KANSAS CITY, Mo. — No one’s going to be caught by surprise this time.
Fresh off their dominating victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round, the Browns are in Kansas City to take on the top-seeded Chiefs in an AFC divisional playoff matchup. The winner will face the Buffalo Bills in next weekend’s AFC Championship Game.
The big news for the Browns is who’s back with the team: Head coach Kevin Stefanski returns after battling COVID-19, as do All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio and shutdown corner Denzel Ward. Fellow All-Pro Jack Conklin will also play after dealing with knee and hamstring injuries this week, and tight end David Njoku and linebacker B.J. Goodson are also good to go.
Boasting a 14-2 regular season record, Kansas City comes in as a heavy favorite. The Chiefs are seeking their second straight Super Bowl title, but have looked sluggish at times (no wins by more than six points since Nov. 1) and will be without running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and receiver Sammy Watkins.
What follows is a drive-by-drive live blog of today’s action, with the most recent plays and updates closest to the top. Stay tuned for updates and analysis all afternoon and evening on 3News and WKYC.com.