The Kansas City Chiefs secured a 21-7 victory over the Cleveland Browns Sunday afternoon, improving their record to an NFL-best 13-1. Even with all of the struggles on offense, Kansas City’s defense regained its early season form and dominated all game long. The Chiefs’ defense ended the game, forcing six turnovers and five sacks. With this, the Chiefs put themselves in prime position to claim and lock up the No. 1 seed as early as next weekend.
On the defensive end, nearly everyone showed up. Without a doubt, the MVPs on this side of the ball have to be George Karlaftis and Nick Bolton, who set the tone for everyone else on that side of the ball. The Chiefs’ offense showed flashes, but for the most part, they were unable to sustain drives and stalled out good-looking drives for most of the day, besides key spots.
Kansas City Chiefs First Half Dominance
The Chiefs’ special teams came out ready to go in this game. After Kansas City went three-and-out on their opening possession, and the Chiefs punted the ball to the Browns. The ball ended up getting muffed by Cleveland, and running back Samaje Perine recovered the ball and set up a short 21-yard drive. Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the offense understood the moments and that they had to take advantage. Mahomes found JuJu Smith-Schuster for a seven-yard touchdown, giving the Chiefs an early 7-0 lead with 12:12 left in the first quarter.
Cleveland, on their first offensive drive of the game, ended up stalling after six plays and George Karlaftis’s sack. Despite the defensive stop, Kansas City’s offense began to sputter and went three-and-out once again. The Browns, on their next series, had a promising nine-play, 44-yard drive late in the first quarter, but Chiefs safety Bryan Cook came through with the Chiefs’ second interception of the day, putting that drive to bed from the Browns. At the end of the first quarter, Kansas City led 7-0, with Cleveland struggling to capitalize offensively.
Kansas City’s defense did not let up in the second quarter. Karlaftis recorded another sack, making that his sixth of the season, and the Browns were forced to punt once again. Then Mahomes and the offense were finally able to find some rhythm on offense and put together a 14-play, 87-yard drive capped by a Noah Gray touchdown reception. Kansas City extended its lead to 14-0 with 4:46 remaining in the half. On their final drive before the end of the first half, the Chiefs put together another solid drive, but it stalled out in the red zone, and Harrison Butker ended up missing a 29-yard field goal, which prevented Kansas City from further padding their lead before halftime.
Kansas City’s Defense Continued to Deliver in the Third Quarter
Kansas City opened the second half with another turnover on the very first play of the third quarter. Nick Bolton made a play on the ball, intercepting Jameis Winston for the third time of the day. Kansas City once again capitalized on the turnover, and Mahomes connected with Xavier Worthy for a 21-yard touchdown. Butker’s extra point extended the lead to 21-0 just three minutes into the second half.
Kansas City’s defense continued to dominate, forcing another turnover when Nick Chubb fumbled. However, this time, the Chiefs were unable to capitalize on the takeaway and punted after a quick three-and-out. The Browns offense finally found some life and broke through late in the third quarter, with running back Jerome Ford breaking loose for a 62-yard touchdown run, cutting the Chiefs’ lead to 21-7.
The Chiefs’ defensive front bounced back and remained relentless. Tershawn Wharton and Drue Tranquil came together on another key stop, including sacks that helped to stifle Cleveland’s momentum late in the quarter. By the end of the third, Kansas City’s defense had accumulated four sacks, three interceptions, and two fumble recoveries. Even with their defensive dominance, their offense issues remained, and by this point, the Chiefs had punted seven times.
Chiefs Fourth Quarter Lockdown Performance
In the final quarter, the Chiefs’ defense put their final touches on this performance. Trent McDuffie recorded his first career interception and shut down another promising Browns drive in the end zone. Then Kansas City’s following offensive series, after a 10-play drive, once again was halted after a failed fourth-down conversion. However, Mahomes left the game and would not return after appearing to tweak his ankles, and Carson Wentz stepped in for the remainder of the game to help run out out the clock.
Wentz a veteran in this league, kept the clock running as best as he could, but the Chiefs’ offense punted for the ninth time. Fortunately, the Chiefs defense responded once again, and Jaden Hicks intercepted Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who came in for Winston and Kansas City’s fourth pick of the day. The Chiefs held Cleveland scoreless in the final quarter, securing a convincing win behind their dominant defensive performance.
With the win, Kansas City inches closer to locking up the AFC’s No. 1 seed. If the Buffalo Bills lose to the Detroit Lions, the Kansas City Chiefs will have full control of their playoff seeding. A victory next week against the Houston Texans will clinch home-field advantage, allowing the Chiefs to rest their starters if they choose on Christmas Day against the Steelers.
Final Thoughts
The Chiefs’ defense was by far the reason why Kansas City was able to pull off their most dominant win of this season. George Karlaftis led the charge with two sacks, while several others on the defense contributed timely turnovers to help secure this win.
Kansas City’s offense, while inconsistent, made enough plays to not lose them this game. With the playoffs approaching, the Chiefs’ biggest concern is Mahomes health, but right behind that concern is finding ways to be a more offensive-balanced team to complement their defense. Next week’s matchup against the Texans has the chance to allow the Chiefs to find some room for rest after what has been a long and grueling 2024 NFL regular season.
