Andy Reid's Chiefs Become First Team To Host 3 Straight Conference Championship Games Since His 2002-04 Eagles
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) -- What do the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs have in common? Both organizations were coached to back-to-back-to-back conference championships by Andy Reid.
The Kansas City Chiefs are the first team to host three straight conference championship games since Andy Reid's 2002-04 Philadelphia Eagles.
Reid coached the Eagles for 12 years from 1999-2012.
The Eagles won one of the four NFC Conference Championships they played in under Reid, three of those games were hosted in Philadelphia. They lost to the New England Patriots in their only Super Bowl appearance in 2o04.
The Kansas City Chiefs moved on in the NFL playoffs after a 22-12 victory over the Cleveland Browns -- closing out the win despite losing quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the third quarter to a concussion.
Backup Chad Henne, who is 35 years old, helped ice the game with a long third-down scramble and then a daring fourth-down completion to Tyreek Hill with just over a minute left.
Former Eagles running back Brian Westbrook, who was coached by Reid in Philadelphia, posted on social media applauding his play design.
"Andy is a magician with his play design!! He got the look he was looking for!" Westbrook tweeted.
The Chiefs say Mahomes is doing great. Referring to Henne, Mahomes tweeted after the game "HenneThingIsPossible."
The Chiefs now head to their third straight AFC title game and will face the Buffalo Bills next Sunday.
So much will depend on Mahomes' condition. While journeyman backup Chad Henne did well enough after Mahomes departed Sunday in the third quarter, even making two big plays to clinch the win, the Chiefs would be severely hampered if Mahomes can't play.
Andy Reid, whose willingness to gamble and always play to win should be lauded regardless of circumstance, has designed a nearly unstoppable attack — when Mahomes is behind center. It's hard to imagine Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and the other threats being, well, as threatening without him.
Reid maintains there is something else at play in Kansas City. When asked what impressed him most about the Chiefs holding off Cleveland, he replied:
"Probably just the intestinal fortitude of the guys pounding through, not getting down when Pat went down. That's easier said than done. Somebody asked that just about the quarterback, so just that part of it, having that trust, having earned that respect from the guys I think is big.
"But listen, nobody got down. I mean, there was nobody that was hanging their head or moping throughout the game."
Nor will they against Buffalo, which has been the AFC's best team the last two months. The Bills are the most balanced of the four remaining contenders, and might have more confidence than anyone.
They lost at home to the Chiefs in a COVID-19 delayed game in October, 26-17. That game was played in wet weather.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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