The team sealed its eighth consecutive AFC West division title only days following the Kansas City Chiefs’ disastrous performance against the Las Vegas Raiders. The victory over the Cincinnati Bengals featured the best the team can offer on defense heading into the playoffs.
Chiefs safety Justin Reid significantly contributed to Sunday’s win with his performance. He collected two critical sacks on Cincinnati’s last drive and finished with seven tackles, ranking second on the team in the win. Reid spoke about the final Bengals drive and the mindset of the defensive unit during his post-game comments to reporters.
“It was a big moment. All of it just came down to execution,” Reid explained. “We were executing really all game, and in the biggest moments, your biggest players – in every situation, your players have to make plays. (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Steve) Spags dialed it up for me to get home, and we practiced it all during the week, everyone played their role to give me enough time to get home, and we were able to make things happen.”
Reid’s thrilling display on the Bengals’ final drive thwarted their comeback hopes and reinforced the unit’s ability to close games. The option of not relying on getting the ball back to Patrick Mahomes and the offense is a luxury heading into another postseason.
“That’s what we want to be; that’s what we want our identity to be,” said Reid. “A defense where when our number is called, we go out there no matter the situation, and we play defense.”
Reid is in his second season with the Chiefs and has quickly become a leader in the secondary. He is playing at a high level at a prime time as Kansas City seeks back-to-back Super Bowl titles.
