On Sunday night, the Kansas City Chiefs secured their 13th win of the season with a decisive 21-7 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Here are some initial takeaways from all that transpired on the road in Cleveland:
No matter the outcome, it’s never a good day when Patrick Mahomes has to leave the game due to injury.
In the first half, it appeared the insertion of Joe Thuney at left tackle was providing Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes with more time in the pocket, affording him the opportunity to take several deep shots. They weren’t successful, but it was a breath of fresh air after Mahomes hadn’t had that type of time all season.
But in the second half, the Chiefs unraveled.
Running backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt had combined for 16 carries in the first half, reflecting the team’s commitment to a balanced offense.
Then, the duo combined for only five runs in the third quarter. In the meantime, with the Browns dialing up pressure, Mahomes went 3 of 13 for 16 yards in the frame. It is worth noting that this doesn’t include Xavier Worthy’s 21-yard touchdown that the official scorers called a rush — but that was still the only bright spot for the offense the rest of the way.
With the shift away from the run game and inconsistent offensive line play, Cleveland’s defense combined for 12 quarterback hits on the day. After the last one, Mahomes limped to the sideline. At that point, head coach Andy Reid decided he had seen enough.
The Chiefs announced the quarterback was questionable to return due to an ankle injury, but he never played another snap.
If Mahomes can’t stay healthy due to issues in protection and play-calling, none of the Chiefs’ accomplishments — the 21-7 win over the Browns, the 12 victories before it or the ninth straight division title — matter.
Kansas City’s season will be over in a flash.
The Chiefs’ defense shined — recording six takeaways on the afternoon.
Kansas City’s defense began the afternoon with a negative-4 turnover differential on the season. It ended the afternoon with a positive-2 turnover differential.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had been content with the defense’s recent performances, allowing only 17 points to both the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers. Coming into the game, Spagnuolo wanted to see his defense limit explosive plays — which lead to opposing scores — and he also stressed the need for turnovers.
The game wasn’t completely rid of explosive plays — running back Jerome Ford made cornerback Nazeeh Johnson look bad on his 62-yard touchdown — but the pressure was good. The defense got the ball back to the offense on six occasions.
The defense combined for 5.0 sacks (led by two from George Karlatis), and Browns quarterback Jameis Winston put the ball up for grabs all afternoon — just as expected. Winston threw three picks before Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski turned to backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson — and he, too, recorded an interception.
Safety Bryan Cook, linebacker Nick Bolton, cornerback Trent McDuffie and safety Jaden Hicks all had takeaways. It was the first of McDuffie’s 48-game career.
While scoring more points than the opponent is ultimately what is important, there has to be some level of disappointment in finishing with only 21 points despite six takeaways and 14 possessions.
Does the eye test matter?
And therein lies the question that continues to be asked by national talking heads, driving Chiefs fans crazy: does the eye test matter?
There is plenty of success to build upon stemming from this game — including a positive first half for the offense and all the takeaways from the defense.
But here is a frightening factoid: did you know that four of the AFC’s playoff teams are among the league’s top five in sacks?
Winter is coming, and I understand the trepidation in assuming the Chiefs will simply roll to their three-peat.
It’s a short week: six days from now, Kansas City hosts one of those teams, the Houston Texans, at Arrowhead Stadium. We’ll see if Mahomes can even suit up.