Tag: Cleveland Browns vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Kevin Stefanski on the poor challenge flag decision: ‘I should know better there’

The bad choice cost the Browns a critical time out down the stretch

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski had a wonderful debut season in Cleveland. He’s a leading contender for NFL coach of the year as a rookie head man for good reason. But Stefanski made a costly coaching gaffe down the stretch that severely cost his Browns in the 22-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional round.

Early in the fourth quarter and on the first play from scrimmage following a Browns touchdown that shaved the Chiefs lead to five, Chiefs QB Chad Henne threw a pass to WR Tyreek Hill. With Browns CB Denzel Ward draped all over him, Hill somehow managed to make an acrobatic catch, pinning the ball against his leg as it slid toward the ground. It was a clear catch; the ball never touched the ground despite looking awkward.

Stefanski threw his challenge flag anyway. His view of the action was obscured with Hill’s back to him on the play. The wideout enthusiastically applauded as soon as he saw the red flag leave Stefanski’s hand.

Official Clay Martin confirmed the ruling of “catch” that was on the field, and the Browns lost a timeout as a result. That lost chance to stop the clock proved lethal late in the game when the Browns defense needed a stop.

Stefanski took the blame in his postgame press conference.

“That’s on me. I should know better there,” Stefanski said sternly.

Noting that “we’re going to share in this defeat like we share in those victories,” Stefanski was proud of how his team fought to come back and expressed disappointment “at the finality of losing in the playoffs”.

Browns fall to the Chiefs in a series of ‘game of inches’ moments

The Browns were so close but came up inches short on 3 key plays

Football is a game of inches, so the cliche goes. And it was mere inches that separated the Cleveland Browns from beating the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional round.

In a game with several swinging storylines, several plays that were a matter of mere inches were what lifted the Chiefs to the win. Each inch mattered more than the last too, in the Browns’ 22-17 loss in Kansas City.

The three plays that stood out for the critical inches all went in favor of Kansas City.

In the second half and with the Browns gaining momentum, wide receiver Tyreek Hill made a crazy catch over Denzel Ward on a jump ball from Chiefs backup QB Chad Henne. The ball slid down Hill’s leg and was inches from touching the ground, but Hill somehow managed to pin the ball to his thigh and secure the completion. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski challenged the call, but the officials got it right that time. The lost timeout proved critical.

One Chiefs possession later, Browns LB B.J. Goodson just missed stopping Darrell Williams on a critical swing pass on a late third-down. If Goodson can get there one step faster, it’s fourth down with just over three minutes to play.

But no inches were more critical to determining the game than the razor-thin margin that separated a Rashard Higgins touchdown reception from a Chiefs touchback on a fumble out of the end zone. The officials badly whiffed on the helmet-to-helmet contact by Chiefs safety Daniel Sorensen that directly created the fumble, but that’s an argument for a different time. Higgins missed the TD by less than a foot.

That is the difference between the Browns heading to Buffalo to play for the AFC championship next week and Cleveland’s season ending in Arrowhead Stadium.

Browns victimized by the worst rule in football, just ask Twitter…

Everyone is upset at the fumble through the end zone rule

It’s not often that everyone watching a game has the exact same reaction at the same time to a call in a game. But that’s exactly what happened in the Browns-Chiefs matchup in the AFC divisional round matchup.

Browns WR Rashard Higgins was poised to score a touchdown just before halftime. As he extended the ball out to try and get into the end zone, Chiefs safety Nick Sorensen created a fumble by leading with the crown of his helmet into Higgins’ helmet. The ball rolled out of bounds in the end zone, creating a touchback for Kansas City.

Twitter unloaded in unison on what is apparently the consensus “worst rule in football”, aside from the missed helmet-to-helmet infraction that created the situation:

Browns inactive players vs. Chiefs: All the questionable players are active

Conklin, Njoku, Goodson and Carlson are all active

The Browns had four players listed a questionable for the AFC divisional round matchup with the Chiefs. All four will be active for Sunday’s game in Kansas City. It’s great news coming out of the team’s official gameday inactive designations.

The questionable foursome, T Jack Conklin, LB B.J. Goodson, TE David Njoku and TE Stephen Carlson, are all active.

The Browns who will not suit up for the game:

WR Marvin Hall

CB Brian Allen

S Jovante Moffatt

T Alex Taylor

WR Alexander Hollins

TE Kyle Markway

DE Joe Jackson

Markway and Taylor were practice squad elevations made in case of necessity, but the ability for the regulars to take the field left them not needed.

The Chiefs will not have rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, their leading rusher on the season, for the game. He was questionable with his ongoing ankle injury and will not play. The full Kansas City inactives list:

WR Sammy Watkins

RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire

CB Rashad Fenton

LB Willie Gay

OT Martinas Rankin

DE Tim Ward

DT Khalen Saunders

Browns vs. Chiefs: How to watch, listen and everything you need to know

Odds, injuries, matchups to watch and much more

The AFC Divisional round sees the Cleveland Browns heading to Kansas City to face the defending champion Chiefs. It’s the first appearance in the second round of the postseason for Cleveland since the 1994 seasons.

Cleveland Browns (11-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (14-2)

  • 3:05 p.m. ET
  • Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

The game is a national broadcast on CBS. Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will be on the microphone calling the game.

Live streaming

Radio

The Browns flagship stations in Cleveland are 92.3 The Fan, 98.5 WNCX, and 850 AM WKNR.

The full list of Browns radio affiliates around Ohio and the midwest includes over 25 stations. Check the local availability here via the Browns official site. 

On SiriusXM NFL Radio, the Browns home feed will be broadcast on Channel 226 and streaming on Channel 807. The national feed will be on Channel 88.

Odds

The Browns are 10-point underdogs to the Chiefs, a spread that has held since the opening at BetMGM earlier in the week. The over/under has crept up to 56.5 points.

Game breakdown

The tale of the statistical tape between the Browns and Chiefs.

Here are the final injury reports for both Cleveland and Kansas City.

Listen: Browns Wire Podcast breaks down the game and all the betting angles, too.

From a Chiefs point of view, our Behind Enemy Lines interview with Chiefs Wire editor Charles Goldman.

On the flip side, here is our version of Behind Enemy Lines with Chiefs Wire.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Final thoughts and prediction for the Browns-Chiefs matchup

Final thoughts and prediction for the Browns-Chiefs matchup

“The waiting is the hardest part” – Tom Petty

The hours can’t go by any slower, it seems. Kickoff between the Browns and Chiefs is at 3:05 ET in Kansas City but it feels like the sand in the hourglass has turned into molasses. All the extra time has led my mind to wander with more thoughts on the matchup.

Here’s what is on my mind in the final hours leading into Cleveland’s first appearance in the AFC divisional round since the 1994 season…

D’Ernest Johnson could be a big factor in the return game

It was a key to victory in last week’s preview against the Steelers: special teams. And by and large, coordinator Mike Priefer’s units played very well in Pittsburgh. The spark that the third-string RB Johnson has provided as a return man could be something to light another Browns fire on Sunday.

He might only get one shot, however; Chiefs PK Harrison Butker booted the ball into the end zone for a touchback on over 75 percent of his kickoffs. The good news is that it might only take one Johnson return to alter the game. Cleveland can’t waste it.

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The Chiefs’ speed over the top of the defense is a big problem

Just as it might only take one big kick return from Johnson to change the game, the Chiefs only need to connect on one or two deep passes to Tyreek Hill or Mecole Hardman to hit paydirt. Their speed blows away the Cleveland secondary, even with Denzel Ward and Ronnie Harrison back in the Browns lineup. And they’re not shy about trying to hit those, either.

Travis Kelce on a tight end skinny post against a linebacker, with the safety pulled outside and away because of speed concerns? That’s my biggest fear for the Browns defense in Kansas City. Kelce set the NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end this season and the Browns have had issues with far lesser TEs than the unanimous All-Pro.

This one should be fun

Last week’s win in Pittsburgh (and saying that does not get old!) was fun on so many levels. So much pent-up negative energy and decades of frustration flew out the window like the opening snap over Ben Roethlisberger’s head.

This week will be a different kind of fun. I expect the Browns to play loose and aggressive, which is exactly where Baker Mayfield has been at his best. There’s a line between being loose and being reckless and Kevin Stefanski seems to have drawn it where Mayfield can see it clearly. I expect explosive plays in both the run and pass game and creative flair like the Jarvis Landry passes we’ve cheered for this year.

To go back to Tom Petty songs, the Browns won’t back down.

The Chiefs are fun, too. They generate big plays and base their philosophy around creating them on both offense and defense. Patrick Mahomes is the best player in the AFC and it’s hard to dislike his approach or his results — what happens on Sunday excepted.

Prediction

I think it will be close and exciting. If the Browns can seize an early lead and create a takeaway or two, they’ve got a chance to shock the world even more than they did a week ago. Cleveland will not be outclassed.

But I really struggle to see the Browns defense getting a critical stop when they really need it. The Chiefs converted just under 50 percent of their third-down attempts this year, second in the league, while the Browns defense finished 23rd in third-down defense. The ballgame lies right there, and the defending champs ice the victory at home with a late drive. Chiefs 37, Browns 29.

Here’s to hoping I’m wrong!

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Browns are once again shown no respect by expert picks

Nearly everyone doubted the Browns last week too and look how that turned out

The Cleveland Browns are once again heavy underdogs in the postseason.  The odds are stacked against them even higher this week against Kansas City than last week in Pittsburgh, and I am not just talking about the 10-point spread, which is the largest of the week. In order to find an NFL expert that picks the Browns, you have to look pretty far and wide.

When looking at the percentage of experts predicting a Cleveland victory, NFL Pickwatch only has 4 percent marked for the Browns. This is the most lopsided game of the week, but it should come as no surprise to Browns fans.

Not one pundit on the CBS Sports panel had the cajones to side with the Browns either, but things get a bit more even when looking at it from a gambling perspective. Five of the eight on the panel actually have Cleveland winning against the spread.

Expectations may be low for the Browns going up against such a powerhouse Chiefs squad, but they are looking to be the favorite against the spread. The spread opened at 10 but has now moved to 9.5 in most books, which indicates most of the money be placed is on our beloved Browns. According to the Action Network, 53% of all tickets are on Cleveland, which should be another feather in the respect cap.

Another key trend that makes the Browns look better is the fact that teams in the divisional round that receive seven or more points are 60% against the spread in the last 10 years. It doesn’t stop there.

The referee for the game is Clay Martin; road teams cover the spread 70% of the time when he is the referee. Although all of these positives include betting odds, it is still interesting to note.

Browns elevate 2 from practice squad for AFC divisional round game

Both are standard elevations with nobody sidelined due to COVID-19

The Cleveland Browns elevated two offensive players from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday’s AFC divisional round game in Kansas City. Offensive tackle Alex Taylor and tight end Kyle Markway were elevated to face the Chiefs.

Both Taylor and Markway are standard elevations from the practice squad. In recent weeks the Browns have used the COVID-19 elevation, which is different. With all the Browns players off the reserve/COVID-19 list after left guard Joel Bitonio was activated on Friday, there is no need for those this week.

The elevations come at positions where the Browns have some injury concerns. Right tackle Jack Conklin is questionable with a knee/hamstring injury, and normal backup tackle Chris Hubbard is on injured reserve. That leaves only Kendall Lamm in reserve prior to elevating Taylor. Two tight ends, David Njoku and Stephen Carlson, are also questionable for Sunday’s game.

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Browns-Chiefs game draws a playoff rookie at referee

Clay Martin was the referee for the Browns win over the Cowboys in 2020

Most of the Cleveland Browns players got their first taste of playoff football last weekend. This weekend, the man in charge of the officiating crew will experience being the referee for a postseason game for the first time.

Clay Martin heads up the officiating crew for Sunday’s game between the Browns and the Chiefs in Kansas City. He’s in his third year as a referee but this is his first playoff assignment at that spot. He did work a previous playoff game as an umpire.

The NFL breaks up the crews from the regular season and cobbles together something of an all-star crew based on merit to officiate the postseason. Martin himself was the referee for one Browns game this year, the Week 4 win over Dallas. He helmed two Chiefs games, including their matchup against Carolina where 20 penalties were assessed.

Notable in the breakdown of what Martin’s crew called: they threw 10 flags for personal fouls but did not assess a single taunting penalty.

Chiefs final injury report: Sammy Watkins and Willie Gay Jr. are out vs. Browns

While the Browns are at a full go, the Chiefs will be without a couple of key performers

The Kansas City Chiefs will be without two key players when they host the Cleveland Browns in the AFC divisional round contest on Sunday. The Chiefs ruled out wide receiver Sammy Watkins and linebacker Willie Gay Jr. due to injury.

Watkins has been a clutch playoff performer for the Chiefs as well as one of the team’s top receivers. He caught 37 passes in 10 games for Kansas City in 2020. Gay is the Chiefs’ top coverage linebacker.

Cornerback Rashad Fenton, tight end Deon Yelder and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire are questionable for Sunday’s game. Edwards-Helaire is efforting to return from an ankle injury that has kept him sidelined for several weeks. The rookie RB was the team’s leading rusher and a very effective receiving option out of the backfield, too.

From our friends at Chiefs Wire, the official injury report:

Player Injury Participation* Designation
CB Rashad Fenton Ankle/Foot LP Questionable
LB Willie Gay Jr. Ankle DNP OUT
WR Sammy Watkins Calf DNP OUT
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire Ankle DNP Questionable
TE Deon Yelder Groin DNP Questionable
RB Le’Veon Bell Knee FP –
OT Mike Remmers Back FP –
LB Ben Niemann Hamstring FP –
DT Derrick Nnadi Knee FP –
WR Demarcus Robinson Back FP –
DB Armani Watts Concussion FP –

* DNP = Did not participate | LP = Limited participation | FP = Full participation | NIR = Not injury related

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