Jameis Winston threw three interceptions before being benched in the fourth quarter. At 3-11, the Browns have assured themselves of their worst record in 7 years.
CLEVELAND — Once the magic of a potential Taylor Swift appearance failed to materialize, it turned into another dreary Browns Sunday on the shores of Lake Erie.
With the world’s most famous music star not in attendance to see her beau Travis Kelce play in his hometown, the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t even need to do that much to earn a comfortable victory in Cleveland, beating up on the deflated Browns 21-7. Even with the NFL’s best record at now 13-1, it was the most decisive win of the season for the two-time defensing Super Bowl champions, who didn’t need to utilize their typical high-wire tactics this time around.
Instead, the Browns took every opportunity the Chiefs handed them and gave them right back, quite literally. Cleveland turned the ball over a season-high six times (the team’s most in any game since 1993), with three of those coming on interceptions from quarterback Jameis Winston.
Making his seventh start under center since the injury to Deshaun Watson, Winston threw for only 146 yards and was sacked five times, with a paltry passer rating of 40.2. His picks all came at inopportune times, with two being in the end zone as the Browns were attempting to get back in the game.
Following the final INT, Winston was benched in favor of Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The second-year backup completed 4 of 8 passes for 18 yards along with a game-sealing interception of his own.
Cleveland’s turnover woes began on the first series of the game, when James Proche II fumbled on a punt return and the ball was recovered by Samaje Perine. That led to a Patrick Mahomes touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster that put the Chiefs up 7-0, a lead they would not relinquish.
Mahomes completed less than half of his 38 throws for just 156 yards, but did have two scores and avoided being sacked despite immense pressure up front. He was forced to the sidelines late in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury, as backup Carson Wentz mopped things up.
The Cleveland Heights native Kelce had four catches for 27 yards in his second career game at Huntington Bank Field. Xavier Worthy added 46 receiving yards as well as a 21-yard TD off a lateral from Mahomes.
Though Nick Chubb averaged 4.6 yards per carry, he did play a role in two of the Browns’ giveaways, with Winston’s second interception deflecting off his hands and a fumble coming on the next drive. To make matters worse, the beloved former Pro Bowler was forced to leave in the third quarter with a foot injury.
After the game, head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed the injury was a broken foot, which will almost certainly end Chubb’s season. With the running back also set to hit free agency, his future in Cleveland is also up in the air.
A bright spot for the Browns was Jerry Jeudy, whose 11 catches for 108 yards helped make him the 15th player in team history with 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Jerome Ford also broke free for a 62-yard touchdown run to give Cleveland some life with a 21-7 deficit, but early in the fourth quarter, Winston’s third pick in the KC red zone seemed to stunt any momentum they had.