The Chiefs’ coverage is preparing for a high-volume passing attack in Cleveland.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense is working on improvement in pass coverage. The unit will get plenty of repetitions against the Cleveland Browns: the Browns lead the NFL in pass attempts (512) this season, dropping back on a league-high 65% of offensive snaps.

This season, Browns’ quarterback Jameis Winston averages 9.4 air yards per pass attempt, the second-highest rate among qualified passers. He has started the last six games, featuring wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to the tune of 678 receiving yards in that stretch; only Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had more yards among NFL receivers since Week 8.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo highlighted the duo in his initial preparation with the team for Cleveland.

“They can be explosive, can’t they? [Winston] and [Jeudy],” Spagnuolo remarked to reporters during a press conference on Thursday. “That was the focus the very first day we started working on Cleveland, which was Tuesday… let’s see if we can’t find a way to eliminate those [plays].”

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Whether or not it’s Jeudy on the receiving end, Winston has been producing through the air. Chiefs’ linebacker Nick Bolton knows the former number-one overall pick can pick apart a defense if allowed.

“He’s a quarterback who can sling the ball around,” Bolton told reporters during his press conference on Wednesday. “He has been doing it for a long time. I think he’s doing a great job of keeping his feet alive in the pocket, moving around and giving his receivers chances to get open, then find the open guy.”

Winston has averaged over 315 passing yards per game since taking over as the starter.

“He’s an equal-opportunity guy,” Bolton pointed out later. “The tight ends, the running backs, the wide receivers, [Jeudy] is having a hell of a last five, six games. So he’s spreading the ball around.”

The Chiefs’ defense will naturally need to defend tight end David Njoku, who is playing a position that has given Kansas City consistent trouble. Wide receiver Elijah Moore is also a dynamic threat; he is two weeks removed from totaling 111 yards over eight receptions in one game.

Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt acknowledges the challenge ahead for his unit. During his press conference on Thursday, he detailed the skills of the Browns’ receivers.

“Jeudy [is] explosive off the line of scrimmage. Moore is the same way,” Merritt began. “These guys have long-ball, deep-ball ability to run past defenders. That is the main thing you see, and their quickness of the line of scrimmage, being able to run in-breaking routes.”

Their ability to get down the field and get down quickly is what we’ve seen on film, and you have to stop that somehow and get your hands on them.”

It will be a voluminous test for the Chiefs’ pass coverage, a team actively looking for ways to improve on defending explosive pass plays.

Every position in Kansas City’s back end will need to be alert for the long-developing routes, especially cornerbacks. Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams and the rest of the position will have their hands full in Cleveland.