Watson rusty in return but Browns get 27-14 win over Texans
Deshaun Watson struggled in a sloppy performance in his first game in 700 days, but a punt return for a touchdown by Donovan Peoples-Jones and two defensive TDs were plenty enough to give the Cleveland Browns a 27-14 win over the lowly Houston Texans Sunday.
Chiefs coach Reid's patience in struggling players pays off
It was an enormous mistake in the opening minutes of the AFC championship game on Sunday, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid could have easily given his young wide receiver the cold shoulder. They're going to keep me up, keep me motivated โ make sure I don't have my head down,โ Hardman said. They have been without Sammy Watkins since Week 16 because of a calf injury, and the veteran wide receiver was a surprise scratch on Sunday, putting pressure on Hardman and fellow wide receiver Byron Pringle to continue to pick up the slack. โWe are a group of guys that want to be perfect and strive for that perfection, no matter what we do. I think we're going to take that same mentality into the Super Bowl.โ___More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Analysis: Backup QBs saw plenty of action in NFL playoffs
Jameis Winston threw a 56-yard trick-play touchdown pass to TreโQuan Smith on his first playoff action after 76 regular-season games over six seasons. In his 72nd NFL game, Henne atoned for an end zone interception with two huge plays to allow the Chiefs to escape with a 22-17 win over the Browns. Rodgers and Tom Brady, making his 14th conference championship appearance in 21 seasons, square off next week at Lambeau Field. If this was it, Brees went out with a whimper: 134 yards passing and three interceptions in the worst playoff game of his career. The Chiefs forced a punt and Henne got the ball back with just over four minutes left.
Browns' comeback comes up short, fall to Chiefs in playoffs
(AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)Just like so many painful playoff losses in their past, the Browns came up achingly short โ inches from a game-swinging play, inches from a last chance. After trailing 19-3, the Browns (12-6) fought back and were in position to maybe end the Super Bowl champions' one-year reign. "There is a finality to this one when you do not get it done in the playoffs, and that really hurts. However, Kansas City's defense dug in and forced the Browns to punt with 4:19 left. As they watched on the sideline, Mayfield and his offensive teammates felt that with one last chance, the Chiefs were finished.
Similarities abound for Browns, Chiefs in first playoff game
Then consider the quarterbacks: The Browns' Baker Mayfield hosted the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes during a visit to Texas Tech, before he transferred to Oklahoma. Browns running back Kareem Hunt got his start in Kansas City before off-field issues led to his release. Kansas City has won five straight AFC West titles and still has the tailwind of winning its first Lombardi Trophy in five decades. Very young team,โ Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill said. We have to play this game like any other game, come out and play hard and be the Chiefs."
Same old Browns? Hardly. Cleveland drills Steelers 48-37
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) celebrates as he walks off the field following a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021. The Cleveland Browns overcame all of it. The Browns dismantled the Pittsburgh Steelers 48-37 in the wild-card round Sunday night, picking up the franchiseโs first postseason victory in more than a quarter-century and earning a trip to Kansas City next Sunday to face the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs. The kick bounced into the end zone for a touchback and Mayfield calmly took Cleveland 80 yards in six plays. So much for the Browns being the Browns, a winking assessment Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster made about Cleveland in the middle of the week.
Brady and Bucs, plus Bills and Rams win NFL wild-card games
The first tripleheader of NFL wild-card games saw Tom Brady extend his postseason record for victories to 31 with a 31-23 win for Tampa Bay at Washington on Saturday. After a quarter-century, the Bills got one of those triumphs that Brady collects โ and they even figured out how to stop a Hail Mary. The previous playoff win was over Miami on Dec. 30, 1995. And it came in the Billsโ first home playoff game in 24 years, with a limited number of fans in attendance (6,700) for the first time this season. The Ravens averaged an NFL-best 191.9 yards rushing per game and their 3,071 yards rushing were third highest in NFL history.
Mahomes leads champion Chiefs to 14-2 mark in stacked AFC
While the Chiefs get another weekโs rest, the six other AFC playoff teams get going this weekend. For just the second time since the 1970 league merger, every team in the AFC playoffs has at least 11 wins. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 54, 31-20 over the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 2, 2020, at Miami. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 43, 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Feb. 1, 2009, at Tampa, Florida. Their pass rush is nearly nonexistent with 19 sacks, the fewest by a playoff team since Denver had 19 in 1979.
NFL races go down to the wire in AFC South and NFC East
โWe win this game, find a way to win, win the division. He's assured of repeating as NFL rushing champ, the first since Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006-07. Henry has a career-high 1,777 yards rushing and ran for 212 yards in his most recent game against the Texans. Ezekiel Elliott, despite a mediocre performance in 2020, needs 63 yards rushing for 1,000 this season, his fourth such output in five seasons. Baltimore (10-5) at Cincinnati (4-10-1)During their four-game winning streak, the Ravens have averaged 37 points and 233.3 yards rushing per game.
Browns' playoff chances take hit with 23-16 loss to Jets
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield leaves the field after an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. โ Baker Mayfield coughed up the ball โ and the Cleveland Browns' chances to wrap up a playoff spot. After a 23-16 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday, the Browns will need to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday if they're going to end the NFL's longest playoff drought. The call was upheld by video review, and the Jets (2-13) sealed their second straight victory after an 0-13 start. Mayfield then marched the Browns downfield, and Nick Chubb's 1-yard run made it 20-10 with 2:56 left in the third quarter.
NFC East stages late-season turnaround
(AP Photo/Chris Szagola)The NFC East is no longer the laughingstock division in the NFL. In all, NFC East teams have an 8-5 record the past four weeks when playing games outside the division, the most wins of any division in that span. For the season, NFC East teams are 10-23-1 (.309 winning percentage) when playing teams outside the division, the worst in the NFL this season. The NFC East is actually outperforming its mark from last season when its teams went 12-28 outside the division. With two wins in the final six-non division games this season, the NFC East can top that mark.
Browns can't contain Jackson, lose heartbreaker to Ravens
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield reacts after the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Browns 47-42 during an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, in Cleveland. But in prime time, on a national stage, the Browns showed they're not the same old Browns. After getting clobbered 38-6 by the Ravens in Week 1, the Browns showed they're a legitimate contender โ but that didn't soften the blow for coach Kevin Stefanski. The Browns had just capped a 14-point rally with Mayfield scoring on a 5-yard run to go up 35-34 when Jackson came back. Mayfield showed mental toughness in moving past his first interception after throwing 187 consecutive passes without one.
Jackson returns to save Ravens with 47-42 win over Browns
Tucker, who made 70 straight field goals inside 40 yards before he missed last week, had plenty of distance on his kick to give the Ravens (8-5) a much-needed win. It was a gut punch for the Browns (9-4), who had rallied from a 14-point deficit to take the lead while Jackson was out. He drove the Browns 75 yards, hitting running back Kareem Hunt for a 22-yard TD pass with 1:04 left. Cleveland was counting on Williams to handle the starting cornerback spot opposite Denzel Ward, who missed his third straight game with a calf injury. Browns: Make the first of two straight weekend visits to the New York area and play the Giants on Dec. 20.
Chubb, Hunt push Browns past Texans 10-7 in wild weather
CLEVELAND (AP) โ Nick Chubb returned from a stint on injured reserve and scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter โ topping 100 yards rushing along with teammate Kareem Hunt โ and the Cleveland Browns pushed through rough weather for a 10-7 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday. Hunt finished with 104 yards, including 37 yards โ and three first downs โ on Clevelandโs final drive as the Browns (6-3) ran out the clock. Before Watsonโs scoring pass, the Texans couldnโt muster much offense as swirling winds blew Watsonโs passes off course and affected a 46-yard field-goal attempt. INJURIESTexans: On the play before Chubbโs TD, Watt had his right ankle rolled on accidentally by Browns guard Wyatt Teller. Browns: Host the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 22 โ the clubโs third straight home game.
Mayfield throws 2 TDs, Browns hold off Colts to move to 4-1
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Rashard Higgins (82) and quarterback Baker Mayfield celebrate after a 15-yard touchdown by Higgins during the first half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)CLEVELAND โ Bill Belichick was their coach and Nick Saban on his staff the last time Cleveland Browns were this good this early. Just three years removed from 0-16, the Browns are 4-1 for the first time since โ94 โ Belichickโs fourth season. โWe needed a play to be made โ and Iโm greedy when it comes to that.โOn the Colts' next possession, Browns safety Sheldrick Redwine, who came in while Harrison was being evaluated for a concussion, picked off Rivers. Mayfield showed patience on his 2-yard scoring pass to Hunt, which gave the Browns a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter.
Mayfield, Garrett right at home as Browns beat Cowboys 49-38
For Mayfield, it was a porous Cowboys pass defense that was poor against the run this time as well. For Garrett, it was an undrafted rookie right tackle who was overmatched against the star defensive end. Mayfield threw for two touchdowns, one of which was set up when Garrett had a strip sack for the third straight game, and the Browns held on for a 49-38 victory over the Cowboys to improve to 3-1 for the first time since 2001. The Cowboys got within a field goal with three straight touchdowns followed by successful 2-point conversions. Cowboys: C Joe Looney injured his right knee on the first offensive play of the game and didn't return.
Mayfield throws 2 TD passes, Browns hold off Burrow, Bengals
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Cleveland. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, who threw three TD passes and showed incredible poise in just his second game. Burrow's third TD pass โ a 9-yarder to Tyler Boyd with 43 seconds left โ pulled the Bengals within five, but the Browns recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock. But the reigning Heisman Trophy winner matched Mayfield pass for pass and showed why the Bengals believe he can turn them around. Uzomah in the second quarter, but Cincinnati's defense couldn't slow down the Browns and Mayfield tossed a 6-yard TD pass to a wide-open Hunt gave Cleveland a 21-10 lead.
Burrow, Bengals hit road vs Browns on NFL's 100th birthday
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) reacts after running for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, in Cincinnati. Outside, Burrow got lessons on Paul Brown, Jim Brown, Boomer Esiason, Bernie Kosar, The Ickey Shuffle and Dawg Pound. โIn my eyes I played terrible through 3 1/2 quarters and then played up to my standards in the last drive and almost won the game,โ Burrow said. RUN OVERThe Bengals significantly overhauled the NFLโs worst run defense of last season โ 149 yards allowed per game โ- and had a tough start against the Chargers, who ran for 155. Bengals coach Zac Taylor expects Bullock, who fully practiced on Tuesday, to handle kicking duties against the Browns.
AP source: Browns, RB Kareem Hunt agree to 2-year extension
Suspended last season by the NFL for two physical off-field altercations, Hunt has agreed to a two-year, $13.25 million contract extension with the Cleveland Browns, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press. Hunt grew up in the Cleveland area and conveyed his appreciation in getting the extension on with an Instagram posting. Cleveland has always been home to me, and putting on the Orange & Brown has been THE dream growing up," Hunt wrote. Hunt led the NFL in rushing as a rookie with the Chiefs in 2017 when he gained 1,327 yards. Hunt was seen on videotape shoving and pushing a woman during an argument in the hallway of a Cleveland hotel.
Browns' Hunt 'blessed' for another chance after traffic stop
FILE - In this Dec. 8, 2019, file photo, Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt (27) stands on the field before an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, in Cleveland. "Im blessed that the Browns gave me another opportunity, Hunt said on a Zoom conference call. So, yes, Im lucky to have another opportunity to play football. Honestly, Im just blessed to play the game, so Ill always feel lucky to play football. The Browns signed the Cleveland-area native before last season and Hunt stayed clear of trouble while also undergoing counseling.