Top-seeded Chiefs host upstart Browns
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Despite their long and storied histories in professional football, with the Cleveland Browns having joined the NFL in 1950 and the Kansas City Chiefs doing so with the AFL-NFL merger some 16 years later, the two franchises have rarely met — and never in the playoffs.
They are certainly familiar with each other headed into their AFC divisional-round showdown this afternoon, though.
Start with the coaches: The Browns’ Kevin Stefanski was a summer intern for Chiefs counterpart Andy Reid during his days with the Philadelphia Eagles. Stefanski later followed a Reid disciple when Brad Childress became head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, learning many of the nuances of his system along the way.
Then consider the quarterbacks: Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield hosted Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes during a visit to Texas Tech before Mayfield transferred to Oklahoma. Later in their college careers, Mayfield and Mahomes waged an epic duel that shattered all kinds of records and ended with Mayfield’s Sooners winning the Big 12 matchup 66-59.
Finally, ponder the rest of the rosters: John Dorsey helped build both teams as general manager, only to watch them succeed from afar. Browns running back Kareem Hunt got his start in Kansas City before off-field trouble led to his release. Just about everyone else has a former teammate — college or pro — standing on the other side.
“It’s always fun to play friendly competition,” Mayfield said, “and play against people you are familiar with.”
Said Mahomes of Mayfield: “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 special. He got the better of me in college. I’ll try my best to get the better of him in the NFL.”
There is an end to the similarities, of course. The long-suffering Browns haven’t won two playoff games in a season since 1950, long before the term “Super Bowl” was coined by Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt. Kansas City has won five straight AFC West titles and still has the tailwind of winning its first Lombardi Trophy in five decades, with Mahomes the MVP of that Super Bowl LIV comeback victory against the San Francisco 49ers last February.
“They definitely are a building team. Very good team. Very young team,” Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill said of the Browns (11-5), who upset the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, 48-37, on the road last Sunday for the franchise’s first playoff win in almost 20 years — despite having to leave first-year coach Stefanski back in Cleveland as he isolated due to testing positive for COVID-19.
“We cannot take this opponent likely,” Hill said. “We have to play this game like any other game — come out and play hard and be the Chiefs.”
The Browns are mostly back to normal after an outbreak threatened to knock them out of the playoffs. Stefanski returned to the team Thursday, 10 days after he tested positive, and most of the players who also tested positive have returned.
“He never panicked,” said Browns linebacker B.J. Goodson, among the players who tested positive. “He stayed the course, and we are here.”
Many of the starters for the Chiefs (14-2), including Mahomes, Hill and star tight end Travis Kelce, will step onto the field for the first time in 21 days. They locked up the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in Week 16, and Reid chose to rest them in their regular-season finale — the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers ended a 10-game winning streak — rather than risk an injury.
Nobody within the facility at 1 Arrowhead Drive seemed too concerned about rust.
“Our guys practice fast,” Reid said. “They do it day in and day out, and that’s an important quality to have, especially at this time of year and the way we’ve been scheduled here.”