Give the defense its due following Chiefs’ 22-17 playoff victory over Cleveland Browns
With Patrick Mahomes at quarterback in the previous two postseasons — five games — the Chiefs had not scored fewer than 31 points.
That streak ended in the AFC Divisional Round against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, but the Chiefs’ postseason winning streak did not, largely because of the effort of the defense in a 22-17 victory at Arrowhead Stadium.
Big defensive plays sparked the Chiefs early and a physical open-field tackle forced a late Browns punt. It was enough to send the Chiefs into the AFC Championship Game for the third straight year. They’ll meet the Buffalo Bills next Sunday at 5:40 p.m. at Arrowhead.
“We got pressure on the quarterback, had a couple of big tackles and the coverage was tight,” coach Andy Reid said of his Chiefs’ final defensive stand.
An interception in the end zone thrown by Chad Henne, who was subbing for an injured Patrick Mahomes, gave the Browns possession with eight minutes remaining. They had the momentum, having just scored touchdowns on successive possessions. Another touchdown could have sent Cleveland to its first AFC title game since the 1989 season.
But after collecting one first down, the Browns faced a third-and-11. Baker Mayfield flicked a short pass to Kareem Hunt, who was wrestled down by Charvarius Ward after two yards. The Browns punted, figuring they would get the ball back.
They didn’t, thanks to a couple of first-down passes to put away the game.
The Chiefs’ defense watched the final four minutes tick away from the sideline, knowing they had produced a winning effort. The Browns managed just 308 total yards, and the 17 points they scored were the fewest allowed by the Chiefs in a playoff game since their 31-13 victory over the Indianapolis Colts two years ago.
“We were just trying to do our part,” Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu said.
The tone was set early. Three times in the first half, the Browns drove into Chiefs territory and they came away with only a field goal.
Big defensive moments of the first half included L’Jarius Sneed’s sack and Turk Wharton’s batting away a pass that resulted in an eight-yard loss. Frank Clark got a hand on the ball.
Another huge play occurred just before halftime. The Browns came close to their first touchdown when Mayfield hit Rashard Higgins in stride and the latter dove and stretched the ball toward the pylon about the same time safety Dan Sorensen arrived to make the hit.
The ball broke loose and trickled through the side of the end zone. Touchback, Chiefs ball at the 20.
Instead of seeing their lead reduced to just six points at 16-10, they drove for a field goal and led 19-3 at the break.
But did Sorensen lead with his helmet? On the CBS broadcast, rules analyst Gene Steratore said the officials missed a call that would have negated the Browns’ turnover.
The Chiefs’ sound defensive work continued to open the second half. The Browns got the second-half kickoff, and on their third play Mathieu stepped in front a Mayfield dart for his first career playoff interception.
The Browns scored touchdowns on their next two possessions, including one culminating a clock-draining, 18-play drive. The NFL’s third best rushing team during the regular season had gained only 18 yards on the ground in the first half. But after the break, Cleveland’s Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt got rolling behind the Browns’ talented offensive line.
“In the first half we did a helluva job keeping them contained,” Clark said. “We knew at some point they were going to get that running game going.”
But not enough to prevent the Chiefs from carving out a victory that was shaped by the defense.
This story was originally published January 17, 2021 at 6:42 PM.