KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City’s defense is not yet whole.
Down multiple starters, Cleveland aggressively schemed against KC’s weaknesses in the first half.
“We had to make a few adjustments,” Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones told reporters postgame.
Kansas City’s halftime adjustments paid dividends, holding the Browns to just seven second-half points.
“I think we were all excited,” Jones said. “Fans everywhere ... everyone is screaming, a lot of adrenaline pumping. Once we were able to settle down as a defense, we were able to weather the storm.”
Cleveland was stymied in the final 30 minutes, registering just 5.8 yards per play after averaging nearly 10 in the first half.
A Nick Chubb fumble near midfield helped usher in momentum for Steve Spagnuolo’s troops.
“Always talk to those guys and tell them, ‘We're gonna keep giving y'all chances,” Patrick Mahomes said of his halftime message to a sputtering defense. “At the end of the day, I think guys just stepped up."
