Chiefs rally for 33-29 win over Browns

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Whenever the Kansas City Chiefs needed a big game on Sunday, their under center magician produced the kind of mesmerizing moment that left the Cleveland Browns shaking their heads in awe and frustration.

There was a 75-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Tyreek Hill, where he pushed the ball deep into the field and his wide receiver made an incredible adjustment. The crucial throws that kept the practices alive.

And finally, the touchdown pass to Travis Kelce who completed a 12-point comeback and gave Kansas City a 33-29 victory on Sunday.

“It’s Patrick Mahomes being Patrick Mahomes,” Hill said. “Here it is.”

On the court, Mahomes finished with 337 passing yards and three touchdowns while running for a score. On the sidelines, he helped give a struggling Kansas City defense confidence that it could make plays when it mattered down the home stretch.

“You like his attitude because he always feels like we’re in it,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “He does a great job with the guys around him. He’s a great communicator in tough times on the sidelines.

There were a lot of them on Sunday.

Still, the Chiefs still managed to win their fifth straight game against Cleveland, including a 22-17 playoff win in January and their 15th straight game in September. They also pushed Andy Reid to a 100 win with two franchises.

Mahomes had plenty of help: Hill finished with 11 catches for 197 yards and that momentum-changing touchdown, and Kelce had a pair of touchdowns including the go-ahead score with 7:02 remaining in the match.

As for the brown ones? They fell to 1-21-1 in the first games of the season since returning to Cleveland in 1999, extending their NFL mark to 17 straight losses. They haven’t won an opener on the road since the 1994 season.

“It’s hard, isn’t it? But at the same time we are constantly reminded that this is a team game in all phases, ”said Baker Mayfield, who threw for 321 yards but was selected by Mike Hughes with 1:09. to do to end any hope of return.

“You have to play together, good complementary football,” said Mayfield, “and if you don’t and there is still time on the clock, there is a chance you will be beaten. Unfortunately, we were out of luck. bad side of that.

Nick Chubb ran for 83 yards and two runs while Kareem Hunt and Jarvis Landry also scored runs for the Browns.

The game was a rematch of a physical and defensive playoff game Kansas City won when backup quarterback Chad Henne threw a fourth pass to Hill for a first down with just over a minute to go.

There wasn’t much defense this time around.

The Browns have twice converted from the Chiefs ‘fourth downs in the Chiefs’ red zone to keep the first-half scoring practices alive. Chubb finished first with his first touchdown point, and Landry scored the fourth goal of the second, before Chubb tacked on an 18-yard run through a gaping hole in the Chiefs’ rebuilt defensive line to bring the score to 22-10 at halftime.

The Chiefs finally struck offensive balance in the second half, straddling Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the field before Mahomes hit Kelce for a touchdown. It capped a practice that took half of the third quarter and, especially for Kansas City’s lackluster defense, kept Mayfield and the rest of the Browns’ offense off the field.

The Chiefs nearly pulled it off the rest of the quarter, turning Chubb’s fumble into Harrison Butker’s second field goal.

When the Browns weren’t fighting, the Chiefs weren’t doing much to stop them. Kevin Stefanski’s field immediately responded with a seven-play, 75-yard run – their fourth goal mark at least as long – as the former Chiefs Hunt backer finished to bring the score to 29-20 with 10 : 24 to play.

But the Browns weren’t done fighting either.

First, they blew up the blanket on Hill near the midfield, and he only had to rock a pop-up pass from Mahomes and take off for a 75-yard touchdown reception. Then, after the Chiefs finally forced a three-and-out, Browns punter Jamie Gillan inexplicably dropped the snap and the AFC champions took possession of the Cleveland 15.

Mahomes hit Kelce three games later to give Kansas City a 33-29 lead, their first of the game. And after the teams traded late punts, Mayfield made one final mistake with his interception with just over a minute to go.

“It was our game in the first half and we let go of the gas. We didn’t run on the stretch, they were calmer and they made the plays, ”said Browns pass thrower Myles Garrett. “We’ve just had too many missed assignments from us. They take advantage of stuff like that. They showed it. We just needed to be better.

BEATEN DOWN

SS Browns Ronnie Harrison Jr. was thrown with 4:59 left in the first quarter after pushing Chiefs assistant Greg Lewis into a side scrum. It happened after Harrison helped tackle Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Referee Bill Vinovich first reported the chiefs bench for unsportsmanlike conduct before meeting his team and ejecting Harrison instead.

MISSING STARS

The Browns missed WR Odell Beckham Jr. (knee), who tried to warm up but was ruled inactive about 90 minutes before kick-off, and FS substitute Grant Delpit. Kansas City was without FS Tyrann Mathieu, who was taken off the COVID-19 list on Saturday, and DE Frank Clark, who was sidelined by a hamstring injury.

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