crafted the game plan for the year, he began by strengthening the offensive line by signing All-Pro tackle Jack Conklin and drafting up-and-coming rookie tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. C ‘was more than making sure Mayfield was protected. There was a broader philosophical approach.

9. The Browns knew they couldn’t fix everything after the 6-10 season. They decided to aim for a high power attack. Make it the identity. Stefanski’s specialty is leadership, offense and quarterback development. Play to its strength.

10. The Browns knew the defense would be lagging behind. They could take care of the defense after the 2020 season. In the modern NFL you have to score a lot of points. Sometimes you have to score quickly. This is how Kansas City plays. In many ways, he was the Browns’ model – only they knew they didn’t have an MVP-caliber QB like Mahomes. But they have a superior racing game.

11. The Browns’ goal this week is simple: don’t be shy. Play to win. Put dots on the board. If that fails, so be it. Don’t take stupid risks. But a full conservative approach won’t bother the Chiefs. The Browns know their defense is vulnerable.

12. Meanwhile, the Browns’ passing game has become effective, efficient and at times explosive. They will have a full complement of receivers. Jarvis Landry (72 catches) has had a wonderful season as he played a few games with a broken rib and missed a game on the COVID-19 contact tracing list.

13. Donovan Peoples-Jones is back from his concussion. Remember the discussion of the Browns needing a deep threat receiver with speed, especially after Odell Beckham Jr. fell for the season with a knee injury early in Game 7? Peoples-Jones isn’t Beckham, but he’s averaging 21.7 yards per catch. He has 14 receptions.

14. With Beckham out, Landry is the main receiver. But this is an equal opportunity offense. Rashard Higgins, KhaDarel Hodge and Peoples-Jones have all had big games. Hunt and now Chubb have emerged as pass-catch threats out of the backfield.

15. We’ve been saying it all year: It always looks like the Browns can pull more from tight ends Austin Hooper, Harrison Bryant and David Njoku. But I just added: they combined for 90 catches and 9 touchdowns in the regular season. Hooper was targeted 11 times (catching seven) in the playoff win over Pittsburgh.

16. In the Pittsburgh playoff game, Callie Brownson replaced tight ends coach Drew Petzing (COVID-19). She did so earlier in the season in the Jacksonville game. His main job is Stefanski’s chief of staff. The Browns believe she can become a full-time coach over the next few years. His organizational and communication skills are two of the reasons.

17. When offensive line coach Bill Callahan and assistant Scott Peters both landed on the COVID-19 roster, it was Ryan Cordell who took over those duties in the Pittsburgh game. His official title is “assistant coach”. In 2019, he was a “Football Research Analyst” for the Browns. Prior to that he worked in football operations for the 49ers. He’s the new breed of assistant with a varied background, not just as a former player. He is greatly appreciated.

18. I mentioned the two young assistants in the Steelers playoff game because the Browns worked so well with Stefanski and four assistants on the COVID-19 roster. Mike Priefer was interim head coach with Alex Van Pelt calling the plays. They were wonderful. You didn’t see any confusion with bad players on the field or any issues relaying the games to Mayfield. The assistants played a big part in this work.

19. I haven’t written much on the defense against Kansas City. You know why. It will probably be a long game for them. They have to force a few turnovers. But the story of this game is that the Browns have to score at least 40 points to win.

20. Prediction: After picking the Browns to lose 33-24 to Pittsburgh last week, one reader insisted that I write a faithless “act of contrition” in the Browns, which I did.

Then I promised to pick the Browns this week. This led to an avalanche of emails begging me to pick the chefs. If I choose the Browns, I jinx them. What to do? My head says: Chiefs 45, Browns 38. My heart says: Browns 45, Chiefs 38. You choose the one you like best!

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New Browns Masks for Sale: Here’s where you can buy Cleveland Browns-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection for adults and youth, including a single mask ($ 14.99) and a 3-pack ( $ 24.99). All NFL profits have been donated to the CDC Foundation.