Chiefs get back to the AFC Championship with fourth-and-inches throw

The Cleveland Browns made it closer than most thought they would, but in the end, and even without Patrick Mahomes for most of the second half, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Browns 22-17 in the divisional round to return to the AFC Championship game for the third straight year.

The defending Super Bowl champs sealed the win on a rather courageous call — on fourth-and-1 from the Kansas City 48-yard line, Reid called a short pass from backup Chad Henne to Tyreek Hill for a five-yard gain.

You’d expect a quarterback sneak there as opposed to “Sprint Right Z Out,” and based on Cleveland’s defensive alignment, the Browns were expecting it, too. But Reid did what he tends to do — he went against type, fooled the opponent, and even without Mahomes — who left the game halfway through the third quarter with a concussion — the Chiefs were able to roll along.

It was a dynamite game for the Browns, but just not enough to beat a coach who will roll the dice in all kinds of diabolical ways.

“That’s why we love Big Red,” Chiefs defensive back Tyrann Mathieu told CBS’s Tracy Wolfson right after the game. “He’s always on time. He’s like our Spirit Warrior, you know, behind the scenes. Always firing us up. You always know he’s got one play on the table,”