Chiefs-Browns Week 15: Is Jameis Winston the answer in Cleveland?

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs Face it Cleveland Browns. We welcome Chris Pokorny from Dawgs by nature – our SBNation sister site that covers the Browns – for Five questions for the enemy.

1) The Browns got the full Jameis Winston package: big plays and breathtaking turnovers. What’s the attitude in Cleveland? Is it inevitable that he opens 2025 as the starting quarterback?

I did a poll two weeks ago asking if fans wanted Jameis Winston back, and about 75% of them said they would be in favor of him returning as a starter in 2025. He scored over 30 Scores and over 300 yards passing. However, we also saw Joe Flacco make a splash last year and that front office didn’t even offer him a contract for another season. Therefore, it is difficult to project what they have in mind. It’s clear Deshaun Watson doesn’t have it in him, but will the team decide to give it another shot considering how much they’re paying him? Or will they try to make a play for another quarterback on the market? Kevin Stefanski has had success with every quarterback that has played for him except Watson. Even PJ Walker – who sucked – was 2-1 as the starter in Stefanski’s offense last year (even though Ken Dorsey is now the offensive coordinator). I don’t think it’s inevitable that Winston is the Opening Day starter in 2025, but we as fans wouldn’t mind. We definitely don’t want it to be Watson.

2) The Chiefs were particularly vulnerable to tight ends. If his hamstring injury keeps David Njoku off the field, how dangerous can the Browns’ other tight ends be?

It doesn’t look like Njoku will be able to play this Sunday. Behind him on the depth chart are Jordan Akins and Blake Whiteheart, who I would describe as average backup tight ends. Akins is good for a solid sporting catch every few weeks, and Whiteheart has made one or two nice catches in limited action. However, since Jameis Winston took over as the starter, the wide receivers have been the focus of the offense. It’s possible you’ll see a 4-catch, 50-yard game from Akins, but I wouldn’t expect it to be the type of performance that breaks the Chiefs’ back.

3) Chiefs fans are (rightfully) afraid of what Myles Garrett might do in this game. How do you think the rest of the defense performs against the Chiefs?

The Browns defense has been very frustrating this season, especially in the secondary. What you’ll see is the defense being dominant for certain portions of the game – and then, all of a sudden, breaking down, with a big mistake, broken coverage, etc. in the secondary. While cornerback Greg Newsome wasn’t the best, he went on IR this week, meaning we’ll likely see backup Cameron Mitchell as the third cornerback to get some reps. Given the Browns’ many miscommunications – and Patrick Mahomes’ ability to extend plays – I would be concerned as a Browns fan. A few weeks ago, Bo Nix escaped the pocket but then made some bad decisions or bad throws when he had guys pretty wide open. Mahomes won’t miss these guys.

4) What direction do you think the Browns are realistically heading this offseason? At the same time, they seem incapable of either going all-in with this group or blowing it up entirely.

It’s an awkward situation. The only positive we see is that we can finally start adding talent through the draft again since we haven’t had a first-round pick in the last three years. That can improve a position, and if the quarterback situation had been different then, I think the narrative for the 2024 Browns could be very different. However, there are other questions too. Nick Chubb’s return was a feel-good story, but so far he’s looking rather boring. Will he be one of the best defenders in the league again next year? How will the defense get back to the top of the league? (Personally, I think that’s the fault of the defensive coordinator for not getting used to teams that understand him.) There’s a lot of talent on this team to compete with, so I think small changes (with the exception of quarterback) are the right approach for next year.

5) The Chiefs are currently a -4.5 away favorite. Do you think this line is fair? How do you see the outcome?

Even though the Chiefs have only won games by 2-3 points, I think the record is definitely fair. The Browns are 3-10 and the Chiefs are 12-1; Given the records alone, it’s not easy to just think, “Sure, I’ll assume the Browns only lose by a field goal” — especially when the Chiefs’ defense is solid and Winston throws interceptions late in games. This is something that can instantly turn a 4-point game into an 11-point game. I expect the Chiefs to win by about 6 or 7 points this week.

Be sure to check out the answers I provided to their questions by clicking Here.