PHILADELPHIA — Once again, Andy Reid’s coaching errors overshadowed a weekend’s worth of wonderment. Once again, much of Philadelphia rejoiced. Once again, it’s a sad sight to see.
Joe Burrow’s comeback brilliance in an overtime win sent the Bengals to their first Super Bowl since Cris Collinsworth wasn’t obnoxious. Instead, it is Reid’s failure to protect his team’s 18-point lead Sunday that mattered more. It’s the third time in Reid’s nine years with the Chiefs that he has blown a playoff lead of at least 18 points, the latest in a series of exquisite regurgitations.
This episode’s key dramatic moment: Not kicking a field goal with 5 seconds to play in the first half with the ball on the Bengals’ 1-yard line. The Chiefs, who had driven 80 yards in 1:05 to get there, held an 11-point lead. They had scored touchdowns on their first three drives. The obvious answer, analytics be damned, was kicking a short field goal. Simple.
