The Kansas City Chiefs clinched the AFC West once again thanks to a game-winning 31-yard field goal from kicker Matt Wright. The victory also marked the ninth consecutive AFC West championship won by the Kansas City Chiefs, second only behind the New England Patriots who won the AFC East 11 times in a row.
In his postgame press conference, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid praised all involved in the game, including the fans.
“I appreciate the fans,” Reid said. “They all hung here until the end, which is great support for our guys.”
When he was done giving the fans their due, Reid jumped right into who impressed him on the defensive side of the ball. He made sure to highlight defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton and safety Chamarri Conner.
“Defensively, I thought we really played well in the first half. We held a really good offense and quarterback to minimal yards,” Reid stated. “Wharton with the two sacks. I thought that was big. And, Chamarri [Conner] with eight tackles. In the second half, they kind of got it going, but when it counted, we took care of business there.”
A DOINK FOR THE DIVISION! IT’S GOOD! @CHIEFS WIN! pic.twitter.com/RtsINqo05m
— NFL (@NFL) December 9, 2024
While mentioning the outstanding play of the special teams unit, Reid discussed how Wright has stepped up since being signed to the Chiefs’ active roster on December 4th, just four days before he would deliver the AFC West crown to Kansas City.
“He [Matt Wright] never looks at himself as the third guy,” Reid explained. “I told him, ‘Just keep it a little to the right, alright?’ My hat goes off to him for the field goals he made in tough situations plus that one at the end. That one at the end was great.”
It’s hard to believe that this is Andy Reid’s 12th season as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. The success that Reid has had in Kansas City is only comparable to all-time great coaches like Vince Lombardi, Bill Belichick, and Don Shula. With a 12-1 record, there is a good chance that the Chiefs will again clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs in the AFC, especially after the Buffalo Bills lost their shootout against the Los Angeles Rams 44-42. If the Cheifs lock up the home-field advantage, that gets them that much closer to the coveted three-peat, something that has never been done in the Super Bowl era. If Andy Reid can with three straight Super Bowls, then he could retire as arguably the greatest coach in NFL history.
