The past few weeks have been hard for Kansas City Chiefs fans to swallow despite the consistent victories, mainly because everybody knew that the team was better than the output produced on the field. Those close games, last-second field goals, and weeks of being told they are the worst 12-1 team of all time all came to a head with a strong showing in Cleveland.

It wasn’t always pretty, and it never looked easy, but the Chiefs finally ran up a score to gain a 21-0 lead over the Browns by the middle of the third quarter. The defense played like its former self from last season and a few key players made the victory possible, but a few also had career days.

Game Ball #1: Trent McDuffie

Anytime a defense faces off against Jameis Winston, there are always opportunities to grab some interceptions, especially when Winston is down and needs to throw the ball in order to get back in the game. Luckily for Kansas City, that trend continued today as Winston tossed three interceptions before being benched in the fourth quarter.

One of those interceptions was a first-career pick for a Chiefs player who has solidified himself as a focal point on the defense: Trent McDuffie.

TRENT TAKES IT‼️#ProBowlVote + @trent_mcduffie pic.twitter.com/wznWBwAd7A

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 15, 2024

On top of the excitement that came with McDuffie’s first interception, it also shut down a surging Browns drive that was nearing the red zone to try and make it a one-score game to start the fourth quarter. A key play made by the key player in the Chiefs’ secondary.

Also, McDuffie finished the game with four tackles—one for a loss—and three pass deflections. Overall, a pretty dominant day deserving of a game ball for the All-Pro defensive back

Game Ball #2: George Karlaftis

“Furious George” Karlaftis has been on a tear this season, coming into the game with five sacks, three pass deflections, and 45 total pressures. Well, he continued in Cleveland, especially early in the game when he grabbed 2 sacks before the 10-minute mark of the second quarter.

THE FURIOUS ONE.#ProBowlVote + @TheGK3 pic.twitter.com/RzmXA5r3q3

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 15, 2024

Sunday marked Karlaftis’ second game of his career with multiple sacks and his first since Week 8 in a loss at Denver last season. It wasn’t just a multi-sack performance that earned Karlaftis the game ball, but it was also their timing and what they meant for Kansas City during the best part of the game for the Chiefs.

Karlaftis’s first sack came on 3rd-and-6 on the Browns’ first drive of the game, ending it at the 49-yard line and forcing Cleveland’s first punt of the day. The second sack also came on a third down, this time forcing a three-and-out to start the second quarter.

Both of Karlaftis’ sacks came at big moments that stopped drives in their tracks, inevitably helping the Chiefs’ momentum and chances of winning. He now has 23.5 career sacks and 7 this season.

Game Ball #3: Matt Araiza

This game ball could have gone to a lot of players but not many were as key as Araiza was in Week 15. Sadly, he was needed on nine separate occasions and managed to have a pretty perfect day with his leg.

Overall, Araiza punted for 399 yards with two of those landing inside the 20 and only one ending in a touchback, which came in the first quarter. The Browns had to start at their own 7, 11, and 12-yard lines during this game—all of which led to drives that didn’t score any points.

This is not the first time Araiza has earned a game ball for how often he was on the field, and it makes the decision to bring him in over Tommy Townsend this offseason even better-looking in the long run.

Honorable Mentions:

Chris Jones, DE – The stat sheet doesn’t show him getting more than three tackles, one of which for a loss, but his three quarterback hits and the amount of pressure he brought to both Cleveland QBs set the foundation for the defense’s big day with six turnovers. He also had a sack called back by a penalty to begin the game.

Xavier Worthy, WR – It wasn’t always pretty but Worthy led the team in receptions (six) and receiving yards (46) while also adding 30 yards on the ground and a touchdown.