Browns Digest

Chiefs Nearly Done In By Same Rule That Helped Them Beat 2020 Browns In Playoffs

In 2020, the Browns saw a memorable postseason run come to an end at the hands of Kansas City in the Divisional Round and one of the most controversial rules in football altered the outcome. Three years later, the same rule almost cost the Chiefs
Spencer German|
Chiefs Nearly Done In By Same Rule That Helped Them Beat 2020 Browns In Playoffs
Chiefs Nearly Done In By Same Rule That Helped Them Beat 2020 Browns In Playoffs

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Cleveland Browns

It's often called the worst rule in football. When a player attempts to extend the ball to the goal line for a touchdown and fumbles out of the back or side of the end zone without a recovery, it's considered a touchback and possession goes back to the other team at the 20.

Browns fans know the rule all too well considering it burned them in a 22-17, Divisional Round loss to the Chiefs during the 2020 playoffs.

Trailing Kansas City 17-3 just before halftime, former quarterback Baker Mayfield found Rashard Higgins for 25-yards, taking the ball down to the one before a hit from safety Daniel Sorensen dislodged the ball as Higgins extended for the goal line. The ball then flew out of the side of the end zone, triggering the aforementioned rule and giving the Chiefs the ball at their own 20.

Patrick Mahomes made the most of the extra possession, taking his team on a nine-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a field goal and gave Kansas City a 19-3 lead at the break.

In the second half, Mahomes actually exited due to a concussion, which allowed the Browns to mount a fierce comeback before losing by just one possession, making that negated scoring opportunity detrimental for Cleveland. For all intents and purposes, it cost the Browns the game. 

Three years later, in a nearly full circle moment, the same controversial rule almost cost the Chiefs a playoff win of their own this past weekend.

Set up at the Bills one-yard line, with a chance to go up two scores early in the fourth quarter of Sunday night's divisional matchup, Kansas City ran a reverse play with wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who fumbled as he extended the ball for a score and lost it out of bounds in the end zone.

Initially, the 25-year-old was ruled down but after review it was revealed that he did in fact fumble before being down and so the Bills took over at the 20 following a touchback.

 

Ultimately, Buffalo did nothing with the ensuing drive and missed a game-tying field goal with 1:50 left in regulation, which allowed the Chiefs to hold on for a 27-24 win, but there was some major irony in play had they wound up losing.

Kansas City fans certainly wouldn't have received any sympathy from the Browns faithful if that had been the case. Then again, the Chiefs have won two Super Bowls since eliminating Cleveland in 2020, so they may not have cared much for it anyway.

Regardless of what team you cheer for, it sounds like the there is major momentum behind changing that rule this offseason. It may be too little too late for Browns fans, but at least no one would get jobbed by such a ridiculous rule every again.

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Spencer German
SPENCER GERMAN

Spencer German is a contributor to the Northeast Ohio cluster of sites, including Cavs Insider, Cleveland Baseball Insider and most notably Browns Digest. He also works as a fill-in host on Cleveland Sports Radio, 92.3 The Fan, one of the Browns radio affiliate stations in Cleveland. Despite being a Cleveland transplant, Spencer has enjoyed making Northeast Ohio home ever since he attended college locally at John Carroll University, where he graduated in 2013.

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