NFL Playoffs: Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs
CLEVELAND BROWNS (12-5)
at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (14-2)
By NFL Communications
Kickoff: Sunday, CBS, 2:05 p.m.
Line at PointsBet: Chiefs by 10.
In the playoffs for the first time since 2002, Cleveland won its Wild Card game at Pittsburgh, 48-37, scoring its second-most points in a playoff game, behind a 56-10 victory over Detroit in the 1954 NFL Championship.
Cleveland became the second team in history to score at least 28 points in the first quarter of a postseason game, joining the 1969 OAKLAND RAIDERS, who also scored 28 in a victory over the Houston Oilers.
Kansas City won its fifth straight AFC West title and advanced to the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season, the NFL’s longest active streak of postseason berths.
The Chiefs with a win would become the first team since the 2002-04 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, whose head coach was ANDY REID, to host three consecutive conference championship games.
Browns quarterback BAKER MAYFIELD completed 21 of 34 attempts for 263 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions for a 115.2 rating in the Browns’ Wild Card victory at Pittsburgh. The No. 1 overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, Mayfield joined MICHAEL VICK as the only quarterbacks drafted first overall to win a road game in their first career postseason starts in NFL history.
Browns running back KAREEM HUNT had two rushing touchdowns in the Wild Card win, the first time a Cleveland player rushed for at least two touchdowns in a postseason game since EARNEST BYNER had two on Jan. 4, 1986 at Miami.
Cleveland running back NICK CHUBB totaled 145 scrimmage yards (76 rushing, 69 receiving) and scored on a 40-yard touchdown reception in the Wild Card win.
Kanas City quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES ranks as the NFL’s career leader among qualified players in both regular-season passer rating (108.7) and postseason passer rating (106.6), with a minimum of 100 attempts.
Chiefs wide receiver TYREEK HILL ranked second in the NFL with 15 receiving touchdowns. He also has 14 career games with at least two total touchdowns, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer LANCE ALWORTH (14) for the second-most such games by a wide receiver in his first five seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer JERRY RICE (18 games) has more.
Chiefs tight end TRAVIS KELCE finished second among all players with 1,416 receiving yards this season, the most single-season receiving yards by a tight end in NFL history. Kelce, who had 103 receptions in 2018, had 105 receptions this season to become the first tight end in NFL history with at least 100 receptions in multiple seasons.
Quoteworthy: “Obviously it’s cool to get to play against him in such a big game in the playoffs and everything like that,” Mahomes said. “I’ve known him for a long time, since I was a senior in high school. And to be able to play on this stage is going to be special. He went to Oklahoma, I went to Texas Tech. He got the better of me in college, so I’ll try to do my best to win in the NFL.”
