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SPORTSMonday 11 January 2016

AFC Playoffs:

Chiefs, Steelers advance with wild-card wins

Pittsburgh Steelers’ Martavis Bryant (10) makes a 10-yard touchdown reception against Cincin- pass late in the third and ersaulting touchdown re-
nati Bengals’ Dre Kirkpatrick (27) during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Spencer Ware added a ception, the Steelers led
Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016, in Cincinnati. 5-yard TD run on the first 15-0 heading into the final
play of the fourth quarter quarter, but Bengals quar-
(AP Photo/Gary Landers) to make it 27-0. terback A.J. McCarron put
The victory breaks a streak together a late rally.
HOUSTON (AP) — Kansas 30-0. Kansas City began in ideal of eight straight playoff loss- Cincinnati ripped off 16
City and Pittsburgh ad- The Chiefs have won 11 fashion when Knile Davis es by the Chiefs and is their straight points, the last six
vanced in the NFL playoffs straight games since start- took the opening kickoff, first postseason win since on a 25-yard pass from Mc-
with wild-card road wins ing the season 1-5, and ad- got three good blocks beating the then Houston Carron to A.J. Green that
achieved in contrasting vance to a divisional play- around the 10-yard line Oilers in 1994. put the Bengals in front.
fashion Saturday, with the off game at New England and then simply outran the Hoyer had a miserable They missed the 2-point
Chiefs cruising past a dis- next weekend. rest of the defenders for game, conversion.
appointing Houston and The Steelers will travel to the 106-yard kickoff return getting booed by his owns When Vontaze Burfict in-
the Steelers needing a late Denver after winning a score; the second-longest fans, as he completed tercepted on Pittsburgh’s
field goal to beat playoff- bad-tempered encounter kickoff return TD in postsea- only 15 of 34 passes for ensuing possession, Cincin-
jinxed Cincinnati. against the Bengals 18-16, son history. 136 yards as Houston lost a nati appeared set to re-
Kansas City had gone 22 with quarterback Ben Ro- The defense took over after home playoff game for the cord its first postseason win
years without a playoff vic- ethlisberger returning from that, forcing Houston quar- first time. in 25 years; the sixth-lon-
tory but secured this one a shoulder injury sustained terback Brian Hoyer into a Travis Kelce, who also had gest postseason drought
early thanks to a touch- in the third quarter and fumble and three intercep- more than 100 yards re- in NFL history.
down from the opening leading his team on a final tions in the first half as the ceiving in the first meeting However the team that
kickoff and a harassing de- drive which set up a 35- Chiefs took a 13-0 lead. with the Texans this year, said it would keep it to-
fense that forced five turn- yard field goal by Chris Bo- Chiefs quarterback Alex had another big day, fin- gether then completely fell
overs and beat the Texans swell with 14 seconds left. Smith threw a touchdown ishing with eight receptions apart.
for 128 yards. Jeremy Hill saw the ball
Houston’s J.J. Watt missed knocked out of his grasp for
most of the second half af- a fumble which the Steelers
ter injuring his groin in the recovered at the Pittsburgh
third quarter. Last year’s 9-yard line with 1:23 left.
Defensive Player of the Roethlisberger, who had
Year and the NFL sack been carted off the field
leader didn’t have a sack after injuring his throwing
on Saturday as Houston’s shoulder in a third-quarter
defense played well but sack by Burfict, returned for
couldn’t hold off an of- the game-winning drive.
fense that got so many He received some help
extra chances because of from some costly Bengals
Hoyer’s terrible day. indiscipline, as they gave
Pittsburgh was in control up two 15-yard penalties.
for much of a rain-sodden The first was on Burfict for
contest at Cincinnati, but a hit on defenseless Steel-
was forced to find a late ers wide receiver Antonio
winner after the Bengals Brown, then Adam Jones
turned it into a contest late. compounded the problem
After Martavis Bryant some- when he lost his cool for an-
how clung on to a som- other penalty.q