5 reasons 2021 Cleveland Browns will shock Chiefs in Week 1

So, you want to know what the 2021 Cleveland Browns are made of?

The NFL didn’t waste anytime in delivering an answer to that question, but ordering up a Week 1 matchup pitting Cleveland against the defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Expectations are as high as they’ve been, and things feel different this time around. We were all making Super Bowl plans in 2019, only to realize the Browns were nothing more than a paper tiger.

This squad is different, though. They’ve accomplished something. They didn’t get to the Super Bowl, but Baker Mayfield and company took major strides in changing the narrative on the Browns long, dreadful history from the past 20 years.

Accomplishments such as making the playoffs and winning a playoff game may be something some teams take for granted. But for the Browns, it’s how you turn away from what’s perceived as a losing culture plaguing the franchise.

Now, the team has to build off its victories from 2020 and Week 1 won’t be easy. A loss to the Chiefs won’t submarine the seasons, but a victory in Week 1 (something the Browns haven’t done since 2004) will go a long way in setting the tone for what should be an exciting year.

The Browns are 6.5 underdogs, according to Wynnbet, but here’s five reasons Cleveland can shock the world and beat the Chiefs.