Chiefs report card: Whew! Plenty of good grades from a playoff escape against Browns
The Kansas CIty Chiefs defeated the Cleveland Browns 22-17 in an AFC Divisional Round game Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
Next up: the Buffalo Bills next Sunday in the AFC Championship Game.
Here’s the report card from the Chiefs’ win over the Browns.
KC STAR OF THE GAME
Plenty of good moments for Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Darrel Williams and Chad Henne. But defense was particularly excellent, especially in the first half, holding the Browns to a field goal.
Mathieu chipped in an interception early in the second half and was an emotional leader throughout the game. The Chiefs surrendered at least 20 points in each of their playoff victories last season, and in all five of Mahomes’ previous playoff appearances.
This time, the Chiefs needed a good defensive effort with the wobbly kicking game and only two touchdowns — not to mention Mahomes knocked out of the game because of a possible concussion.
Reason to hope: The Chiefs won a playoff game that Mahomes didn’t finish. How fortunate does it seem that Andy Reid rested his starters, including Mahomes in Week 17? That helped prepare Henne for the big moments in the fourth quarter. Also, how about Reid’s play-calls late in the game? Henne’s first-down passes to Williams and Hill made sure the Browns never got the ball back.
Reason to mope: The Mahomes injury, certainly. Now, Chiefs fans everywhere will wait for the medical report. Sunday marked the only the second time Mahomes didn’t finish a game because of an injury.
Next: The Chiefs are the first team in AFC/AFL history to host a conference championship game for a third straight year. The second-seeded Bills and quarterback Josh Allen look for their first AFC title since the 1993 season.
REPORT CARD
Passing offense: B
Mahomes was on his way to one of his best playoff games when he was removed from the game and evaluated for a concussion. His numbers: 21 of 30 for 255 yards and a touchdown for a 106.9 passer rating. Kelce and Hill delivered their usual production, with Kelce catching his seventh career touchdown pass in the playoffs.
The ball was handed to Henne, and his start was so-so. The interception was bad — a deep ball to Demarcus Robinson? But his first-down pass to Williams helped the Chiefs drain the clock in the final minutes, and his fourth-and-1 rollout dart to Tyreek Hill may be the biggest play in Henne’s career.
Rushing offense: A
Clyde Edwards-Helaire was ruled out, and Le’Veon Bell played sparingly. The bulk of running back duty fell to Williams, and he proved up to the task. He flashed a combination of hard-nosed running, which he’s delivered for the Chiefs in his three-year career, and elusiveness. In his first career start, Williams finished with 78 rushing yards, the best total of his career. The Chiefs finished with 123 yards on the ground and outgained the Browns, the NFL’s third best rushing team.
Passing defense: B
Two standouts: Mathieu and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Mathieu’s interception to open the third quarter should have been the demoralizing moment that crushed the Browns. But the Chiefs missed a short field goal, and the Browns responded with a touchdown. Sneed contributed a sack and tackle for loss.
Safety Dan Sorensen also made a huge play, knocking the ball loose from Rashard Higgins, who fumbled it through the end zone. Sorensen appeared to have made contact with his helmet, but no penalty was called the Chiefs got possession at their own 20. Charvarius Ward made a great open-field tackle on Kareem Hunt to force a punt with 4:09 remaining.
Rushing defense: A
The game got off to a great start. The Browns didn’t seem interested in running early and the Chiefs stopped the few attempts they made. For some reason, Hunt got no touches in the first half. Nick Chubb was terrific in the second half, rushing for 51 yards in the third quarter. The Chiefs were on the field for much of the second half, but their defense held up. The Browns finished with 112 rushing yards.
Special teams: D
What is it about the 33-yard distance for the Chiefs’ field-goal operation? Kicker Harrison Butker missed an extra point and a field goal from that distance. Snapper James Winchester and holder Tommy Townsend complete the team. Here’s hoping they got some inconsistency out of their system Sunday.
This story was originally published January 17, 2021 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Chiefs report card: Whew! Plenty of good grades from a playoff escape against Browns."