Getty Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed had Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill on lock in round one of the playoffs.
The Kansas City Chiefs are moving on to the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, defeating Tyreek Hill and the Miami Dolphins by a score of 26-7.
As the second half wound down, a viral video of star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed caught fire on social media — shared by MLFootball on X. “L’Jarius Sneed JAMMED Tyreek Hill,” the account voiced, adding: “Sheesh. Straight up bullying.”
Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe also weighed in on this moment, stating: “Sneed has the best freeze technique I’ve seen since the 90s. He literally choked out Tyreek on that 3rd down.”
The Athletic’s Nate Taylor described this play as the corner “smushing” Hill at the line of scrimmage, while former Chiefs writer Seth Keysor joked that Sneed “annihilated” him.
Even rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice commented on this moment after the game, calling it a “great play for me to watch on our sideline” (via A-to-Z Sports KC’s Charles Goldman).
NFL Twitter Praises Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed After Win Over Dolphins
After the win, Sneed was one of the men of the hour both on social media and inside the locker room.
“The Chiefs played the high-powered Dolphins offense twice this year L’Jarius Sneed allowed only ONE catch total to Tyreek Hill & Jaylen Waddle combined across both matchups, per @NextGenStats,” analytics expert Warren Sharp relayed. “Absolute stud.”
L’Jarius Sneed allowed just 2 receptions for 20 yards on 8 targets in the Chiefs’ Wild Card victory over Miami (4 tight windows).
Across two matchups this season, Sneed allowed a single reception on 8 combined targets to Tyreek Hill & Jaylen Waddle.
Next Gen Stats added more context on the playoff effort, specifically. “L’Jarius Sneed allowed just 2 receptions for 20 yards on 8 targets in the Chiefs’ Wild Card victory over Miami (4 tight windows).”
An accomplishment that Chiefs Digest insider Matt Derrick referred to as “All-Pro in my book.” As did linebacker Nick Bolton, who argued “LJ should be a Pro Bowler” after the win.
Lastly, head coach Andy Reid gave Sneed his credit during his postgame press conference, voicing that “I have a hard time believing there’s another corner as good as him in this league.”
Tyreek Hill: ‘Felt Amazing’ to Be Back at Arrowhead Despite Dolphins Losing to Chiefs
Even though his team fell to the Chiefs on January 13, Hill remained humble in defeat.
“It felt amazing,” Hill told reporters regarding his Arrowhead return (shared by Sun Sentinel reporter David Furones). “This is where it all started for me… Being back on this field brought back so many memories. It was definitely fun to be part of this game.”
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill talks return to Arrowhead and the touchdown.
The former KC superstar finished the outing with five catches for 62 yards and a touchdown — which led Miami — but most of his production came on the 53-yard TD. The entire Dolphins offense couldn’t get much going for large portions of the game, and Hill’s lackluster performance was a big part of that.
“It’s tough with the type of team we have and expectations,” Hill admitted (via Palm Beach Post media member Joe Schad). “Definitely wasn’t expecting a first round exit.”
To his credit, Hill did not use the weather as an excuse either, expressing that it “wasn’t a factor at all.” Below was his final sentiment on the Dolphins’ 2023 season — which he described as great overall.
“I think a lot of people kind of doubted us, and we kind of exceeded those expectations,” Hill said. “I feel like the season went exactly — it didn’t end the way we wanted in the end — but as far as the [regular] season, I think guys really laid it on the line.”
Despite a better record than last year, Hill’s Dolphins were eliminated during the Wild Card Round for the second straight winter. The Chiefs, on the other hand, are on their way to their sixth straight Divisional Round next weekend.