Kansas City Chiefs return crucial players to practice, prepare for Week 15 against Cleveland Browns
By Calvin Silvers
The Kansas City Chiefs clinched the AFC West for the ninth consecutive season on Sunday, sweeping the season series with the Los Angeles Chargers yet again, winning 19-17, thanks to a Matthew Wright bank-shot field goal as time expired.
However, the road ahead remains challenging, with Kansas City facing three games in just 11 days. On the bright side, key players are returning to practice, including kicker Harrison Butker, who could see action this weekend, and wide receiver Hollywood Brown, awaiting medical clearance.
After two straight home victories for the Chiefs, they will pack their bags for Week 15, heading over to Cleveland, Ohio, to take on the Browns. While Cleveland sits dead last in the AFC North, they have shown flashes of brilliance throughout the season, and one name could potentially cause some major disruption in defensive end, Myles Garrett.
“He’s pretty much good at everything, so just find ways to get the ball out of my hands whenever he’s rushing,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “Then whenever we need to take shots down the field, just having extra ways to manipulate his pass rush.”
The Chiefs’ offensive line has been a major topic of discussion since their Week 10 matchup against the Denver Broncos. What started the season as a clear strength has faced increased scrutiny, particularly in pass protection at the left tackle position.
While the line’s performance has been inconsistent, Mahomes himself acknowledged that he could do more to support his linemen.
“I have to continue to work on my feet and find that soft spot in the pocket because I think there are multiple times a game where the offensive line is holding up and I’m not trusting my foot worked in order to go to my reads and make plays happen,” Mahomes said.
When looking at the Chiefs’ defense, they have emerged as one of the league’s most reliable units this season, allowing just 19.4 points per game, good for seventh in the NFL. Only six teams have managed to score more than 20 points against them, and their sole 30-point concession came in Week 11 against the high-powered Buffalo Bills.
“Coach Spags was real big this last week on one series at a time,” linebacker Nick Bolton said. “I think the group is getting better, certainly on the incline. Those are small things to clean up like penalties and stuff like that.”
All three sides of the ball must lock in with these final few weeks of the season, as the Chiefs will be one of four NFL teams embarking Sunday on a stretch of schedule that will have them playing three games in 11 days.
The team will play the Browns on Sunday, followed by a Saturday game against the Houston Texans and then a Wednesday game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on a quest for three straight Super Bowls.
“All you can do is focus on the game and the practice that you had that day,” Mahomes said. “I tried to prepare my body all year long for this stretch. That’s tailoring my workouts and the coaches do a great job of taking care of us on the practice field.”
