Kansas City overcame Patrick Mahomes’ absence to defeat Cleveland and advance to the Conference Final
The Kansas City Chiefs will host the American Conference Championship Game next week after beating the Cleveland Browns in an eventful duel.
Kansas City he had to overcome star quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ absence in the second half after a concussion sidelined him for the rest of the game and he had to be replaced by Chad Henne.
The offensive of the Chiefs retired after Mahomes left, but when they needed Henne to seal victory, the substitute responded with a 13-yard carry and then a pass to Tyreek Hill on a fourth down to move the chains in the final minutes and so time to consume remains on the clock.
The Browns they got closer to the scoreboard, scoring touchdowns on two of their last three possessions, but it wasn’t enough to get back and they ended up losing 17-22.
These are the lessons we’ve learned with the triumph of the Chiefs On Cleveland in the division round:
Key moment
Patrick Mahomes’ injury. Nothing impacted the game more than the loss of the Los Angeles star quarterback. Chiefs for a concussion.
On a third downplay and 1 yard to go in the third quarter, Mahomes tried to run down the right side of the field to get the first down, but was stopped by linebacker Mack Wilson, who dropped him at the 48-yard line. Kansas City.
After the game, Mahomes got up visibly dizzy and had to be helped to leave the field. After being evaluated in the medical store, he went to the locker room and finally the Chiefs they ruled out his return after examining him in the concussion protocol. Chad Henne replaced Mahomes for the remainder of the match.
Main role
Tyreek Hill. True, Hill finished without touchdowns, but his eight 110-yard receptions were crucial in Kansas City’s victory, especially in the final action.
Head coach Andy Reid surprised by sending a pass to fourth when the Browns they expected it Chiefs They let the game clock run and then emptied it, but it wasn’t, Reid trusted his attack and the ball ended up in the hands of Hill, who moved the chains and condemned the victory.
The most important statistic
Six out of eight. Henne completed six of his eight passes for 66 yards. Yes, he launched an interception that it Browns, but he eventually became a hero by completing the pass to Hill that effectively ended the match. Before that, in third and 14th place, Henne ran 13 meters around the view of the Chiefs .
What’s next
The Chiefs Ranked # 1 in the American Conference, they will be hosting the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game next week and all week will be the main story Mahomes, his availability is the biggest question mark.
Cleveland With a few questions on the way to free agency, the return of Odell Beckham Jr. should be a boost for the offense, although he wouldn’t be surprised if the team wants to pick up the phone now that he saw an efficient attack in his absence.