The preseason is officially in the books for the Kansas City Chiefs following a narrow 33-32 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday afternoon. Head coach Andy Reid decided not to play starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, making the Chiefs’ third exhibition game a battle between Shane Buechele and Blaine Gabbert for the backup QB spot. Starters Travis Kelce and Nick Bolton did not play in the game to prevent potential injury.
First Quarter
Kansas City opened up the scoring with a 32-yard Harrison Butker field goal, but it was former Chief Juan Thornhill who scored the game’s first touchdown. Buechele threw a pass that hit receiver Cornell Powell square in the hands, but the ball squirted out and bounced off a Cleveland defender’s fist before entering Thornhill’s arms as he raced up the sideline and into the end zone to take a 7-3 lead.
On the following possession, Kansas City’s offense returned to the field. Buechele proceeded to throw two incomplete passes. On 3rd and 10, Buechele went to the air again and got intercepted again, this time by Browns safety Rodney Mcleod. Three plays later, Cleveland is in the end zone after quarterback Deshaun Watson finds wide receiver David Njoku for the score.
On their next possession following another Kansas City punt, Cleveland put another scoring drive together after Watson found a massive hole in the Chiefs’ defense and capitalized by connecting with receiver Amari Cooper for a 53-yard pass play from their 24-yard line to advance deep into the Chiefs’ side of the field. Five plays later, two yards for the goalline, Watson hands the ball off to running back John Kelly, who ponds his way up the middle for another touchdown.
Second Quarter
Down 21-3, ten yards from his own end zone, Buechele finally got a drive going that began with a 30-yard run from running back La’Michel Perine. On the next play, Buechele hooked up with tight end Matt Bushman to move the sticks 13 yards and get the Chiefs across midfield. Five plays later, from the Cleveland 19-yard line, Buechele completes a 15-yard pass to Perine to advance within five yards of the goal line. After a one-yard gain from Perine on the group, Buechele floats a pass to the left side of the end zone for Justyn Ross, who elevates for the grab and Kansas City’s first touchdown of the game.
After the score, Buechele’s day ended with 12:17 left in the first half. The third-year QB’s performance was arguably his worst of the three preseason games, finishing 8 of 17 for 89 yards passing, a touchdown, and two interceptions that included a pick-six.
After the next three possessions ended in punts, Kansas City got the football with 4:09 remaining in the first half. On the third play of the drive, Gabbert converted on 3rd and nine by connecting with one of his favorite preseason targets, wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, for a 30-yard completion to the Cleveland 43. Two plays later, Gabberts looks Smith-Marsette’s way again, this time for a 28-yard gain to the Browns’ 15-yard line.
After taking a sack for a five-yard loss and throwing incomplete for receiver Justyn Ross, Gabbert checks down to La’Mical Perine on 3rd and 15. Perine begins turning upfield, breaks one tackle, and slips out of two more as he sprints 20 yards up the sideline and into the end zone for a score. The Chiefs opted to go for two after the touchdown, but Gabbert’s throw to Rashee Rice fell incomplete, and the play failed to convert.
Cleveland’s offense took over with 1:39 left in the first half but was forced to punt after traveling 26 yards in eight plays. Kansas City retook possession at their 25-yard line, and Gabbert attempted a dart to Matt Bushman, but the pass was intercepted by defensive back Caleb Biggers, who found a clear lane for a touchdown. The half expired with Kansas City down 29-16.
Third Quarter
Both teams punted on their first possession of the second half. Kansas City’s offense returned to the field with 10:06 in the third quarter. After a four-yard run by running back Jerrion Ealy and a nine-yard scramble from Gabbert, the former Mizzou QB showed off his veteran arm strength once again with a 12-yard pass that connected with Rashee Rice to move the chains to the 34-yard line. After five more plays, the Chiefs offense sputtered to a halt and failed to convert on 3rd down and three at the Browns’ 48-yard line.
Kansas City attempted to go for the first down, but Gabbert’s intended pass for Smith-Marsette fell incomplete. Luckily, the Browns’ Caleb Biggers was penalized for defensive pass interference, which forced an automatic first down, keeping the Chiefs’ offense on the field. With a new set of downs, Gabbert let a pass fly deep for Smith-Marsette, who made the catch and took it for a 43-yard touchdown score.
Blaine Gabberts’ day came to an end after his second touchdown pass. He finished the game going 10 of 18 for 169 yards with two touchdown passes and an interception. After the Chiefs’ latest score, Cleveland’s Kellen Mond threw a pass intended for wide receiver Jalen Wayne but was picked off by cornerback Dicaprio Bootle to get the ball back for Kansas City.
Fourth-string quarterback Chris Oladokun entered the game with under five minutes to play in the third quarter, starting at the Browns’ 26-yard line. After a 15-yard run by running back Deneric Prince to reach the 11-yard line, Oladokun tried handing the ball off to the rookie again, but the play got shut down for no gain. On the next play, Oladokun lobbed a pass for Matt Bushman, who connected in the end zone for the tieing score. On the point-after-try, safety Justin Reid showed off his exceptional kicking ability by nailing the ball through the uprights for the extra point that gave the Chiefs the lead for the first time in the game.
Fourth Quarter
Kansas City had the ball to begin the final quarter of the preseason after forcing the Browns to punt as the third period expired. The Chiefs’ offense remained on the field for eleven plays but only traveled 26 yards before going three-and-out.
Down by a point, Kellen Mond led the Browns offense 48 yards down the field in 13 plays before stumbling at the Kansas City 22-yard line after Mond’s pass for Austin Watkins fell incomplete, failing to convert on 3rd and five. On the following play, the Browns called on their special teams unit, and Kicker Cade York drove in a 40-yard field goal to reclaim the lead.
Once again down by a couple points with time dwindling with 4:09 left in the game, Oladokun began moving the Chiefs offense. After driving 26 yards in nine plays, the Chiefs offense fizzled out at the Cleveland 26-yard line but were close enough to set up kicker Harrison Butker to send in a 44-yard line drive through the uprights for a one-point lead.
Cleveland had one last chance to set Cade York up for a game-winning kick, but the second-year product from LSU shanked the field goal attempt, letting Kansas City escape with the victory.
