Sadly, Week 1 didn’t go as planned for the Cleveland Browns.
It was a hard fought game, but the Kansas City Chiefs came away with the victory.
The Browns shouldn’t be too upset with themselves, but the Chiefs are the team to beat in the AFC.
We saw that the Browns are capable of beating the Chiefs, but there is still work to do.
They will get a chance to rebound against the Houston Texans in Week 2.
Here are 3 keys to a victory over the Texans.
1. Limiting The Turnovers
Luckily, Cleveland didn’t make too many mistakes in their loss to the Chiefs.
Although, they lost a fumble and threw a crucial interception late in the game.
Those are things that cannot happen if you want to beat elite teams like Kansas City.
The good news is, quarterback Baker Mayfield looked strong outside of his fourth-quarter interception.
He completed 21-of-28 passing attempts for over 300 yards, so the deep ball was working.
https://twitter.com/Bamasportz/status/1437678669443567620
It should get easier for Cleveland against the Texans defense in Week 2.
A defense that allowed over 300 passing yards to a rookie quarterback making his NFL debut.
Although, a few turnovers can make the difference in a game even against weaker rosters.
The Browns need to limit their mistakes if they want to secure a win versus Houston.
2. Stop The Pass
It was a problem last season and it looks like it’ll be an issue once again.
The Browns have struggled to contain the passing game and it hurt them in Week 1.
In fact, Kansas City had 337 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air.
To be fair, Patrick Mahomes is a superstar and one of the best passers in the league today.
It’s never an easy task stopping Mahomes and he exploited the Browns’ weakness on Sunday.
THIS THROW. @PatrickMahomes
📺: #CLEvsKC on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/cSyiVOKwBX— NFL (@NFL) September 12, 2021
Luckily, the Browns will get an easier matchup versus veteran Tyrod Taylor in Week 2.
It’s worth noting Taylor threw for nearly 300 yards in the season opener.
Although, it was against the Jacksonville Jaguars secondary, which is well below average.
The running game wasn’t working for Houston, so they could be forced to pass often once again.
Last week, starting running back Mark Ingram averaged 3.3 yards per carry on 26 attempts for Houston.
The Texans know they won’t be able to run effectively against Cleveland, so the secondary needs to step up and help them.
3. Get Some Pressure
Over the offseason, the Browns added former Pro Bowl pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney to their roster.
The hope is that Clowney could be an impact player alongside Myles Garrett.
Sadly, neither of them were able to make much of an impact in the opener.
To be fair, Garrett had three tackles and one sack, but Cleveland finished the game with two total sacks.
Advantage, Myles Garrett.pic.twitter.com/rLY6I1RxyO
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 12, 2021
They gave Mahomes too much time in the pocket and he carved them up as a result.
Luckily, Taylor is not someone who throws deep often and isn’t anywhere near the caliber of Mahomes.
Regardless, the Browns can’t sit back and hope the secondary improves.
They need to get pressure on Taylor and force him to make mistakes or throw short passes.
The Browns bulked up their defensive line, so hopefully they can make a bigger impact in Week 2.
NEXT: Browns Vs. Chiefs Week 1 Game Draws Huge TV Ratings
