CLEVELAND — Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes before leaving in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury, Xavier Worthy ran for a score and the Kansas City Chiefs finally didn’t have to sweat out the final minutes with a 21-7 victory over the mistake-prone Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
Mahomes connected for TDs in the first half with Juju Smith-Schuster and Noah Gray as the Chiefs (13-1) built a 21-0 lead and then slogged their way through an ugly second half.
The defending Super Bowl champions have 10 wins by seven points or less, with six coming on the game’s final play.
Mahomes didn’t finish the game, leaving in the fourth quarter when he hurt his left ankle while being tackled. Carson Wentz replaced him for the final 5:23. Mahomes finished 19 of 38 for 159 yards.
The Browns (3-11) tried to put up a fight, but had six turnovers. Other than a 62-yard TD run from Jerome Ford, Cleveland had few offensive highlights and too many self-inflicted miscues.
Jameis Winston threw more three interceptions — two in the end zone to give him eight in his last three games — and the Browns had two fumbles. The five turnovers made things much easier on Mahomes and the Chiefs, not that they needed a lot of help.
Winston was pulled after his third pick and replaced by second-year QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who threw a pick.
Cleveland’s Jerry Jeudy had 11 catches for 108 yards and went over 1,000 for the season.
The Chiefs’ second TD — Mahomes’ 6-yard pass to Gray with 4:46 left in the first half — came on the same play Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett left the field in extreme pain with an apparent eye injury.
Garrett was rushing Mahomes and being blocked by Chiefs left tackle Joe Thuney when he suddenly stopped. The league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year immediately grabbed his face mask and pulled off his helmet, flinging it away before dropping to the turf.
He was face down for several minutes before being helped off. As Garrett walked toward the locker room holding a towel to his face, Thuney came over and patted him on the back.
Garrett was only gone for a short period before he ran back on to the field and finished the game.
The Chiefs took a 21-0 lead early in the third, capitalizing on a pick by Winston that went off running back Nick Chubb’s hands. Four plays later, Worthy took a deep pitch from Mahomes, turned the corner and scored.
Kansas City’s first score was set up by Cleveland’s first turnover.
After the Browns forced a three-and-out on Kansas City’s first possession, Cleveland’s James Proche II fumbled during a punt return and the Chiefs recovered at the 21.
Mahomes then connected with Schuster for a 7-yard TD with 12:12 left in the first quarter.
Taylor Swift ended her world tour. She decided not to hit the road in the NFL just yet.
The pop superstar had been expected to attend the game to cheer on boyfriend Travis Kelce, the Chiefs tight end who grew up in Cleveland. But Swift, who turned 35 on Friday, wasn’t on hand despite rumors she would make an appearance.
Taylor has been at several Chiefs games in Kansas City the past two seasons since she began dating Kelce.
Chiefs: S Chamarri Conner suffered a concussion while making a tackle in the second quarter. … Kelce came up limping after an early play, but walked it off and stayed in.
Browns: Chubb, who came back this season following knee surgery, suffered a foot injury in the third and didn’t return. … CB Martin Emerson Jr. went to the locker room in the second quarter to be evaluated for a concussion. He did not return. … DT Shelby Harris (elbow) went out in the second quarter.
Chiefs: Host Houston on Dec. 21 before visiting Pittsburgh on Christmas Day.
Browns: At Cincinnati on Sunday.
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