Chiefs aim for quicker starts in title defense

KANSAS CITY, MO. » The Kansas City Chiefs have proven that they can overcome just about any deficit in the postseason.

That doesn’t mean they want to keep doing it.

Of all the points of emphasis this weekend, when the Chiefs play the Cleveland Browns for a spot in their third straight AFC championship game, perhaps none is as consequential as this: Kansas City wants to start fast on Sunday, something it failed to do in falling behind by double figures in each of their playoff games last season.

“Yeah, our coaches brought it up: ‘Let’s not put ourselves in that same position we did last year,” Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill said this week. “We just have to come out and have the same energy we’ve had all year.”

It would sure make a smoother road to the Super Bowl than the bumpy track they took last year.

The Chiefs began their journey to Miami by falling behind Houston by 24 points early in the second quarter, thanks in part to a blocked punt returned for a touchdown. But they responded by scoring 41 consecutive points, taking a 28-24 lead into halftime and piling on in the third quarter, eventually coasting to a 51-31 victory at Arrowhead Stadium.

It seemed like déjà vu in the AFC title game the following week, when Tennessee pounded its way to leads of 10-0 and 17-7 late in the first half. But much like the Chiefs did in the divisional round, Patrick Mahomes and his fleet flotilla of playmakers responded with 28 straight points, cruising in the fourth quarter to a 35-24 victory.

Then came the Super Bowl and probably the toughest deficit, when San Francisco turned a tied game at halftime into a 20-10 lead. It was still that margin when Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for a touchdown with 6:13 left, and the game’s MVP followed with a touchdown pass to Damien Williams.