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(CBS Detroit) — The Buffalo Payments and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs each superior to the AFC Championship this Sunday. The Payments smothered the Baltimore Ravens in a matchup largely missing the offensive outburst it appeared to vow. The Chiefs managed to carry off the Cleveland Browns after Patrick Mahomes exited the sport and entered the NFL’s concussion protocol. The Payments will journey to Kansas Metropolis this weekend to fulfill the Chiefs, with a visit to Tremendous Bowl LV on the road.
The Chiefs gained the primary assembly between these groups again in mid-October, by the rating of 26-17. Mahomes and his counterpart Josh Allen have been each held comparatively in verify, with the previous restricted to 225 yards passing and two touchdowns, and the latter restricted to 122 yards passing and two touchdowns. Nonetheless Chiefs rookie working again Clyde Edwards-Helaire exploded for 161 yards on 26 carries.
For a lot of the week, it seemed like Mahomes may not get the prospect to redeem himself this week. Halfway by means of the third quarter of the crew’s divisional spherical matchup, he took a success from Cleveland linebacker Mack Wilson that left him woozy. Unsteady on his ft, he was helped off the sphere and was quickly dominated out for the remainder of the sport. After the sport, head coach Andy Reid appeared to point that Mahomes can be okay. And a assessment of the particular sort out suggests a neck harm moderately than a head harm. However the former NFL MVP and reigning Tremendous Bowl MVP nonetheless needed to make it by means of concussion protocol, leaving his standing unsure. He was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday and Thursday’s observe. However Friday, he was cleared to play, in keeping with the quarterback.
Earlier than the harm, Mahomes had put collectively a stable sport, going 21-30 for 255 yards and a landing. Backup Chad Henne helped the Chiefs maintain on to their lead, connecting on six extra passes for an additional 66 yards, amongst them a late fourth-down completion to Tyreek Hill to seal the sport.
Henne will return to the sideline for the championship. Whereas the 35-year-old backup carried out admirably, he’s not the face of the Chiefs franchise. Mahomes could have quite a lot of weapons at their disposal. Hill and Travis Kelce, two of the NFL’s main receivers, every had eight catches for over 100 yards within the divisional spherical win. Hill was prime 10 in receiving yards (1,276) and second in receiving touchdowns (15) within the common season. Kelce was second within the league by way of yards (1,416) and prime 5 in receptions (105) and receiving touchdowns (11). Rookie working again Clyde Edwards-Helaire missed the Browns sport because of accidents, however Darrel Williams picked up 78 yards on 13 carries filling in. After which there’s at all times Le’Veon Bell on the sidelines.
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The Payments protection simply shut down one other of the NFL’s most explosive quarterbacks. The Ravens’ Lamar Jackson was held to 34 yards dashing and 162 yards passing with no touchdowns earlier than exiting with a concussion late within the third quarter. He did throw a expensive interception, which Payments cornerback Taron Johnson returned 101 yards for a landing. The NFL’s prime dashing crew throughout the common season was additionally held to 150 yards on the bottom, nicely under its common.
Even when the Payments can’t sluggish Mahomes and firm, they’re one of many few groups that may preserve tempo with the Chiefs. The Josh Rosen-led offense truly scored extra factors than Kansas Metropolis within the common season. Second solely to the Packers, the Payments averaged a lofty 31.3 factors per sport. A late-season scoring surge definitely helped, together with the continued improvement of their younger quarterback.
Based on NFL On CBS analyst Jay Feely, “once you look again three years and also you see how he has remade himself as a quarterback and made himself into an correct quarterback, among the finest quarterbacks within the NFL, I believe it begins with humility for him. To have a look at your self every offseason and say ‘the place do my deficiencies lie and the way can I get higher?’ Whether or not that’s together with his coaches there in Buffalo or out in California with Jordan Palmer, the place he spends his offseasons. his fundamentals and what’s going to make him a greater quarterback. Every offseason they set out and say ‘these are the three issues we’re going to enhance on this offseason.’ Then the following 12 months, they did the identical factor. He’s regularly taken a take a look at himself and never had an ego about it in any respect. Creating this base that results in success and making an attempt to grow to be a rotational thrower and perceive the place his strengths are within the potential to throw off-platform, however the best way to make the most of that and make it a power and make it one thing the place you could be correct whereas doing that.”
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Allen threw for 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns throughout the common season, which put him in elite firm. The addition of vast receiver Stefon Diggs elevated an already potent offense. And their new star vast receiver put up elite numbers, main the league in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535). The bottom sport was fairly a bit much less potent, with none of their working backs coming anyplace near 1,000 yards.
“They’re going to should have stability,” says Feely. “They didn’t have any stability in that sport in opposition to Baltimore, hardly ran the ball in any respect. If you happen to make your self one-dimensional, it simply makes it a lot simpler for a defensive coordinator making an attempt to scheme up the best way to have an effect on and affect you.”
The Payments offense has closely favored the go in its first two playoff video games, which may favor a Chiefs protection that’s been a bit of sketchy in opposition to the run. Kansas Metropolis allowed 122.1 yards per sport on the bottom throughout the common season, which put them within the backside half of the league. However final week additionally they managed to restrict the Browns, one of many NFL’s finest dashing groups.
Whatever the protection and the way the Payments assault it, the important thing for the Chiefs remains to be Mahomes. It is a significantly better crew with him on the sphere.
The Payments play the Chiefs Sunday, January 24 @ 6:40 p.m. ET on CBS.
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