Page 16 - aruba-today-20210118

A16 sports
Monday 18 January 2021

After losing Mahomes, Chiefs and Henne hold off Browns 22-17

By DAVE SKRETTA positive as we look at this.
AP Sports Writer He passed all the deals he
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — needed to pass and we'll
The Kansas City Chiefs had see where it goes from
lost Patrick Mahomes to here." The momentum final-
a concussion and were in ly turned, the Browns be-
danger of losing the game. gan to lean heavily on their
Then their defense and vaunted run game, which
Chad Henne — their de- had produced just 18 yards
fense and Chad Henne?! in the first half. Chubb con-
— kept their hopes of a verted on fourth down
Super Bowl repeat alive, with a hard run, then Hunt
holding off the Cleveland followed another fourth-
Browns 22-17 on Sunday down conversion on the
to advance to their third same drive by hitting the
straight AFC championship end zone against his former
game. team to make it 22-17 with
"#HenneThingIsPossible," a 11:07 to go.
sidelined Mahomes wrote It remained with Cleveland
on Twitter immediately af- when Karl Joseph picked
ter the victory. off Henne in the end zone
With their star quarterback a few minutes later, but
reduced to a spectator, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is helped off the field by teammate Mike the Chiefs defense stuff
the oft-forgotten bunch Remmers, right, after getting injured during the second half of an NFL divisional round football Nick Chubb on first down,
opposite Mahomes' high- game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in Kansas City. Associated Press forced an incomple-
powered offense forced tion and ultimately made
the Browns to punt in the become the first AFC team ground and through the The entire complexion of Cleveland punt it away.
waning minutes. Then, to host three consecutive air. In fact, Mahomes was the game changed early The Browns never got an-
his 35-year-old backup conference title games. so sharp passing in the first in the third quarter, though. other chance with the ball.
showed some moxie with They'll face the Buffalo Bills half that he even complet- First, the Browns held the BACK ON THE FIELD
a long third-down scram- next Sunday. ed a celebratory heave to Chiefs when Mayfield threw Stefanski made his playoff
ble and audacious fourth- "It stings," Browns coach a lucky fan in the far reach- an interception and Butker head coaching debut after
down completion to Tyreek Kevin Stefanski said. "We es of Arrowhead Stadium's missed a field goal off the missing last week's game in
Hill — when go-for-broke came here to win and upper deck following his upright. Then, Mayfield led Pittsburgh because of CO-
Andy Reid decided to go didn't get the job done. touchdown jaunt. them briskly the other way, VID-19. Pro Bowl OL Joel
for it — that gave the Chiefs There is a finality to that." After the teams swapped capping a 77-yard drive Bitonio and CBs Denzel
a first down with just over Baker Mayfield threw for field goals, with Butker with a touchdown throw to Ward and Kevin Johnson
a minute left and allowed 204 yards with a touch- breaking the Chiefs play- Jarvis Landry. And finally, also were back from their
them to run out the clock. down and an interception off record with a 50-yarder roughly 17,000 fans allowed illnesses.
"That's why we love Big for the Browns, who were into the wind, the Browns into the stadium because INJURIES
Red. He's always on time," coming off their first playoff marched for what could of the pandemic were left Browns: LT Jedrick Wills Jr.
Chiefs safety Tyrann Ma- win since the 1994 season. have been a momentum- sitting in stunned silence left with an ankle injury on
thieu said. "He's like our spirit But their inability to drive for swinging score heading when Mahomes was tack- their first offensive play. His
warrior out here behind the the winning touchdown — into halftime. But just when led around the head with backup, Kendall Lamm, left
scenes. He's always trying they punted with 4:23 left wide receiver Rashard Hig- 7:27 left in the quarter and with an elbow injury, forc-
stuff. We always knew he in the game — kept them gins tried to stretch over the was left crumpled on the ing Blake Hance to make
has one play on the table." from winning two playoff goal line for a touchdown, turf near midfield. his second NFL appear-
Mahomes hadn't played games in a season for the the Chiefs' Daniel Sorensen Mahomes, already hob- ance.
in 21 days, since the Chiefs first time since 1950. arrived to deliver a hit, pop- bled by a foot injury, stum- Chiefs: RB Clyde Edwards-
clinched the AFC's top seed Mahomes completed 11 ping the ball loose and into bled as he tried to get to Helaire (ankle) was inac-
in Week 16, but he hardly of his first 12 passes and led the end zone for a touch- his feet. He was eventually tive after returning to prac-
missed a beat before leav- the Chiefs to back-to-back back — the call stood after helped to the blue tent on tice this week for the first
ing midway through the touchdowns to start the a video review. the sideline, then ran to the time since mid-December.
third quarter. He finished game. Mahomes ran for Compounding the miscue locker room, where he was CB Bashaud Breeland left
21 of 30 for 255 yards and the first and let Travis Kelce for Cleveland? The Chiefs evaluated for a concus- in the fourth quarter with a
touchdowns passing and turn a dump-off into a 20- had 1:32 left, plenty of time sion. concussion.
running. yard catch for the other, for Mahomes to get them "It kind of knocked the wind UP NEXT
Harrison Butker added making him the first player within range of Butker's out of him and everything The Chiefs begin prepar-
three field goals for the since Steve Young in 1995 strong right leg. His chip- else," Reid said after the ing for the Bills next Sunday.
Chiefs, who nearly blew a with three straight play- shot field goal gave Kansas game. "He's doing great They beat them 26-17 in
19-3 lead but survived to off games with TDs on the City a 19-3 halftime lead. right now, which is a real Buffalo in Week 6.q