Four Takeaways from the Kansas City Chiefs 21-7 Win Over the Cleveland Browns

The Kansas City Chiefs traveled to face the Cleveland Browns in Week 15, and there was plenty to take away from the Sunday afternoon contest.

Dec 15, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) celebrates with tight end Travis Kelce (87) after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

After a series of way-too-close calls in recent weeks, the Kansas City Chiefs got off to a solid start in Week 15 and rode that momentum to a victory. While it once again wasn't always pretty, it sure was action-packed as the defending Super Bowl champions captured a 21-7 win over the Cleveland Browns. It's the fourth win in a row for Andy Reid's team and their 13th this season.

With that in mind, here are four takeaways from Sunday's game.

Despite scoring two touchdowns, the Chiefs' first-half offense left plenty to be desired

Considering they took a 14-0 lead into the halftime break, it might seem like nitpicking to poke holes in what the Kansas City offense achieved early on. After all, they had a quick scoring drive in the opening quarter and capitalized later on with a 14-play, 87-yard drive that featured seven first downs. That, combined with a 5.1 yard-per-play average, doesn't depict a struggling unit. A closer look, however, shows that there was serious room for improvement.

In the first quarter of play, Patrick Mahomes went 3-for-6 for just 23 yards. The Kansas City offense went 0-for-3 on third down in the first frame, finishing the half 2-for-7. Four of the club's first five possessions were punts, and three of those were of the three-and-out variety. The one lengthy series and a short-field scoring drive thanks to a muffed punt did quite a bit of heavy lifting on Sunday. Inconsistency remains a pressing issue for Reid and Matt Nagy's group. That reared its ugly head in the second half, too, as there was a stretch of multiple three-and-outs in a row with Mahomes having a consecutive incompletions streak develop.

No D.J. Humphries, no problem against Myles Garrett and company

The left tackle position has been a thorn in the Chiefs' side throughout the season, especially with multiple pieces filtering in over time. To begin the year, it was rookie Kingsley Suamataia who struggled and eventually got replaced by Wanya Morris. In the coming weeks, Morris's level of play declined and Kansas City made an unexpected move by allowing left guard Joe Thuney to get limited reps late in Week 13. Signing D.J. Humphries was viewed as a potential solution, then he came out of the lineup after suffering a Week 14 hamstring injury. None of that seemed to hold up an otherwise iffy offense on Sunday, though.

Without Humphries this weekend, Thuney got the start at left tackle. He had no easy task, either, as reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett waited opposite him. Kansas City made it clear during the week how aware they were of Garrett's ability to wreck a game, yet he had a quiet afternoon on Sunday. Thuney handled the assignment about as well as one could've hoped, with some help from play-calling decisions to get the ball moving away from Garrett. As the team awaits the return of Humphries before the end of the season, it succeeded with its short-term replacement plan for a week. Patrick Mahomes suffering a late-game ankle injury doesn't change that.

Steve Spagnuolo's defense showed up and showed out in Week 15

In this week's Kansas City Chiefs On SI preview of Week 15's game, it was highlighted that this may have been the week for some Chiefs defensive turnovers. In recent games, Steve Spagnuolo's defense struggled with coverage in the secondary and was becoming a weak link in the absence of cornerback Jaylen Watson. As it turns out, facing Jameis Winston was just what the doctor ordered for everyone on the defense. Kansas City played so well that the veteran signal-caller was replaced by Dorian Thompson-Robinson after a rough outing.

Just about any statistical category can showcase the best of the Chiefs' defensive performance in Week 15. Spagnuolo's group forced six punts on the afternoon and allowed just 266 total net yards, also holding Cleveland's offense to a 4-for-12 split on third downs. The most staggering development was a defense that entered Sunday ranking 28th in turnovers forcing a whopping five of them. Winston's three interceptions and a fumble, as well as Thompson-Robinson's interception, paved the way for a relatively stress-free win even with the offense being underwhelming. Toss in a muffed punt on special teams, and that's the difference in what should've been an even bigger blowout.

Kansas City is one step closer to capturing the AFC's No. 1 seed

Entering Sunday's play, Kansas City held a 12-1 record and a two-win lead over the Buffalo Bills (and Pittsburgh Steelers) for the best standing in the AFC. Not only does a victory over Cleveland make it a lucky 13 for the reigning champs, but it allows them to keep pace for an elusive first-round bye in the process. Week 15 was another big step on what's been a long journey.

While the outcomes of Sunday late-afternoon window games for Buffalo (at the Detroit Lions) and Pittsburgh (at the Philadelphia Eagles) aren't known as of the publishing of this article, the best thing the Chiefs can do is take care of business. They control their own destiny in the conference, regardless of what happens elsewhere. With just three regular-season weeks remaining, there's a growing possibility that Week 18's contest versus the Denver Broncos will only mean something significant to Sean Payton's crew. If next weekend goes as planned for Kansas City, that clinch could even be moved up.

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