How Chiefs’ turnover spree was helped by Browns’ Jumbotron: ‘Right place, right time’
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie admitted in a postgame radio interview that he did a “bad thing” in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns.
KC defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo always preaches eye discipline. But as one pass play dragged on, McDuffie let his gaze wander.
“For whatever reason, I somehow glanced up at the Jumbotron because it was a scramble drill and just saw him launch it,” McDuffie said of Browns quarterback Jameis Winston. “I was like, ‘That’s to my side, so let me just turn around.’”
McDuffie did just in time — snagging his first career interception for one of the biggest momentum shifts in the Chiefs’ 21-7 road victory Sunday over the Cleveland Browns.
All because he got an assist from the opposing team’s stadium at Huntington Bank Field.
“Man, right place, right time,” McDuffie said with a grin.
Chiefs safety Bryan Cook labeled the play “legendary” in the locker room afterward. Fellow safety Justin Reid believed that was the “moment that really iced them.”
McDuffie, however, was most proud to be part of a team effort that produced six takeaways — especially after the team had combined for just one in its three previous games.
“That’s a huge confidence boost for the defense,” McDuffie said, “and also I think it just happened at the right time and allowed us to really just sit back and say, ‘OK, we know we can do this now. Let’s just keep rolling.’”
Each turnover Sunday had a backstory — with perseverance and persistence resulting in tangible progress.
Take linebacker Leo Chenal’s third-quarter forced fumble that linebacker Drue Tranquill recovered. The technique Chenal used to punch the ball out from Browns running back Nick Chubb was pre-meditated — and also rehearsed.
That’s because of Chiefs outside linebackers coach Rod Wilson’s background. Wilson previously played with the Chicago Bears and was teammates with Charles “Peanut” Tillman, who set an NFL record for forced fumbles as a cornerback while frequently using his “Peanut Punch” to pry the ball free.
Chiefs assistant coaches rotate through presentations throughout the week, and Chenal said Wilson’s often center on Tillman’s art of creating fumbles.
“It’s definitely him helping me, pushing me and pushing me and pushing our whole group, really,” Chenal told the Star. “That’s something we work on constantly in practice, and it came to fruition.”
Chenal believes the best technique is a forceful punch from up high to down low. Even the most secure of ball handlers could struggle to withstand the force of a blow coming from that particular trajectory.
Teammates know, then, that Chenal coming through in this moment did not happen by accident.
“The one Leo had, he punched at the ball maybe 1,000 times before that play actually came,” Chiefs safety Bryan Cook said. “So when it came, it’s like, ‘Oh it was a great play. It was a bit out of a habit.’ But that was a teach-tape play. That was beautiful.”
Spagnuolo also continually harps on his guys to practice ball-stripping rituals.
So much so that, nearly every day in film, he shows his group every instance from the previous day’s practice when a defender attempted to jar the ball free from one of his offensive teammates. Reid, in the locker room, referred to those clips as the defense’s “turnover tapes.”
“Just a strong emphasis on punching the ball out, getting interceptions,” Reid said. “Every week, we talk about it.”
This game, the Chiefs actually did it.
And it was a big deal as well. According to the win-probability calculations at rbsdm.com, the Browns’ turnovers were six of the most significant seven plays of the game according to expected points added, with each snap swinging the contest between 4.4 and 5.6 points in the Chiefs’ direction.
It was a group effort.
Rookie safety Jaden Hicks — he had a fourth-quarter interception — said he was helped by Reid, who actually deflected the ball to him. Reid joked afterward that he “gifted him that one.”
Hicks made the most of his opportunity, though, weaving like an offensive player while returning it 47 yards.
“I used to play running back back in the day,” Hicks told The Star with a laugh. “You got to see that a little bit.”
The Chiefs’ Nick Bolton and Cook also added interceptions, while KC’s special teams delivered with a fumble recovery in the first quarter.
It continued a positive trend, according to Pro Football Network’s research. The Chiefs have now won 24 straight games when forcing multiple turnovers, with their last loss coming in Week 2 of 2021.
Perhaps most importantly, the effort revived a Chiefs defense that had struggled the last four weeks. KC had five sacks, forced six punts, and allowed just 4.4 yards per play.
Cook described the day as “phenomenal” for KC’s defense while also serving as some reassurance.
“Every year, you’ve got to find your new identity. Every year is a new team,” Cook said. “So I think now we’re starting in that groove of who we are and what we can become. And I think that’s the most beautiful part.”
McDuffie said he’d leave Sunday with high spirits — and also some fresh memorabilia. Receiver Nikko Remigio snagged McDuffie’s interception ball, with McDuffie saying he hadn’t seen it yet.
“But once I leave here,” McDuffie said with a smile, “I’m going to tell him, ‘Get me that football so I can sleep with it tonight.’”
It was just part of an encouraging day for the Chiefs defenders, who came into Sunday’s contest believing this could be the day for a turnover breakout.
“We were able to turn the tide,” Reid said. “We’ve just got to keep it rolling now.”
This story was originally published December 15, 2024 at 6:12 PM.
