What a first half!
Matt Cassel hit Chris Chambers on two consecutive plays to score a TD. Jamaal Charles sped his way to a 47-yard TD run. The Browns screwed up a punt near the goal line and Andy Studebaker recovered the mis-snap in the end zone.
And Joshua Cribbs has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. The Chiefs scored 21 points in the second quarter, the most in any quarter this season. This has been a fun game to watch.
It's half time. Let's see if the Chiefs can keep giving it to Charles and if KC can stop Josh Cribbs in the return game. Here are some notes:
- Matt Cassel is playing well - 13/18 for a TD and a QB rating of 123.8
- Jamaal Charles is playing even better than he usually does - 12 rushes, 94 yards and a TD
- 21 points have been scored by the Browns and Chiefs special teams today
We've got your drive by drive summary after the jump.
First Quarter
Browns 1st drive:
Josh Cribbs received the kick around the six and took it to the 24 yard line.
The Browns moved the ball fairly well in their first drive accumulating 4 first downs. They rushed for 27 yards and passed for 19 on the drive. Brady Quinn was long on two deep throws that were incompletes. The drive was 4:47 and took 12 plays. The Browns kicked a 46 yard field goal to end the drive.
Chiefs 1st drive:
Mark Bradley had a nice return to the 28 yard line.
The Chiefs moved the ball fairly well to start the drive hitting Bowe and Cottam on crossing routes. On a first down, Castille took a handoff and was tackled at the line of scrimmage. As he was going down, it looks like the ball was popping out. A Browns player picked it up and the referees ruled it a fumble, Browns ball. The Chiefs challenged the playcall. There really wasn't a definitive camera angle and the call was upheld.
The Browns took over at their own 47 yard line.
Browns 2nd drive:
That was quick. On the third play of the drive, Quinn tried to go deep but was about 10 yards too short and the ball was picked off by Carr. He returned it over 20 yards to the 49 yard line.
Carr was trying to cut back into the middle of the field and wouldn't go down. I think he thought he was a ball carrier.
Chiefs 2nd drive:
On the first play of the drive, Cassel dropped back to pass and couldn't find anyone. He threw the ball at Castille's feet to avoid a sack. On the second play, Cassel dropped back to pass looking at Bradley streaking deep across the middle of the field. Bradley was covered by the safety over the top so he tucked the ball and ran it.
The third play was interesting. Cassel dropped back to pass and threw an absolute duck to Chambers, who had to stop and wait for the ball. It was a jump ball and he came down with it for a 31 yard game.
The Chambers catch put the Chiefs inside the 15 yard line and Cassel over threw an open Charles. The next play Bowe dropped the ball on a slant route. It was definitely catchable.
The Chiefs kicked a field goal from 30 yards out to tie the game.
Six plays, 37 yards, 1:58.
Browns 3rd drive:
Not much of a drive. Cribbs took the return at the goal line and ran 100 yards to the house. There were multiple missed tackles on the return.
This was more the fault of the Chiefs than a credit to Cribbs.
Chiefs 3rd drive:
On 2nd and 10, Cassel dropped back to pass and threw the ball away in Charles' general direction. The refs blew the whistely and called intentional grounding knocking the Chiefs back 14 yards.
Cassel threw it to a running back for a 8 yard gain, then Casel went deep to Bowe and overthrew it by about 3 yards.
Bad series.
Browns 4th drive:
The Browns started at their own 47 yard line after a 30 yard Colquitt punt.
The Browns had two short runs for 7 yards and entered a 3rd and 3. Quinn sent a man in motion and hit him in the flats for a first down. Travis Daniels was on the coverage. On the next first down, DaJuan Morgan (Yeah, he still plays) tackled the running back for a 7 yard gain.
Poor tackling by the Chiefs - facing a 2nd and 3 from the Chiefs 35 yard line, the Browns running back shot off left tackle and, with a missed tackle, took it to the 21 yard line for a 14 yard gain.
The Browns worked their way inside the 15 yard line and, facing a 3rd and 3, ran a delayed draw out of the shotgun for a gain of one yard. On 4th and 2, the Browns kicked another 30 yard field goal.
Browns 13 Chiefs 3
9 plays, 40 yards, 4:32.
Second Quarter
Chiefs 4th drive:
Two straight Jamaal Charles runs nets the Chiefs a first down. It's nice to see a Chiefs running back running between the tackles and net first downs.
On 1st down, Charles took the carry again for 7 yards. In a hurry up offense, Cassel lined up in shotgun, and handed it off to Charles for another first down.
On 1st down, Cassel made up for his duck he threw to Chambers (but was caught anyway). Cassel lofted an over-the-shoulder pass to Chambers that put the Chiefs at the 9 yard line. Those who critique Cassel's's deep ball, take note because he had another very pretty over-the-shoulder catch on the very next play for a Chiefs touchdown.
Chambers and Charles coming up big on that drive.
Chiefs 10 Browns 13
6 plays, 72 yard,s 2:28
Browns 5th drive:
Succop kicked off to the goal line and Cribbs took it to the 28 yard line before being taken down.
First play of the drive is a 7 yard run by Browns RB Harrison. The Chiefs are really having a tough time stopping the run so far today. On the second play, Quinn again went to Harrison who took it up the middle for a first down. He was tackled by the shoe strings - if he hadn't been there was daylight ahead of him.
On first down, Cribbs took the handoff in the wildcat and showed his athleticism leaping over a fallen lineman in a sweep left. He gained four yards.
Jennings took an off tackle right for about four yards on the next play setting up a third down. Gilberry and Jackson were the only down linemen on the play. Quinn's in shotgun and dumps it off to rookie Massaquoi for a two yard gain.
The Browns punted on 4th and 1 and the ball was fair caught by Bradley at the 15 yard line.
Chiefs 5th drive:
It won't show up in the stat box but Charles is running hard today. He took the first play of the drive for four yards off the right tackle. On the second play, Cassel again hit Cottam across the middle of the field. It looked like a skinny post and went for 24 yard gain. On first down, two RBs were in the backfield and Cassel had to instruct them to get into I-formation. He snapped the ball and immediately threw it to Chambers who got five yards on the quick out. On the third play, Cassel faked the handoff and took it on his own for a bootleg. He got five yards for a first down.
On first down, Charles took a sweep left and - remember this play because it's a highlight and my words won't do it justice - cut back inside and used his straight burner's speed to go 47 yards for the score.
Bowe had a great block on the play and was singled out by Todd Haley was a pat on the rear.
Chiefs 17 Browns 13
Browns 6th drive:
The Chiefs kicked off and it was taken to the 21 yard line by Cribbs. Jovan Belcher made another special teams tackle. I can tell why he's a coaching staff favorite. A holding penalty moved the Browns back to their own 11.
The Chiefs are getting stiffer on the run holding Harrison to a 3 yard gain on a sweep. On second down, Quinn dropped back to pass and the pocket became to collapse on him. Dion Gales pressured Quinn and caused him to nearly fumble the ball.
On third down, Quinn hit Harrison in the left flats for an almost first down.
On 4th and 2, the Browns lined up in punt formation. Replays showed the punter didn't call for the snap, it came anyway, and it was mishandled fumbled near the end zone.
Instead of falling on it, the punter tried to pick it up in the end zone. Mike Richardson ran in and landed on the ball and then Browns and Chiefs players began to pile on.
Andy Studebaker then came out of the pile with the ball while the refs were still trying to move guys off the pile to see who had the ball. Studebaker then had to go up to the refs and point to the ball in his hands before the ruled a touchdown.
Chiefs 24 Browns 13
Chiefs 7th drive:
That was the Studebaker special teams touchdown.
Chiefs 24 Browns 13
Browns 8th drive:
That would be Josh Cribbs, 103 yards, on the kickoff return. This guy is amazing and it's not even halftime.
Chiefs 24 Browns 20
Chiefs 8th drive:
Jamaal Charles starts the drive with two consecutive carries netting a first down. On the third play of the series, Cassel hit Bowe on a comeback route for an 8 yard gain.
Cassel lined up in shotgun and handed off to Charles where he took it to the left side of the field. Cassel was following him and threw a block on a Browns defensive lineman. The linebacker, David Bowens, turned around and got in Cassel's face and our QB pushed him back. Nice sense of fight from Cassel there.
Browns 9th drive:
The Browns kneeled the ball once and took it into halftime.
Third Quarter
Chiefs 9th drive:
On the first play, Charles ran for four yards. Cassel threw an incomplete on the second play and on the third play, Bradley dropped an open pass. Ouch.
Colquitt punted to Cribbs where he took it to the 17 yard line. It was a 55 yard punt.
Browns 10th drive:
Sigh.
Harrison runs 11 yards for a first down. Then runs up the gut for 71 yards.
Sigh.
Chiefs 24 Browns 27
Chiefs 10th drive:
Jamaal Charles had a short loss to start off the drive, after Mark Bradley had a short return on the kickoff. Another dish to Charles and he almost gets the first down on a strong run where he fell forward towards the end. He has 106 yards rushing on the day. It's 3rd and 2.
TE Jake O'Connell dropped an easy pass from Cassel in the flat on third down. Chiefs are punting. That was a gut wrencher.
Browns 11th drive:
Nothing really for Cribbs on the return. Browns take over near the twenty yard line.
The Chiefs got the Browns to 3rd and 1 but Jerome Harrison converted the first on a handoff. He's been looking great today.
Brady Quinn throws up a bomb and Brandon Flowers picks it off. That's Quinn's second INT today. The Chiefs take over inside their own 10-yard line.
Chiefs 11th drive:
Jake O'Connell drops another pass from Cassel - this time for a sure 10-12 yard gain.
And another drop. Cassel's high pass to Bowe should have been caught. It would have been a first down. Time to punt. Nothing to show for that INT.
Browns 12th drive:
Not much for Cribbs on the return. He jumped in the air to avoid a tackle and basically fell on the ground.
Harrison was stuffed on first down and Cribbs was stopped short on 3rd and 6. Nice work by the Chiefs' run defense.
Cleveland doesn't really have a passing game today.
Chiefs 12th drive:
The Chiefs took over near their own 8-yard line and Jamaal Charles quickly got them past the 20-yard line with a couple of nice rushes. It's 3rd and 6.
Cassel's pass to Mark Bradley was off the mark. The Chiefs are 1/8 on third downs today. Colquitt time.
Browns 13th drive:
Nothing for Cribbs on the punt return. The Chiefs have actually contained Cribbs almost entirely on punt returns.