Travis Kelce is poised for another big performance against his hometown Browns

Sunday will be career game number 195 for Travis Kelce, including playoffs. But for the Cleveland Heights, Ohio product, this week will be just the second time in his career that he will play in his hometown of Cleveland.

Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs are looking to turn things up just a notch offensively, but if history has told us anything about this tight end, he and his offense have generally lit up when getting a chance to take on the Browns.

Even though Travis Kelce's production has not been at the level we have been accustomed to, he is still one of Patrick Mahomes's top security blankets. That much was evident near the end of last week's victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Can Mahomes and Kelce turn in a possible vintage performance this week against the Browns in Cleveland?

What kind of performances has Travis Kelce had against the Browns? Plus, what item may be an important factor for the tight end and the receiving game at this point in the season for Kansas City?

Kelce Has Historically Bounced The Browns

Travis Kelce has had four career outings against his hometown team so far. Three of those meetings came in the regular season, and Kelce amassed at least six receptions in all three of those contests. More impressively, the tight end tallied a combined five touchdown catches in that trio of games. That includes two in which he had two touchdowns for a single game.

But overall, Kelce's most productive game against Cleveland came in the playoffs. In the Divisional Round after the 2020 regular season, he ended up with eight receptions, 109 receiving yards, and a receiving touchdown. That reception and receiving yardage total were each the highest he has had against the Browns in a single game.

In his career, Kelce has combined for 27 receptions, 327 receiving yards, and 6 receiving touchdowns in four games against Cleveland. That is good enough for an average of 6.75 catches per game and 81.75 receiving yards per game when facing the Browns.

Homecoming Brings Back Fond Memories

As mentioned above, this Sunday will be just the second time in his NFL career where Travis Kelce has played in Cleveland. To say the first trip was a success for he and the Chiefs, it would be an understatement. Both of Kelce's touchdown grabs from that day were contested catches in the middle of the end zone. Moreover, that game saw Kansas City produce their highest scoring output (37 points) in any of the four games he has played against his hometown team.

Kareem Hunt, another Ohio native, played a major part in that Chiefs' victory. He was the team's leading rusher on that trip to Cleveland with 91 rushing yards. Hunt was able to find the end zone three times total in that contest, including his lone reception from that game going for a 50-yard score. While Hunt was Kansas City's leading rusher in that game, Kelce led the team in receiving yards that afternoon.

Ironically, they are back together on the Chiefs offense for this week's trip to Cleveland. Sunday will also not just be an Ohio homecoming for Hunt. It will be his first chance to face the Browns after playing with them from 2019-23.

Key Element For Sunday

While the Browns are only 3-10 entering Sunday's matchup, this Cleveland defense can still create frustrations for the opposing offense. And of course, the Chiefs would still like to find greater rhythm and consistency as a passing attack. There is one key element that sticks out for this week against the Browns' defense. Can Kansas City find yards after the catch?

This area has surprisingly been a strong part of the passing attack for Kansas City this year. The Chiefs rank third in the NFL in yards after the catch, via Pro Football Reference. Only Tampa Bay and Detroit have more yards after the catch this season. K.C. also ranks sixth in the league in yards after the catch per completion.

Why could this factor be so crucial for Travis Kelce and the Chiefs against the Browns? For one, Cleveland is a physical defensive unit, especially when playing in the middle of the field. There is also a sense of timing that Mahomes is still looking to find with even his top weapons. Given the lack of time, Mahomes has had throughout contests, hitting on quick completions with someone like Kelce could pay dividends in a matchup like this in Cleveland. If that happens, Kelce could have yet another dominant day against his hometown Browns.