Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield insisted "nobody here is satisfied yet" after they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers to record a first playoff win since 1994.
The Browns jumped to a 28-0 first-quarter lead on Sunday at Heinz Field, where they had been enduring a 17-game losing streak, the third-longest on the road at a single opponent in NFL history.
That first-quarter points tally, a joint record in the playoffs, was followed by some resolute second-half defense as they secured a 48-37 victory.
The triumph was made more remarkable by the fact a coronavirus outbreak meant practice sessions on Wednesday and Thursday were cancelled and coach Kevin Stefanski was forced to watch the action from home.
Mayfield, who completed 21 of 34 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns, is already looking ahead to next Sunday's showdown with top seeds the Kansas City Chiefs.
"We're a team, we stick together, and to have those guys there in our celebration was great," he said. "But the best thing about it was the mentality of everybody saying, we didn't want to just win this game.
"It's a stepping stone to where we want to go. Nobody here is satisfied yet."
Before the game, Mayfield posted a video to Instagram with the caption 'Browns is the Browns', referencing comments made by Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who had proclaimed himself happy to be facing "the same Browns teams I play every year".
"We believe in the people in this room no matter what is going on," said Mayfield afterwards. "We knew that everybody was counting us out. We knew what mentality we were going to have, and it's just to cut it loose, because no one believed in us besides us."
The result drew astonished reactions from the sporting world on Twitter, including from Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and five-time NBA champion Magic Johnson.
Browns special teams coordinator Mike Priefer, who stood in as acting head coach in Stefanski's absence, said: "I want to congratulate our fans – I grew up one of them. I know what this means."
Seattle’s defence dismantles the New York Giants as Seahawks win 24-3
Seattle claimed their third-straight victory in dominant fashion as the Seahawks’ defence monstered the New York Giants en route to a 24-3 win.
The Seahawks sacked Giants quarterback Daniel Jones 10 times and came away with two interceptions, including a 97-yard pick six to rookie Devon Witherspoon.
The visitors opened the scoring at the end of the first quarter, Geno Smith finding DK Metcalf in the end zone on a six-yard reception.
New York were able to cut the gap through a 55-yard field goal from Graham Gano.
But the Giants’ offence was no match for Seattle’s defence and did not look like scoring again from there.
Seattle found the end zone again just before half-time and Witherspoon’s third-quarter score ultimately sealed the 21-point victory.
Colts' Taylor to come off PUP list, could play in Week 5
The Indianapolis Colts could be getting a big part of their offence back for Sunday's game against the visiting Tennessee Titans.
The Colts will activate Jonathan Taylor from the physically unable to perform list this week, and depending how he looks in practise, he could be on the field for their next game.
Indianapolis' first practise of the week is Wednesday, and it will mark Taylor's first of the season after he was placed on the PUP list at the start of training camp while recovering from ankle surgery.
Colts coach Shane Steichen told reporters on Monday that Taylor is excited to rejoin the Colts and get back to work.
The ankle injury wasn't the only issue this offseason for Taylor, as the 2021 NFL rushing champion had been mired in a contract dispute and had requested a trade.
Taylor, the runner-up for the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2021, is entering the final season of his rookie deal and is scheduled to earn $4.3 million in 2023.
The fourth-year pro ran for a franchise-record 1,811 yards in 2021, but was slowed by injuries last year and was put on the PUP list earlier this summer as he recovered from ankle surgery that ended his 2022 campaign in December.
Ankle issues limited Taylor to 11 games last season, which he finished with 861 rushing yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per attempt.
Taylor averaged 5.5 yards per carry during his sensational 2021 season in which he also tied for the NFL lead with 20 total touchdowns while playing in all 17 games.
He'll be joining a 2-2 team that got No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson back in Sunday's 29-23 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams after the rookie quarterback suffered a concussion in Week 2.
Without Taylor in the fold, Zack Moss has emerged as the team's No. 1 running back, and has rushed for 280 yards with a touchdown through three games.
Damar Hamlin: NFL return after cardiac arrest ‘meant everything’
Damar Hamlin said his return to the NFL “meant everything” nine months after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch.
The Buffalo Bills safety collapsed during a game in Cincinnati on January 2 and had to be resuscitated before being rushed to hospital.
Hamlin was cleared to resume his career and made his first NFL appearance on Sunday in the Bills’ 48-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
He told a post-match press conference: “That moment meant everything to me.
“I think it was more about proving something to myself than anything else, showing myself that I have the courage, I have the strength, I’ve got the pride, all those words, in me.
“To go through something so dramatic and be able to come back from it and to be able to still do what I love at the highest level in the world is amazing.”
Hamlin was the last player to emerge from the tunnel prior to the match and ran the length of the field before removing his helmet and soaking up the acclaim of the crowd.
Hamlin could be in the Bills’ side next Sunday when they travel to London to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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