The Cleveland Browns suffered another loss in Week 15, this time at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs in a 21-7 final.
Offensively, the Browns were unable to produce much behind quarterback Jameis Winston's struggles. His poor performance and three interceptions were too much to overcome with an inconsistent rushing attack. The team could only put up 285 yards of total offense with one touchdown to show for it.
Cleveland's defensive side of the ball had an up-and-down day when it came to overall performance. They were able to pressure Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes well enough to disrupt the passing attack, but they were unable to secure any sacks. Luckily, this was enough to stop any Kansas City pass catcher from reaching 50 yards.
Nonetheless, this allowed the Chiefs to focus on switching their offensive game plan to the run game. They were able to secure 132 rushing yards and a touchdown on the Browns' defense.
Quarterback: F
Dec 15, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) throws a pass during the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
The entertaining chapter of quarterback Jameis Winston has seemed to end after his most recent performance. Winston had one of his worst days in a Browns uniform after throwing three interceptions against the Kansas City defense. Backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson also got some playing time in this matchup and failed to provide the boost they needed. Together, they combined for only 164 passing yards and a 14.7 QBR.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski did not state whether he would continue with Jameis Winston at quarterback heading into Week 16. It will most likely be Dorian Thompson-Robinson if Stefanski decides to bench the fan-favorite quarterback. In a lost season, the Browns might switch to their younger gunslinger with hopes of seeing his potential flourish. We'll see which quarterback will be able to improve off of their performance in their previous game.
Running back: B-
Dec 15, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford (34) runs for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs during the third quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
Aside from Jerome Ford's very impressive touchdown run, it was a mediocre day for the Cleveland Browns running back room. Ford's 62-yard touchdown run was a sight for sore eyes after watching the struggling rushing attack throughout the season. Outside of this run, the Browns were only able to have 77 rushing yards on 20 carries for an average of 3.8 per touch. Starting running back Nick Chubb began to find a rhythm before his devastating injury, averaging 4.6 yards per carry in his last contest of the 2024 season.
It was reported that running back Nick Chubb suffered a broken left foot in this contest against the Chiefs. Cleveland will now have to once again find ways to execute their rushing attack without their star. Running back, Jerome Ford is expected to take the bulk of the carries once again with hopes of showing his potential for the future. We'll see how the team manages to execute their game plans without their offensive star.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends: C
Dec 15, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) catches the ball during warm ups before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
Cleveland's pass catchers were forced to battle very poor quarterback performances from their gunslingers. The highlight player out of this group was once again rising star wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. He meant to collect 11 catches for 108 receiving yards. The Browns' first-year wide receiver also crossed the 1,000 receiving-yard mark for the first time in his career. Other than that, the rest of the team only combined for 56 receiving yards while fighting for some ugly passes thrown their way.
The future of the Browns wide receiver group has found a light under their big off-season acquisition. Jerry Jeudy has managed to have an incredible second half of the season after only having 266 receiving yards through the first seven games. Despite his performance, Jeudy and the rest of the receiving core will look to improve off of their last match-up, no matter who the quarterback is.
Offensive Line: D
Dec 15, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) calls signals against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
Earlier in the week, we discussed how difficult it would be for the Cleveland Browns offensive line to stop this Kansas City pass rush. Unfortunately, difficulty was all they found in their final results. The offensive line gave up 11 quarterback hits that came with five sacks on quarterback Jameis Winston. This also resulted in a lack of production from the rushing game, as they were unable to produce much outside of Jerome Ford's touchdown run.
It's no secret that the offensive line has struggled for the majority of the 2024 season. Finding the key contributors and pieces for the future should be their goal for the remainder of the games. We'll see if anybody can improve and provide more protection for the backfield in the Browns' final three games.
Defensive Line: C-
Dec 15, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. (51) reacts after a play during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
On Sunday, the Browns defensive line continued their run of disappointing showings in 2024. They're showing in Week 15 was especially interesting compared to their other performances. They managed to have an impressive 12 quarterback hits on quarterback Patrick Mahomes but were somehow unable to secure a single sack throughout the game. The defensive front also failed to stop the rushing attack while the secondary was able to limit large pass plays. Kansas City finished the contest with 132 rushing yards, a statistical battle the Browns desperately needed to dominate.
Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz we have another tough match up against the elite Cincinnati, Cincinnati Bengals offense in Week 16. He'll need to find a way to not only put pressure on the quarterback but make sure they take them down in the process. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will take advantage of the limited pressure if the Browns don't manage to get in the backfield.
Linebackers: C
CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 15: Jordan Hicks #58 of the Cleveland Browns tackles DeAndre Hopkins #8 of the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field on December 15, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
It was another productive day for Cleveland's linebacker room but did not quite meet the standard they had set. Starting linebacker Jordan Hicks managed to lead the group and team with nine total tackles in their Week 16 contest. Other major contributors were linebacker Devin Bush and 2024 sixth-round pick Nathaniel Watson, who combined for six total tackles.
This Brown's group has been the most consistent among all the defensive positions throughout the season. The hope all year has been that the past rush or potential lockdown secondary would be enough to mimic the defensive effort they had in 2023. We'll see if they can finish the season strong and pull out some much-deserved ones in their last few contests.
Secondary: B
CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 15: Cameron Mitchell #29 and Ronnie Hickman #33 of the Cleveland Browns celebrate a stop on a fourth down in the fourth quarter as they play the Kansas City Chiefs at Huntington Bank Field on December 15, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Browns' secondary had a solid showing against the Kansas City Chiefs offense and their elite quarterback. Kansas City failed to have a receiver cross the 50-yard receiving mark. They also managed to keep opposing quarterback Patrick Mahomes to only 159 passing yards on a 50 percent completion rate. When facing an elite offense, this performance should've been good enough to put up a better fight in this matchup.
Cleveland has had to face a number of elite offenses throughout the second half of the season the journey doesn't stop in Week 16. The secondary is set to face yet another elite opposing quarterback when they take on Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. We'll see if they can manage to force some much-needed interceptions from the MVP-caliber player when they will most likely need it most.