PERSONNEL NEWS

Strategy And Personnel

The Sports Xchange

November 01, 2018 at 1:38 am.

PLAYER NOTES

–WR Tyreek Hill practiced with the team Wednesday after suffering a groin injury on Sunday against Denver. The injury does not expect to keep Hill out of this week’s game against Cleveland.

–LB Justin Houston (hamstring) was scheduled to return to practice on Wednesday, but the team scrubbed him at the last minute. He appears unlikely to return this week, which makes the fourth-straight game he’s missed

–LB Anthony Hitchens did not suffer any broken ribs, according to head coach Andy Reid. He sat out practice on Wednesday, but the team plans to evaluate his status daily. He looks unlikely to play against Cleveland.

–C Mitch Morse remains in the league’s concussion protocol and will likely miss his third-straight start. Austin Reiter expects to start a second game in his place.

–LB Frank Zombo did not practice with a strained hamstring, an injury which could keep him sidelined for an extended period. His absence along with Justin Houston’s injury likely means playing time for newcomer Nate Orchard, who has not played since his arrival with the team on Oct. 10.

–S Eric Berry (heel) has not practiced with the club since Aug. 11 and appears likely to miss his ninth game of the season against Cleveland on Sunday.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: CB Tremon Smith. The sixth-round draft pick from Central Arkansas stepped in as the team’s primary kickoff returner when WR De’Anthony Thomas went down with a broken leg. He ranks 10th in the league with 285 yards on just eight kickoff returns, and his 35.6-yard average IS second in the league among players averaging at least one return per game. His 97-yardER against New England ranks as the second-longest in the league this season.

GAME PLAN: Chiefs head coach Andy Reid stated his team’s offensive mission plainly with the Browns shuffling their coaching staff this week: Stick to the process. The Chiefs do what they do, winning games by scoring points early and not letting up until the game is put away for good. Expect the Chiefs to run a more balanced attack this week, leaning on running back Kareem Hunt and working the ball to Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins. Opposing crowds haven’t bothered quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who average 310 passing yards in four road games with 15 touchdown passes and just two interceptions.

Defensively the Chiefs expect to force the Browns to become one dimensional and force quarterback Baker Mayfield to beat them. Mayfield averages more than three sacks with an interception per game, so the Chiefs believe they can bring pressure off the edge with Dee Ford, who comes off a three-sack game last week against Denver. The Chiefs must avoid defensive lapses in the deep secondary last week that helped the Broncos stay close a week ago.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH

–Browns DE Myles Garrett vs. Chiefs LT Eric Fisher. Fisher is quietly experiencing a solid season on the end of the line for the Chiefs, but he faces one of his biggest tests of the season this week against Garrett, who is tied for second in the league with eight sacks. The Chiefs need a strong outing from Fisher facing an aggressive Browns defensive line in establishing both the run and the pass.

–Chiefs CB Kendall Fuller vs. Browns WR Jarvis Landry. It’s strength-vs.-strength with Fuller on Landry, one of the league’s highest ranked slot corners against perhaps the top slot receiver. If Fuller can shut down Landry, the Chiefs defense should have an easy day against the Browns.