Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns Recap: Chiefs start 2-0 for first time since 2005

Lost amid the hoopla of the NFL media circus is a slowly developing story in the heartland where the Kansas City Chiefs have won their home & road openers for the first time in five years.  Apparently the game was so dull & uninspiring that only one play from it made any of the major network highlight reels for the day.  While a conquest of the Browns gathers little attention these days, the reality of back to back W's has Chiefs fans in shock.   

Henceforth our grades:

Offense: C

KC ran early, often & effectively as they piled up 140 rushing yards, averaging 3.6 yards per carry.  Thomas Jones shouldered the load with 22 rushes for 83 yards & Jamaal Charles added 49 yards on 11 totes.  Good thing too as the passing game was pretty much ineffective for the second straight game.  Matt Cassel finished with 176 yards on 16 completions out of 28 attempts but was picked off twice.  When push came to shove the Chiefs either punted or tried a field goal.  They failed to put the ball into the endzone all game long & once more put the onus of pressure to win on the defense.  This is an offense that so far lacks finishing skills, but also one that can at least figure out a way to give their defense a little breather by running the football.

Defense: A

The Chiefs defense stepped up & took command of this football game with one notable exception, a 65 yard scoring scamper by the Browns Josh Cribbs late in the second quarter.  After that play Cleveland got the ball for seven more possessions & the KC defense forced them to punt six times.  The only non-punt for Cleveland in the second half was a missed chip shot field goal.  Brandon Flowers provided the aforementioned solo highlight with a 33 yard pick six off Seneca Wallace for the only Chiefs touchdown on the day.  This defense is making tackles, pressuring the quarterback & bottling up the run for the first time in what feels like years for long suffering Chiefs fans.  Granted the Browns are struggling offensively, but surely confidence is growing for this KC defense.    

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Special Teams: C

After a sizzling start last Monday night in a victory over the San Diego Chargers the Chiefs return teams thudded back to earth with not a single return of distinction.  The new "X" factor for Kansas City is one for two in terms of changing game dynamics as they struck out versus the Browns.  Coverage wise the Chiefs looked every bit as good as Cleveland did as neither team could come up with any type of return worthy of note.  The game featured a total of 14 punts by both teams.  How exciting.

Coaching: B          

While it certainly wasn't pretty or inspiring football, at least Head Coach Todd Haley & his crew delivered with a road victory in the NFL.  Given that result, coupled with preparing this team to play on a short week, the coaches get a nod of the cap for leading this team to its best start in half a decade.  Next up KC returns home to take on a clearly improved San Francisco 49er team that gave defending champion New Orleans all it could handle on Monday Night Football.  The Chiefs have a chance to improve to 3-0 at home but something tells me it is not going to be very easy.

By Allan Gardner
ProFootball-fans.com Kansas City Chiefs Correspondent