The Cleveland Browns found themselves down 16-3 late in the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs in their AFC Divisional Playoff matchup Sunday afternoon. Cleveland needed to get something going prior to the half in order to make this a game as major underdogs.
This looked like it was going to happen with Baker Mayfield displaying pinpoint accuracy in a drive to conclude the second quarter. That’s until Cleveland Browns wide receiver Rashard Higgins made a mistake that could already have put the game on ice.
As you can see, Higgins fumbled the ball as he reached for the pylon. NFL rules then called for the Chiefs to gain possession via a touchback.
Certainly, the touchback rule appears to be a bit archaic in the grand scheme of things. Those watching the game pointed that out, too. Unfortunately, they are currently the rules.
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It’s just a brutal way for the Cleveland Browns to end the first half. A touchdown here would have made this a six-point game with Cleveland opening up the second half in possession of the ball.
Instead, the long-downtrodden organization found itself down 19-3 after the Chiefs kicked a field goal to end the first half. That’s about as bad as it gets against the defending champion Chiefs.