The 2021 NFL regular season schedule reveal has football fans excited, including ESPN’s Mike Greenberg.
Greenberg predicts the Cleveland Browns will upset the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season during Wednesday’s edition of ESPN’s “Get Up.”
“I’m calling it right now. I’ve been saying over and over the Cleveland Browns are the biggest threat to Kansas City in the AFC,” Greenberg said. “I’m calling it right now. Cleveland goes to Kansas City and wins [in] Week 1. Give a huge Week 1 win to Baker [Mayfield] that’ll still matter in December.”
.@Espngreeny is already predicting a Browns' win over the Chiefs Week 1.@mspears96: "It is my belief that Patrick Mahomes will go scorched earth like LeBron did the year after he lost to the Golden State Warriors. … You may see a different animal from this football team."
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 12, 2021
“Get Up” panelist Marcus Spears said he believes the Chiefs will recoup after losing 31-9 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55.
“I’m bewildered. This is my belief that Patrick Mahomes will be scorched earth like LeBron [James] was the year after he lost to the Golden State Warriors,” Spears said. “I think that mentality is going to infiltrate the Kansas City Chiefs team.”
The Chiefs beat the Browns 22-17 on Jan. 19, 2021, in the AFC Divisional Round.
“From [Mahomes’] leadership and Andy Reid and those guys remembering what happened to them in the last game of the season, you may see a different animal from this football team. And to me, that is scary,” Spears said. “And to me, there is no team including the Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that is safe if Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are playing with that type of mindset and fully healthy.”
Greenberg countered with the defensive upgrades the Browns have made in the offseason.
“Do you want to hear who else is going to be a different animal? The Cleveland defense,” Greenberg said. “Not only did they add Jadeveon Clowney, they drafted Greg Newsome and then the most important name second round…they drafted Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who fell to them because of some medical concerns.
“That guy was a top 15 player in this draft and he is going to make people’s lives miserable.”
The Browns are also due to get back several key players that were injured for the playoff loss against the Chiefs, including wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., safety Grant Delpit and cornerback Greedy Williams.
Kansas City overhauled its offensive line this offseason, trading for offensive tackle Orlando Brown and signing guard Joe Thuney among other moves.
The Chiefs open as a 6-point favorite over the Browns when the two teams play at 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 12 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
CBS will broadcast the Browns-Chiefs game.
NEXT: Ranking The Browns' 3 Most Difficult Games On The 2021 schedule