A CLOSER LOOK AT TODAY’S GAME
■ Who: Cleveland (12-5) at Kansas City (14-2)
■ Time/TV: 3:05 p.m. today, CBS
■ Opening line: Chiefs by 10
■ Record vs. spread: Browns 7-10; Chiefs 7-9
■ Series record: Chiefs lead 13-11-2
■ Last meeting: Chiefs beat Browns 37-21 on Nov. 4, 2018, in Cleveland
■ Last week: Browns beat Steelers 48-37; Chiefs had bye, lost to Chargers 38-21 on Jan. 3
■ Streaks, stats and notes: The Chiefs have won three straight and four of their last five against Cleveland. The teams have never met in the postseason. … With a win, the Chiefs would be the first AFC team to host three consecutive conference championship games. … The Browns are coming off their first playoff win since the 1994 season. … The Browns’ Kevin Stefanski will make his playoff head coaching debut after missing last week’s wild-card game due to COVID-19. … COVID-19 has wreaked havoc with the Browns in recent weeks. They were also missing Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio and top cornerback Denzel Ward against the Steelers. Both are expected to play against the Chiefs. … Ward’s return along with CB Kevin Johnson (COVID) will help a secondary that gave up 501 yards passing to the Steelers. … The Browns have also been decimated by injuries. In the win at Pittsburgh, they lost G Michael Dunn and CB Robert Jackson — Bitonio and Ward’s replacements — to season-ending injuries. … Cleveland averaged 148.4 yards per game on the ground, the most for the franchise since 1978. … Browns RB Kareem Hunt will face the Chiefs for the first time since they released him in 2018 after a video emerged of him shoving and kicking a woman. Hunt, who was suspended eight games for violent altercations, spent two seasons with Kansas City. He led the NFL in rushing as a rookie in 2017. … Cleveland QB Baker Mayfield threw for 263 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions last week in Pittsburgh. He has not thrown an interception in his last five games. … WR Jarvis Landry has caught a TD pass in five consecutive road games, including last week’s win.