Chiefs Beat Browns, Mahomes Hurt
The thirteenth win of the 2024 NFL season for the Kansas City Chiefs may have come at a cost.
Patrick Mahomes limped off the field after a failed third down midway through the fourth quarter of the Chiefs’ 21-7 win over the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland, and did not return with a right ankle injury. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid referred to Mahomes as ‘literally day-to-day’ after the game, though both Reid and Mahomes said that the quarterback likely would have come back into the game had it been closer.
The reason it wasn’t was due to a ravenous defensive performance from the Chiefs, who forced six Browns turnovers on the afternoon. It was a welcome sight for a defense that had only forced ten turnovers in the first 13 games of the season. Chris Rowland-Wallace and Leo Chenal each forced fumbles, and the Chiefs intercepted four passes, with Bryan Cook, Nick Bolton, Trent McDuffie and Jaden Hicks each picking off Browns quarterbacks. McDuffie and Hicks each recorded their first interception in their careers.
Kansas City scored 14 points off of those turnovers, and started early. After the Chiefs went three-and-out on their opening drive, Rowland-Wallace knocked the ball away from Browns punt returner James Proche and Samaje Perine recovered at the Browns 21 yard line. Three plays later, Juju Smith-Schuster took a short pass from Mahomes and ran seven yards for a touchdown to stake the Chiefs to a 7-0 lead.
The Chiefs doubled their advantage in the second quarter with a 14-play, 87-yard touchdown drive. Mahomes connected with Noah Gray for a six-yard touchdown pass to give the Chiefs the 14-0 advantage. Kansas City would have a scoring chance in the final minute of the first half, but Harrison Butker, in his return from injured reserve after knee surgery, missed a 29-yard field goal.
Bolton’s interception came on the first play of the second half and set up the Chiefs at the Cleveland 34 yard line. They would take advantage of the short field, with Xavier Worthy’s 21-yard touchdown run making it 21-0 Chiefs. Jerome Ford raced for a 62-yard touchdown run to put the Browns on the board late in the third quarter and account for the final score
The Chiefs go to 13-1 with the win and are one win and one Bills loss away from wrapping up the number one seed in the AFC. They play Houston on Saturday, but it’s an open question as to who will be under center when they do.