Heavy-hearted Andy Reid addresses car crash after Super Bowl loss
While Chiefs coach Andy Reid watched his football team struggle to its worst offensive performance in years during a 31-9 loss to the Buccaneers in Sunday’s Super Bowl, his heart and thoughts were more than 1,200 miles away in Kansas City.
Reid’s son Britt, the Chiefs’ outside linebackers coach, was the driver in a Thursday crash that left a 5-year-old girl in critical condition. Britt Reid did not travel with the team to the game.
“My heart goes out to all those that were involved in the accident, in particular the family with the little girl who is fighting for her life,” Reid said to open his postgame news conference.
The coach said he wasn’t at liberty to comment further.
“From a human standpoint, my heart bleeds for everybody involved,” he said.
Britt Reid is under investigation for impaired driving in the crash that happened shortly after 9 p.m.
A GoFundMe set up for the victim and her family says the girl is still in critical condition and “not awake.” It has raised more than double the original goal of $100,000.
Pair of Aces
Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski might be wearing different jerseys, but their connection didn’t miss a beat.
Gronkowski caught two touchdowns from Brady on Sunday to make them the most prolific duo in NFL postseason history.
The first-quarter score marked the first time Brady had thrown a touchdown in the opening quarter of a Super Bowl. He and Gronkowski now have combined for 14 touchdown passes in the playoffs, ahead of the 12 from Joe Montana to Jerry Rice.
Brady has also thrown five touchdowns to Gronkowski in the Super Bowl, passing the four from Montana to Rice.
The first 12 postseason touchdowns and three Super Bowl connections all came when Brady and Gronkowski played for New England.
“That just shows all the hard work and dedication we have put in,” Gronkowski said. “I remember as a rookie him yelling at me because he so badly wanted me to get to my potential.”
Run it back
Not only did Brady become the oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl, but Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians surpassed Bill Belichick as the oldest coach to win one.
Both declared they would be back next season to do it again.
“I don’t know about the year after that and the year after that, but I’m damn sure coming back next season,” Arians said.
Gronkowski, who came out of retirement to reunite with Brady, also said he would return for another season and a chance to defend the title.
Stopped short
Chiefs opponents went 9-of-9 on fourth-and-1 this season going into the Super Bowl.
That ended on Sunday when Ronald Jones was stuffed at the goal line in the second quarter.
Kansas City couldn’t capitalize on the stop, however. The Chiefs made one first down on the ensuing drive, then shanked a punt that the Buccaneers eventually turned into a touchdown.
Flag on the play
Kansas City was penalized early and often in the loss.
The Chiefs set a Super Bowl record with 90 penalty yards in the second quarter alone, the most in any single quarter in the game’s history. It was also the most penalty yards of any team in any game since the Raiders were flagged for 110 yards in the second quarter of a 2018 loss to the Rams.
Kansas City’s 95 penalty yards in the first half Sunday were the most against any team in the first half of a game this season.
Staying alive
The Chiefs kept a streak alive despite a blowout loss on Sunday.
Kansas City kicked a field goal in the first quarter to go ahead 3-0, though it was the only time the Buccaneers trailed in the game.
It marked the 62nd straight game the Chiefs have led, eight games short of the Seahawks’ NFL record from 2012 to 2015.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.