Browns Defense struggles against KC
Matt Starkey
Browns errors lead to second-half collapse in Kansas City and another Game 1 loss
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
KANSAS CITY, MO
Instant takeaways from Browns 33-29 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs …
1. Anatomy of a collapse: The Browns extended their winless streak in opening games to 17 years when they blew a 22-10 halftime lead to the Chiefs and lost, 33-29. It was a thriller for everyone but Browns fans. After dominating the game, the Browns came apart in the third quarter when Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill forced a Nick Chubb fumble and in the fourth quarter when punter Jamie Gillan, on his first attempt of the game, fumbled a perfect long snap. Patrick Mahomes turned the special teams error into the Chiefs’ go-ahead touchown to tight end Travis Kelce. Baker Mayfield’s interception to Mike Hughes with 1:09 to play sealed it after Mayfield had played well enough to win. The Browns’ new-look defense had its moments, but fell victim to the same Kansas City play-makers. Kelce had two touchdowns and Tyreek Hill had 11 receptions for 197 yards and one touchdown.
2. Are you kidding me?: The Browns weren’t forced to punt until 8:42 left in the fourth quarter. And then, with Arrowhead Stadium roaring, Jamie Gillan dropped the perfect long snap. He picked up the ball and was ambushed at the Chiefs’ 15. Special teams? Three plays later, Mahomes hit Travis Kelce over the middle for the Chiefs’ first lead of the game, 33-29. Mahomes’ 2-point pass was incomplete.
3. Quick strike: The Browns should have broken the backs of the Chiefs with their third 75-yard TD drive to begin the fourth quarter. Kareem Hunt’s 2-yard TD run and Chase McLaughlin’s third PAT made it 29-20 in favor of the Browns. Stefanski didn’t sit on the ball, either. The big play was a perfect Mayfield strike to David Njoku, who raced behind L’Jarius Sneed, for 35 yards. Just relentless play-calling. But Mahomes responded with a one vintage play. On first down from the 25, he rolled right to buy time and found Tyreek Hill after safety John Johnson turned his head to the quarterback. Hill completed the 75-yard TD play and it was 29-27, Browns, with 10:10 to play. It was Hill’s 10th reception on 13 targets for 183 yards.
4. Here come da Chiefs: Kansas City closed a 22-10 halftime deficit to 22-20 in the third quarter. They did it with a touchdown to Kelce and a 43-yard field goal after the Chiefs forced a Nick Chubb fumble on a direct helmet to the ball by safety Juan Thornill. Holding the Chiefs to three points on the second possession was a win for the Browns’ defense. A Joe Jackson sack and Myles Garrett pressure after the Chiefs got inside the red zone forced the field goal. The Browns ran only four offensive plays in the third quarter.
5. Ain’t that fun?: Halftime gave everyone time to catch their breath. The Browns had touchdown drives of 75 yards, 75 and 81. The Chiefs had scoring drives of 71 (field goal) and 75.The Browns had 318 yards offense. Neither team punted until the Chiefs did with 1:45 left in the half. It was the first time the Browns forced a Chiefs punt in six quarters, counting the AFC playoff game. The half ended only after the Browns tried a hook-and-lateral play on fourth-and-31 from their 43-yard line. Mayfield hit Jarvis Landry with a quick pass, Landry lateraled to Mayfield trailing the play at full speed, and Mayfield lateraled to Kareem Hunt. Hunt was buried at the Chiefs’ 11-yard line to end the half.
6. Super aggressive: Despite showcasing a seven-minute ball-control drive on the Browns’ first possession, Stefanski was aggressive. He eschewed a 33-yard field goal try and converted a fourth-and-3 from the Chiefs’ 15, and then went for two points after Chubb’s first TD when a Chiefs’ offsides penalty moved the extra point try to the 1. Hunt vaulted over for the two. On the second possession, the Browns scored from the 5 on a fourth-and-1 jet sweep by Jarvis Landry, who broke a tackle at the 4 and twisted over the goal line. On the third possession, Stefanski called a throwback pass to Landry, who didn’t find anyone open and ran for 7 and a first down. That possession ended on Chubb’s second TD – an easy 19-yard jaunt to a wide open left edge on which he was untouched.
7. Don’t do this: Safety Ronnie Harrison was ejected with 4:59 left in the first quarter when he shoved Greg Lewis, a Chiefs assistant coach, after a catch by Clyde Edwards-Helaire in front of the Chiefs bench. Lewis actually shoved Harrison first to get him off Edwards-Helaire. The Chiefs initially were slapped with a bench unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but after Reid protested and replays showed Harrison’s retaliation, he was ejected. The Browns replaced him with M.J. Stewart and not rookie Richard LeCounte.
8. Gosh, darn: Jedrick Wills limped off the field with a left ankle injury after Landry’s 5-yard TD run with 13:28 to go in the second quarter. Wills suffered a high ankle sprain on the first play of the AFC playoff game here last year. Wills was replaced by Chris Hubbard.
9. Take a bow: Two Browns rookies had quite auspicious NFL debuts. Defensive tackle Malik McDowell started and made a tackle for loss of 2 yards on his very first play after four-plus years out of football. McDowell also had a tip of a Mahomes pass at the line of scrimmage. Receiver Anthony Schwartz was on the field on the Browns’ second offensive play. He had a 16-yard reception on the seventh play. Schwartz also broke wide open behind the Chiefs secondary and managed to come down with a Mayfield pass after juggling it and falling to the ground for a 44-yard gain. Schwartz also had a 17-yard run on a reverse after receiving a pitch from Chubb.
10. NO-BJ: Turns out Stefanski was not being coy when he persistently declined to commit to Odell Beckham Jr.’s game-day status for the past seven weeks, particularly the past 48 hours. The flamboyant receiver was made inactive after working out in pre-game warmups. So the drama of his return after ACL surgery on Nov. 10 will continue for at least another week. Kicker Chase McLaughlin passed his pre-game test after being listed questionable with a hamstring injury on Friday. The Browns were so confident in what they saw that they made practice squad kicker Chris Naggar inactive, eliminating him as a safety net. The other major inactive for the Browns was safety Grant Delpit, who only recently returned to practice after missing the preseason with a hamstring injury. The Chiefs had two defensive starters scratched and made inactive – All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu and defensive end Frank Clark. Mathieu just came off the COVID-reserve list on Saturday and has not practiced in 10 days. Clark has a hamstring injury but the Chiefs were hoping he’d be ready for the game.
11. There’s a gleam: The Chiefs honored Marty Schottenheimer at halftime and presented his wife Pat with a poster depicting Schottenheimer in classic coach's pose. Schottenheimer passed away on Feb. 8 at the age of 77 from complications of Alzheimer’s. Schottenheimer is second to Hank Stram in career wins as Chiefs coach (170-104-1). Prior to moving to Kansas City in 1989, Schottenheimer coached the Browns to three AFC North titles and four post-season appearances in four years as Browns head coach. Schottenheimer’s overall record as Browns coach (46-31, .597) ranks third behind Paul Brown and Blanton Collier in win percentage.
