Browns Turnovers Hand Chiefs 21-7 Win in Cleveland: Game Notes

The offense's only consistency in 2024 has been inconsistency and that was on display again today in their Week 15 loss.

(Photo - Getty)

It started with a fumble on the Browns’ first opportunity to handle the football and it continued throughout the day. The Browns racked up six turnovers which was the most the franchise has given away in a game since their return in 1999. The last time the organization had 6+. turnovers in a single game was in 1993. That is the type of performance the team put out there against the two-time defending Super Bowl Champions. The Chiefs looked sloppy in their own right but cruised to an easy 21-7 win.

The difference in the game was obviously the turnovers as Jameis Winton threw three interceptions, and fumbled twice (lost one) to contribute to the day of mayhem. The sixth turnover was a fumble by Nick Chubb on one of the team’s better runs on the day. Chubb later left the game with a broken foot, which is another punch in the gut for a team, and fans, who have been dealing with body blows all season.

Last week in Pittsburgh provided us with this image of Kevin Stefanski following a key turnover.

The week we landed on this image of Ken Dorsey up in the pressbox following the final of Winston’s two interceptions in the Chiefs’ end zone.

I think we can all relate at this point.

Let’s get through the Week 15 Game Notes.

• The game started well for the Browns on the day as the defense forced a quick three and out that showed a defense moving quickly and jumping routes. On the punt return from James Proche, their newest returner as the Browns have played musical punt returner all season, he coughed up the ball carelessly. Another notch in the special teams’ punishment belt in 2024.

• Jameis Winston was rattled all day. He never felt comfort in the pocket from the jump. We will analyze if that is due to tied up route schemes or his inability to find answers but this was another rough version of Winston to watch. The first interception came on a three-man route concept with a middle divide where Winston never realized the backside safety would cap the route and missed an open curl route to his left side.

• His second interception came on a nice play by linebacker Nick Bolton but the ball was behind Chubb and that put it into a vulnerable spot. The final interception came on a first down throw where Winston eluded pressure and extended the play. It is unclear if Winston wanted to give Mike Woods Jr. a chance on this ball or if he was trying to find Jerry Jeudy late approaching that sideline. Nevertheless, Trent McDuffie made a special play.

• The run game was better in this one but was aided by a 2nd & 23 draw play that went for 62 of the 139 total rushing yards. It is still not an overall net positive but there were steps in the right direction before Chubb left. The draw was blocked up really well up the middle and Jeudy stuck on his man well. Ford’s burst was also on display for this one.

• Jerry Jeudy surpassed 100 yards in the game going for 11/108 and continues his breakout season. With three games left he is now over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career and playing with such confidence. We will break this down in great detail later in the season but his positional flexibility and catching have been such a nice development the latter half of the 2024 season.