Undefeated Patriots beat Browns, add 300th win to Bill Belichick's record
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Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots reacts to a touch down by Dont'a Hightower in the game against the Cleveland Browns at the Gillette Stadium, October 27, 2019. /VCG Photo

Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots reacts to a touch down by Dont'a Hightower in the game against the Cleveland Browns at the Gillette Stadium, October 27, 2019. /VCG Photo

Bill Belichick was 39 years old when he coached the Cleveland Browns to a win over the New England Patriots in 1991 - his first as an NFL coach.

As Belichick trotted toward the center of the field Sunday, his trademark cutoff hooded sweatshirt soaked in rain following the Patriots' 27-13 win over the Browns, he did so as a member of a small, but elite group of coaches.

Tom Brady threw for 259 yards and two touchdown passes to help Belichick earn his 300th career victory in the Patriots' win.

Tom Brady #12 and Bill Belichick of the Nee England Patriots shakes hands to celebrate Belichick's 300th win after the game against the Cleveland Browns at the Gillette Stadium, October 27, 2019. /VCG Photo

Tom Brady #12 and Bill Belichick of the Nee England Patriots shakes hands to celebrate Belichick's 300th win after the game against the Cleveland Browns at the Gillette Stadium, October 27, 2019. /VCG Photo

Belichick sits behind only Don Shula (347) and George Halas (324) on the NFL's all-time list.

"Fortunately I didn't play in any of those games,"Belichick said. "I was a part of those, but honestly, players win games in this league and I've been fortunate to coach a lot of great ones."

The Patriots improved to 8-0 for the third time in team history and the first time since 2015, when they started 10-0. The Browns have lost three straight games.

Tom Brady of the New England Patriots thirws the ball in the game against the Cleveland Browns at the Gillette Stadium, October 27, 2019. /VCG Photo

Tom Brady of the New England Patriots thirws the ball in the game against the Cleveland Browns at the Gillette Stadium, October 27, 2019. /VCG Photo

Brady completed 20 of 36 passes, hitting Julian Edelman on eight of them for 78 yards and both TDs.

New England capitalized on three first-quarter turnovers by Cleveland to take a 17-0 lead. Running back Nick Chubb had back-to-back fumbles and quarterback Baker Mayfield had an interception.

The Patriots have now forced a league-high 25 turnovers this season.

Safety and captain Devin McCourty said they now come into games expecting to force two or three turnovers.

"It's an awareness to hunt the football," he said. "As a defense we all know that."

Players of the Cleveland Browns in the game against the New England Patriots at the Gillette Stadium, October 27, 2019. /VCG Photo

Players of the Cleveland Browns in the game against the New England Patriots at the Gillette Stadium, October 27, 2019. /VCG Photo

The Browns did trim New England's lead to 17-10 early in the third quarter. But the Patriots struck right back on their next possession, using a 59-yard completion from Brady to James White to help set up a 14-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Edelman.

Chubb ran for 131 yards, and Mayfield finished 20 of 31 for 194 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots have now won 21 straight games against first- or second-year signal callers, the longest such streak in NFL history.

Cleveland's first-quarter turnovers came on three consecutive plays.

Brady said they are already looking to add to Belichick's win total.

"The only thing better than 300 is 301," he said.

Rodgers, Jones shine to help Packers take down Chiefs

Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers passes the ball in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Arrowhead Stadium, October 27,2019. /VCG Photo

Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers passes the ball in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Arrowhead Stadium, October 27,2019. /VCG Photo

Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers receives a pass in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Arrowhead Stadium, October 27,2019. /VCG Photo

Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers receives a pass in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Arrowhead Stadium, October 27,2019. /VCG Photo

Aaron Rodgers threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Aaron Jones on a big night for the Green Bay running back, and the Packers held off fill-in quarterback Matt Moore and the rest of the banged-up Chiefs for a 31-24 victory Sunday night.

"I totally trust our quarterback," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said, "and I trust Aaron Jones as a receiver. He made some great plays all night long."

Jones, who briefly left with a shoulder injury, had seven catches for 159 yards and added 67 on the ground - a big chunk of them in the closing minutes, when the Packers (7-1) sealed their first win at Arrowhead Stadium since Nov. 4, 2007.

"He's very talented," Rodgers said, "and I think this scheme is giving him the opportunity to do a lot more out of the backfield. You know, we're splitting him out and throwing the ball to him. We kind of caught lightning in a bottle there a couple of times. Hit him on a slant-and-go for 50 and on a screen pass for 70 or whatever. He's a talented guy. I'm very proud of him."

Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs is ruled out of the game against the Green Bay Packers at the Arrowhead Stadium on October 27 because of kneecap dislocation. /VCG Photo

Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs is ruled out of the game against the Green Bay Packers at the Arrowhead Stadium on October 27 because of kneecap dislocation. /VCG Photo

The Chiefs (5-3) hoped Mahomes could make a miraculous recovery 10 days after dislocating his kneecap in Denver in time to play. But after the league MVP was limited all week in practice, coach Andy Reid announced Friday his franchise quarterback would be inactive for the game.

Moore took the reins of the high-powered offense and fared well, throwing for 267 yards with two touchdowns and no picks in the ex-high school coach's first start in more than two years.

It wasn't the Rodgers-Mahomes matchup everyone wanted, but Moore and Co. made sure it was still an entertaining game between teams with Super Bowl aspirations.

It started like most outside the walls of 1 Arrowhead Drive expected, with Rodgers slicing up the defense and Green Bay marching for two quick touchdowns.

Matt Moore #8 of the Kansas City Chiefs throws a fourth quarter pass in the game against the Green Bay Packers at the Arrowhead Stadium, October 27, 2019. /VCG Photo

Matt Moore #8 of the Kansas City Chiefs throws a fourth quarter pass in the game against the Green Bay Packers at the Arrowhead Stadium, October 27, 2019. /VCG Photo

But after a shaky start by Moore, the journeyman quarterback found a groove. He led the Chiefs on an 89-yard drive that ended with a make-it-rain 29-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce, then found Mecole Hardman on a 30-yard pitch-and-catch to knot the game.

The Chiefs led 17-14 at halftime, raising some eyebrows across the league.

"Once we got in the flow," Moore said, "we were kind of rolling for a little while."

LaFleur made a couple adjustments, though, and Rodgers and Co. began to move the ball once more. They used a 15-play drive that soaked up more than half the third quarter to get a tying field goal, then got the ball back when LeSean McCoy fumbled on the very next play.

Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers escapes defensive pressure from Derrick Nnadi #91 of the Kansas City Chiefs in the game at the Arrowhead Stadium, October 27, 2019. /VCG Photo

Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers escapes defensive pressure from Derrick Nnadi #91 of the Kansas City Chiefs in the game at the Arrowhead Stadium, October 27, 2019. /VCG Photo

Five players later, Rodgers conjured up more of his magic.

With third down at the 3, he dropped back and was flushed from the pocket. He rolled to his right and threw a blind pass to the back corner of the end zone, where Damien Williams somehow took the ball away from Chiefs linebacker Ben Niemann while tapping both feet inbounds.

Rodgers was lying flat on his back, staring at the sky, as the official signaled touchdown.

"I truly believe he was throwing it away," Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu said.

The Chiefs answered with another long drive, and just when it appeared they had finally been stopped, the Packers' Tramon Williams was flagged for illegal use of hands. That gave Kansas City the ball inside the 5, and Damien Williams scored on the next play to tie it again.

It took the Packers all of 56 seconds to score the eventual winner.

Aaron Jones #33 of the Green Bay Packers runs with the ball in the game agants the Kansas City Chiefs at the Arrowhead Stadium, October 27, 2019. /VCG Photo

Aaron Jones #33 of the Green Bay Packers runs with the ball in the game agants the Kansas City Chiefs at the Arrowhead Stadium, October 27, 2019. /VCG Photo

Rodgers again found Jones out of the backfield, and this time he found a lane through the entire Kansas City secondary. It was a foot race from there, and the speedy running back hop-skipped over the goal line to finish off the 67-yard touchdown reception.

"He's an explosive weapon," LaFleur said. "You don't find too many running backs that can go out there and produce like that. You don't see many running backs that you can put them on the outside and run a slant-and-go. I think he's dynamic as a runner, a receiver, a pass protector."

The Chiefs were forced to punt on the ensuing possession and never got the ball back.

Other games on Sunday included (home teams in bold):

Seattle Seahawks 27-20 Atlanta Falcons

Denver Broncos 13-15 Indianapolis Colts

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-27 Tennessee Titans

Arizona Cardinals 9-31 New Orleans Saints

Cincinnati Bengals 10-24 Los Angeles Rams

Philadelphia Eagles 31-13 Buffalo Bills

Los Angeles Chargers 17-16 Chicago Bears

New York Giants 26-31 Detroit Lions

New York Giants 15-29 Jacksonville Jaguars

Carolina Panthers 13-51 San Francisco 49ers

Oakland Raiders 24-27 Houston Texans

Source(s): AP