The Browns fell 21-7 to the Chiefs in Week 15 at Huntington Bank Field.
Turnovers plagued the Browns throughout in the game, as mistakes on offense and special teams put the Chiefs in advantageous field positions. QB Jameis Winston threw three interceptions and WR James Proche II and RB Nick Chubb each fumbled before the 12-minute mark of the third quarter.
The Browns fall to 3-11 on the season, and will travel to play the Bengals in Cincinnati in Week 16.
Key Moments
Early mistakes prove too much to overcome
By the time the Browns reached 100 total net yards of offense, they were down 21-0 with 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Turnovers on offense were a big reason behind the Browns falling behind on the scoreboard.
After the Browns defense forced a three-and-out on the Chiefs' opening possession of the game, Proche fumbled the ensuing punt return, setting the Chiefs up for a three-play touchdown drive.
Two drives later, Winston led the Browns to the Kansas City 36-yard line on a nine-play, 44-yard drive but threw a deep shot to the end zone, which S Bryan Cook intercepted for the Browns' first turnover of the day.
The Browns were gifted a bit of momentum at the half, as Chiefs K Harrison Butker missed a 29-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter, but the momentum soon faded. On the first play of the second half, Winston threw a short pass to Chubb, who was unable to secure the catch. The ball ended up in the arms of LB Nick Bolton for Winston's second interception of the day and the Chiefs went on another scoring drive.
Needing an answer as they faced a 21-0 deficit, the Browns offense took over at the Cleveland 33-yard line. On the first play of the drive, LB Leo Chenal punched the ball out of Chubb's arms and the Chiefs got the ball right back.
After finally getting in the end zone, the Browns had a chance to make it a one score game in the fourth quarter. Winston rolled out of the pocket on first down at the Kansas City 29-yard line and unleashed a deep ball intended for WR Michael Woods II, which was well short of the target and fell into the hands of CB Trent McDuffie.
QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson came in for Winston after his third interception of the day but threw an interception of his own for the Browns' sixth turnover of the day.
Jerome Ford provides a spark in the second half
After failing to find the end zone in the first half, RB Jerome Ford ran for a 62-yard touchdown to put the Browns on the scoreboard. Ford took the handoff, bounced to the right and showed his game-breaking speed, taking off for the score.
Ford, who took lead running back duties after Chubb left in the third quarter with a foot injury, averaged over 11.5 yards per touch, finishing with 104 total yards and the touchdown.
Ford was one of the few bright spots for a Browns offense that struggled to move the ball throughout the game.
WR Jerry Jeudy was another, finishing with a team-high 108 receiving yards on 11 receptions. Jeudy surpassed 4,000 career receiving yards and 1,000 yards in a single season for the first time in his five-year career.
Browns defense struggles to bring down Mahomes
The Browns pass rush struggled to pressure Mahomes as they failed to sack the quarterback. DE Myles Garrett finished with three quarterback hits and a tackle for loss, but struggled to overcome the double-team blocks the Chiefs were sending his way.
Early in the second quarter, Garrett batted at a pass from Mahomes at the line of scrimmage, nearly coming up with an interception.
While the Browns allowed 21 points, field position played a major role in two of the Chiefs' three touchdown drives.
Their first touchdown drive started at the Cleveland 21-yard line after Proche's fumble. Their third came after Winston's first interception of the day, setting the Chiefs up at the 34-yard line.
Outside of the three scoring drives, the Browns held the Chiefs to four punts and a missed field goal in the first half. On their final six possessions of the game, the Chiefs punted five times and turned the ball over on downs once, but the Browns offense was never able to take advantage.
Key Stats and Facts
- Jeudy surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in a single season for the first time, finishing the game with 108 yards. He also surpassed 4,000 career receiving yards.
- Ford's 62-yard rushing touchdown was the second-longest of his career. Ford took off for a 69-yard touchdown run in Week 7 of the 2023 season against the Colts.
Game Highlights
Jeudy surpassed 1,000 career receiving yards in the loss to the Chiefs.
Ford showed off his speed in his 62-yard spring to the end zone in the third quarter.
Scoring Plays
12:12 1Q | CLE 0 KAN 7 | Patrick Mahomes pass short left to JuJu Smith-Schuster for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
4:46 2Q | CLE 0 KAN 14 | Patrick Mahomes pass short middle to Noah Gray for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
12:59 3Q | CLE 0 KAN 21 | Xavier Worthy run left end for 21 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
3:16 3Q | CLE 7 KAN 21 | Jerome Ford run right for 62 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
What it means
The Browns fall to 3-11 on the season and are last in the AFC North.
What's next?
The Browns will travel to Cincinnati in Week 16, where they will take on the Bengals at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22.
