Kansas City, Mo ? For a unit that had given up only eight touchdowns in eight games, the Cleveland defense sure got pushed around in Kansas City.

The Chiefs received three touchdown passes from Trent Green and two touchdowns rushing by Priest Holmes Sunday in the 41-20 victory that kept them unbeaten at 9-0.

Especially encouraging for the Chiefs was the way the wide receivers were brought into the attack.

Eddie Kennison caught seven balls for 115 yards and a touchdown, and Johnnie Morton caught three for 49 and another TD. In addition, tight end Tony Gonzalez had seven catches for 70 yards and another TD, and Holmes had seven catches for 66 yards to go along with his 92 yards rushing.

It all added up to 438 net yards against a defense that was giving up only 290 yards per game.

Toss in Dante Hall’s 159 yards in return yards and a third-down conversion ratio of 75 percent (12-of-16), and it made for a banner day for the Kansas City offense.

“Their offense clicks, they’re hard to stop,” Cleveland tackle Ryan Tucker said. “Their special teams is the best in the league right now, and they have a solid defense. In all three phases, they are pretty solid. You have to take your hat off to those guys.”

The 75 percent third-down conversion ratio is the Chiefs’ best since 1972, when the NFL started keeping that stat.

“A lot of people still have doubts about the Kansas City Chiefs right now,” Kennison said. “They continue having doubts, and we continue winning. Regardless of what people say or think, this is a together football team.”

Kansas City's Priest Holmes (21) picks up yardage while being chased by Cleveland's Kenard Lang (96). Holmes scored twice in the Chiefs' 41-20 victory Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

The Browns, who were without leading running back William Green, had only 199 net yards.

“You don’t want to try and get in a score-a-thon against Kansas City,” Cleveland coach Butch Davis said. “Their offensive personnel is such that to win a game and beat these guys, you’ve got to do great things in all phases of the game.”

Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said never had a team convert 75 percent of its third downs.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had anybody complete 12 of 16 against a good defensive football team. They were ranked high against the pass,” he said. “We haven’t been satisfied or pleased with our third-down-conversion offense, and the guys did a great job.”

In the drive for home-field advantage in the playoffs, the Chiefs are the only AFC team without at least two losses.

Is it going to become harder to keep focused every week?

“We don’t need any predetermined excuses from anybody to all of a sudden not play well,” Vermeil said. “If you’re a good football team on one Sunday, you should be a good football team the next Sunday. If our own performance isn’t incentive enough to keep us going, then we may not be as good as we’d like.”

So is it time for the 1972 Dolphins, the only team to go unbeaten through an entire season, to begin to worry?

“I guess it’s time to quit asking those questions,” safety Jerome Woods said. “We’re taking one week at a time, and whatever happens, happens.”