The latest
Kareem Hunt stupidly calls out Chiefs after Browns Wild Card win (Video) | FanSided
Cleveland pulled off a stunning upset over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night, trouncing their division rivals and forcing JuJu Smith-Schuster to eat his words. But in celebrating that achievement, Browns running back Kareem Hunt did exactly what Smith-Schuster was getting trolled for, but somehow made it even worse.
In the Browns locker room, Hunt went live on Instagram and proceeded to call out the Kansas City Chiefs. That’s who Cleveland will be playing next week, but it also happens to be the team that Hunt used to play for.
Hunt went out of his way to deem next week’s game “personal”.
Patrick Mahomes joins Browns’ Kareem Hunt fan club on Twitter | Clutch Points
After serving his eight-game suspension, the Browns picked Hunt up and slotted him behind starting running back Nick Chubb, with the tandem creating quite the duo in Cleveland. Hunt has already scored two touchdowns in the first half in the wild card round against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers as the aforementioned Mahomes has apparently been tuned into the AFC North showdown.
That man @Kareemhunt7 is so nice
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) January 11, 2021
No. 1 Chiefs vs. No. 6 Browns
Early outlook: It’s hard not to respect the Browns, and with coach Kevin Stefanski returning to the sidelines and All-Pro guard Joel Bitonio set to return to the lineup, they should at least have chances to lean on their ground game again. But considering they scored nearly 50 against Pittsburgh and still came close to surrendering a late comeback, they’re going to need a near-perfect performance — and perhaps a few unusual Mahomes slip-ups — to win in Kansas City. Never say never, but the Chiefs have more than enough weapons to force Cleveland to claw out of a deficit rather than try to preserve one.
NFL divisional-round betting first look: Go over with Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs | ESPN
Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs (-9.5, 55)
I think this opener of 55 is too low. I won’t try to convince you the Kansas City offense led by Patrick Mahomes can score on a Browns defense that finished the regular season ranked 25th in success rate against the run and 15th against the pass. We already know that. I do think, however, that the Cleveland offense is much better than its surface metrics show this season. The Browns played three of their 16 regular-season games in inclement weather. They played over half of their games with a decimated offensive line, and they had another game late in the season that their top four receivers missed for COVID-19 contact tracing. When they drop 41 on the Titans and 42 on the Ravens down the stretch and then hit us with 48 on Sunday night against the Steelers without head coach and playcaller Kevin Stefanski on the sideline, we need to take note. We could absolutely see similar game scripts in this matchup against the Chiefs as we saw in each of those other three contests.
I expect this total to move up, and if you agree with me I’d grab it sooner rather than later. If you are wanting to play the other way I wish you luck, and I anticipate you’ll be able to get a better number and price later in the week.
Browns Should Be Healthier For Chiefs | Browns Digest
At corner, the Browns won two games with Robert Jackson as a starting corner. Normally a gunner who was kept on the practice squad in case something were to happen to Tavierre Thomas, he gave everything he had, but struggled.
M.J. Stewart filled in for Kevin Johnson and played well in the second game against Steelers. A beneficiary of the inability for the Steelers to run the ball, Stewart was able to tackle receivers, which is something he does at a high level. He also made an impressive catch for an interception.
Considering the matchup against the Chiefs, the Browns need all the speed in the secondary they can get. Ward and Johson offer more speed as well as raw coverage ability, which simply offers the Browns more options. And with a group of receivers that includes a ton of raw speed such as Tyreek Hill, they need all hands on deck.
NFL Top 5 Power Rankings (Wild Card Edition) | SI
1. Kansas City Chiefs (14-2)
The Kansas City Chiefs get to rest this week and prepare for a run to defend their Super Bowl title. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense made everything look easy this year and had outstanding seasons from Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, and rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Kansas City is in complete control of its own destiny, and it will take a concerted effort to dethrone them. The Chiefs are the favorites heading into the playoffs.
Around the NFL
The Winners and Losers of NFL Wild-Card Weekend | The Ringer
Winner: Nickelodeon
Somebody had a strange idea for the wild-card round of the playoffs: Simulcast one of CBS’s games on Nickelodeon, a kids’ programming channel, along with kid-friendly graphics and explanations. I tuned in just to see how weird it would be with the intention of tuning away a few minutes later. But much to my surprise, I stayed for the entire game. Nick’s presentation was great.
Lamar Jackson rewrites playoff narrative as Ravens beat Titans in Wild Card Round | NFL.com
Narratives that were written in pencil were being rewritten in ink, particularly after a poorly thrown pass by Jackson was intercepted and converted into a field goal to make it a two-score game. The former Louisville star might be fast enough to run away from defenders, but not his recent past. Memories of his three-turnover performance in last season’s playoff loss to the Titans came rushing back.
But if there is one thing about Jackson that should never be underestimated, it is his belief in himself. It is a confidence that does not bend or break. It carried him when personnel people said he should change positions after leaving college, despite previously winning the Heisman Trophy as the best player in the country. It hardened him after a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in the first round of the playoffs two years ago. It drove him after the 28-12 loss to the Titans in the Divisional Round last season. And on Sunday, it calmed him.
“We didn’t do enough,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of the late-season collapse. “We didn’t position them in enough good circumstances. We didn’t make enough plays, particularly in the critical moments. We were a group that died on the vine.”
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger says time to discuss future will come later | NFL.com
“I hope the Steelers want me back, if that’s the way we go,” Roethlisberger said, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “There will be discussions, but this isn’t the time for that.”
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
The five most important Chiefs after Mahomes for the playoff run
#4 Tyrann Mathieu
I thought about listing Tyreek Hill here, as he’s certainly a huge factor on offense. But if he were out, there is confidence that Mahomes would find a way to spread the ball around to whoever is on the field. The leader and quarterback of the defense might just be more irreplaceable for the Chiefs. The Landlord is an accountable, emotional, trash-talking, in-your-face, do-it-all defensive leader who is too smart to let the defense fail, and never satisfied with good enough. He embodies the idea of championship swagger and helps erase the shortcomings of the team around him. You never know when he might make a game-changing play, but you always know he’ll be around the ball and that he’ll be talking. The Chiefs wouldn’t be where they are without their tone-setter on defense.
A tweet to make you think
Baker Mayfield vs Patrick Mahomes next week
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 11, 2021
Their 2016 game was legendary
125 points
1708 yards
pic.twitter.com/hyrV24j9TZ
Follow Arrowhead Pride on Social Media
- Facebook Page: Click here to like our page
- AP Instagram: Follow @ArrowheadPride
- AP Twitter: Follow @ArrowheadPride
- AP Staff on Twitter: see complete list
- 610 Sports Twitter: Follow @610SportsKC