Cleveland Browns Can not Stay with Kansas City Chiefs: Reaction to the Game

CLEVELAND, Ohio – This was not a fair test for Gregg Williams in his first game as an interim Browns head coach.

The Kansas City Chiefs stand alongside stars such as quarterback Patrick Mahomes, running back Kareem Hunt and striker Travis Kelce. Sunday's 37-21 win over the Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium improved the Chiefs' record to 8-1.

This is a fourth consecutive loss to the Browns, falling to 2-6-1.

It was hard to believe that the Browns ever had a chance to win this game. Still, the team fought in the first half, making a nice attempt to narrow the gap to 21-15 just before halftime.

Mahomes and the rest of the leaders took control in the third quarter, creating a 34-15 lead, an insurmountable deficit for the Browns these days.

Mahomes, now in its second year, is preparing a season worthy of a veteran veteran. He threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday, his only interception being a desperate move to end the first half. He is about to throw more than 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns.

Mahomes impressed Mayfield, who thinks he can one day equal the production of the Chiefs quarterback. On Sunday, Mayfield was 29-in-42 for 297 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. (Dennis Manoloff of The Plain Dealer gives a B- to Mayfield for his effort against the Chiefs.You can offer your rating here.)

"He threw for a lot of yards," said Mayfield. "I've been able to see some of the times he was slipping into the pocket to spread coins – that's what we all know he can do – he does it just everyday."

Mayfield also drew Mahomes' praise.

"He has a ton of talent and he will continue to improve every week," Mahomes said. "He played well today and the future is promising for him and the Cleveland Browns as a quarterback."

On Monday, head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley were threatened by the Browns.

Have the changes made a difference? Terry Pluto, Plain Dealer, thinks so, and positively:

• After watching this game, I feel even better against mid-season layoffs. … I doubt that it helps the Browns to win many more games. The defense is ravaged by injuries. The calendar is extremely difficult. But the Browns need to develop Mayfield and several other young players such as Chubb and Antonio Callaway (who has a nice catch of 38 yards). So, from this point of view, it was a good start.

Pluto also points out that the new offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens seems to have figured out how to use the Duke Johnson offender … a positive development.

The Browns have more talent this year, but the alignment does not have much depth. The defense had already suffered some serious injuries before Sunday's match and the situation got worse.

The Browns lost cornerback E.J. Gaines to a concussion and rookie cornerback Denzel Ward to a hip injury. Christian Kirksey, the linebacker in charge of the defense with Joe Schobert, left the game due to a thigh injury.

Williams did not use the wounds as an excuse.

"Next man," he said. "I can never find an excuse for that, but I had to change conceptually so that our guys who went there could do and understand."

With lean defensiveness, the Browns can not afford to have players who do not make a complete effort … and Cleveland.com's Doug Lesmerises wonders if linebacker Jamie Collins is already on the job:

• I have watched Collins exclusively for about three quarters of the game on Sunday, and his plan often seems to be to play in the play area while hoping that someone else will do the tackle. If this does not happen or if the ball carrier cuts it, he will catch it. But, with $ 12.5 million, he does not seem to stop letting anyone else play. … Williams said that he was looking for a daily effort. You wonder how he could have seen him from the linebacker who leads the defense on Sunday.

Collins (as well as much of the defense) seemed to lose interest in the 33-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 28th. It was a demoralizing match and it is clear that this led to the shots. But if Collins' efforts are a recurring problem, Lesmerises is right … Williams will have to remedy the situation.

Hunt is a graduate of Willoughby South High School. Kelce is an alum of Cleveland Heights High School.

Both made their cities proud on Sunday.

Hunt played a monster game, collecting 91 yards and two touchdowns and catching a 50-yard pass for another touchdown. As for Kelce, he led the Chiefs with seven catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns.

"This is amazing for a child from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, who dreamed of playing a day in this stadium in front of this crowd," Kelce said. "Brown fans, sorry to have to do it, but not for business here in Kansas City."

Earlier in the week, Hunt had bought 100 tickets for the Willoughby South football team game.

"We knew we were going home," Hunt said. "Travis is definitely one of my best friends in the team.We can both understand each other because we come from this area and we know everything about it.It's a bit special that we are part of the same team and can go in. It's a big game for both of us.He had a big game and I too, I think only the Cleveland scored today, so it's a good thing. "