Chiefs Are Traditionally Tough at Arrowhead in December

Dating back to ‘95, Kansas City is 21-8 (.724) at home during December. The Chiefs have never lost a home game to the Browns played after November 1st, going 4-0-1 in such games. Cleveland’s most recent December visit to Arrowhead resulted in a 39-14 Chiefs victory (12/12/76), a game that also marked the last time the Browns were KC’s opponent for a home finale. Dating back to 2004, the Browns are 2-11 (.154) in December road games. Cleveland’s last win in such a circumstance was a 24-18 victory at the N.Y. Jets (12/9/07). Over that same span, the Browns are 3-7 (.300) vs. AFC West opponents with two of those wins coming vs. Oakland.

The Chiefs are 26-13 (.667) against head coaches making their regular season debuts at Arrowhead since ‘94. Eric Mangini will make his Arrowhead debut as an NFL head coach on Sunday. Mangini went 2-0 vs. KC as head coach of the N.Y. Jets, but both of those contests were at the Meadowlands. Dating back to 2000, the Chiefs are 7-2 in regular season home finales. Cleveland has lost nine of its last 10 road contests.

Chiefs-Browns Scoring Stats
Since the start of the ‘89 campaign, the Chiefs are a perfect 43-0 at Arrowhead when holding opponents to 10 points or less. The last time KC accomplished that feat was a 13-10 win vs. Minnesota (9/23/07). Cleveland has been held to 10 points or less in seven games this season, including six of the club’s 11 losses. No team has been held to 10 points or less more frequently than the Browns this season. However, the Browns have allowed a combined nine points and no TDs in their two victories in 2009. The Chiefs allowed 16 points vs. Buffalo (12/13), marking the fourth time this season that the club has permitted 17 points or less.

Dating back to ‘95, Kansas City is 56-12 (.824) at Arrowhead when holding opponents to 21 points or less. Cleveland has been held under the 21-point plateau in 11 of its 13 contests. The Browns and Lions have allowed 30 points or more in an NFL-high six contests this season. The Chiefs are seeking to top the 30-point barrier for the first time since posting 31 points vs. Miami (12/21/08).

In 2009, only St. Louis (-215), Detroit (-197), Tampa Bay (-166) and Oakland (-161) have bigger scoring deficits than Cleveland (-157) and KC (-136). Only St. Louis (146) and Oakland (155) have scored fewer points this season than Cleveland (158). The Chiefs have led at halftime in two of their three victories in 2009. Dating back to 2008, the Browns are 1-15 (.063) when trailing at halftime, including a string of 13 consecutive losses. The Browns have led by a combined 16-3 margin after two quarters in their two victories in 2009, but has still been outscored by a 161 to 86 margin in the first half of games this season.

Cleveland’s Longest Road Victory Droughts Includes KC
Cleveland hasn’t registered a road win in Kansas City since producing a 6-3 victory on Opening Day in ‘88, a span of 21 seasons. The only AFC road venue where the Browns have gone longer without a win is Miami. The Browns last win at Miami was a 28-0 victory at the Orange Bowl (10/25/70). It’s been 40 years since the Browns won in Chicago, the club’s longest drought against any franchise without registering a road victory. Here is a look . . .

QB Matt Cassel’s Numbers in the Fourth Quarter, Red Zone
Chiefs QB Matt Cassel will make his first career start against the Browns. Cassel owns a 5-1 record as a starter when he posts a rating of 100.0 or better (min. 20 atts.), including a 27-24 OT win vs. Pittsburgh (11/22) when he threw for 248 yards with two TDs, compiling a season-high 100.4 rating. Cassel has been especially sharp in the Red Zone, completing 27 of 49 passes for 164 yards with 10 TDs and no INTs, good for a stellar 101.5 Red Zone passer rating.

Cassel and Cowboys QB Tony Romo are tied with an NFL-high eight fourthquarter TDs. Thanks to Cassel, the Chiefs have registered 84 fourth-quarter points, a figure that ranks 11th in the league. KC has scored 40.8% (84 of 206) of its points in the final period. Cleveland has lost 11 consecutive games when allowing an opposing QB to post a 100.0+ QB rating (min. 20 atts.). No club has a lower composite passer rating than Cleveland (56.3), but like Cassel, Browns QB Brady Quinn does have solid Red Zone passing numbers with five TDs, no INTs and a 100.6 rating.

Dating back to ‘95, KC is 34-4 (.895) when forcing two or more INTs at Arrowhead. The Browns have lost 19 consecutive games when throwing two or more INTs dating back to a 20-12 loss at Carolina (10/8/06) with 14 of those losses coming on the road. Cleveland hasn’t thrown two or more TDs in a road victory since registering a 24-18 victory at the N.Y. Jets (12/9/07). Cleveland’s defense registered 8.0 sacks in a 13-6 win vs. Pittsburgh (12/10).

Chiefs-Browns Turnover Notes
The Chiefs are a combined +3 (7 takes/4 gives) in their three victories this season, going +2 in two of those three contests. Cleveland is +2 (3 takes/1 give) in its two wins. Kansas City registered a season-high three takeaways in a 27-24 OT victory vs. Pittsburgh (11/22). The Chiefs defense has forced 10 takeaways (6 FRs, 4 INTs) in KC’s last four games after registering 11 takeaways in the club’s first nine contests. Unfortunately, after committing just eight turnovers in the season’s first nine games, KC’s offense has turned the ball over 12 times in the last four games.

Ball security typically translates to success. Six of the eight teams currently leading their divisions have a turnover differential of +3 or better. The only exceptions are Cincinnati (+1) and Arizona (-3) prior to MNF. The 11 teams with a turnover ratio of +3 or better own a combined record of 100-43 (.700).

The Browns are currently last in the NFL with a -12 (14 takes/26 gives) turnover differential. Only St. Louis (107) and Carolina (101) have given up more points off turnovers than Cleveland (94). The Browns are 16-8 (.667) with a positive turnover margin dating back to 2006, but are 4-33 (.108) when even or negative over the same span. Cleveland has lost 16 consecutive road games when even or negative in the turnover column. The Browns have been positive twice this season, going +2 in a 6-3 win at Buffalo (10/11) and +2 in a 38-37 loss at Detroit (11/22). The Browns have forced a league-low 14 turnovers and are last in the NFL with 16 points off takeaways.

RB Jamaal Charles Has Given KC’s Offense a Boost
Over the past five games, RB Jamaal Charles has averaged 182.2 combined net yards per game (rushing, receiving and returns) and has produced six TDs, including a 97-yard KO return TD vs. Pittsburgh (11/22) and a 76-yard TD vs. Buffalo (12/13). Charles owns at least one TD in five consecutive contests. In the season’s first eight games, KC averaged 3.6 yards per carry and didn’t register a rushing TD. In the last five games, KC has averaged 4.3 yards per carry and has four rushing TDs. Charles has 16 runs of 10 yards or more this season. Charles registered a career-high 143 rushing yards vs. Buffalo (12/13).

Cleveland is tied for 28th in both rushing defense (148.1 ypg) and runs of 10+ yards allowed (52). Cleveland has lost six consecutive games when it permits an individual 100-yard rusher. The Browns have combined for 78 carries and 342 rushing yards in their two wins, meaning 25.1% of the club’s rushing yards have come in wins at Buffalo (10/11) and vs. Pittsburgh (12/10).

Dating back to ‘90, the Chiefs are 82-10 (.891) at Arrowhead when running the ball 30 times or more. Only three teams have allowed opponents to average more carries per game than Cleveland (33.3) and KC (32.6). Since the start of the 2006 campaign, the Browns are 5-31 (.139) when permitting 30 carries or more. Cleveland has allowed 30 or more carries in all but three games this season, including 22 rushes for 75 yards in a 13-6 win vs. Pittsburgh (12/10).

Roster Notes on Kansas City and Cleveland
The Chiefs (4) and Browns (3) currently have seven players with 11 combined Pro Bowl berths on their rosters. Four-time Pro Bowl G Brian Waters is the only member of that group that has appeared in the NFL’s All-Star Game as a member of the Chiefs. Indianapolis (13-0) has nine players with a combined 25 Pro Bowl berths and is currently the AFC’s only undefeated team.

Kansas City Will Be Tested By Cleveland WR Joshua Cribbs
The Chiefs rank seventh in punt coverage (6.9 avg.) and 13th in kickoff coverage (22.2 avg.). KC will be tested by Cleveland WR Joshua Cribbs, who accounted for 200 combined net yards in a 13-6 win vs. Pittsburgh (12/10), including a career-high 87 rushing yards. Cribbs owns 11 career TDs (6 kickoff returns, 2 punt returns, 2 receiving and 1 rushing). No team has forced more punts that were downed, fair caught, out of bounds or returned for no gain or a loss than Kansas City (65).

Final Statistical Salvos on the Chiefs-Browns Matchup
KC’s defense ranks seventh in the NFL, forcing three and outs on 26.2% (43 of 164) of opponents’ drives … The Chiefs defense is 12th in the NFL on third down at 36.7% (66 of 180) after finishing the 2008 campaign tied for 31st in that department at 47.4% (100 of 211) ... KC has 19.0 sacks in 2009 after registering 10.0 in 16 games a year ago … The Chiefs permitted just 73 net passing yards vs. Buffalo (12/13) ... KC is 2-4 in games decided by seven points or less, while Cleveland is 2-3 … The Browns have a league-low 26 offensive plays of 20+ yards … Prior to MNF, only Oakland (173) and San Francisco (178) had fewer first downs than Cleveland (183), while no team had permitted more first downs than Cleveland (277). Cleveland ranks 32nd in the NFL, allowing opponents to convert 34.5% of their second down opportunities for first downs … The Browns have permitted a league-high 31 drives of 10 plays or more.