Kansas City Chiefs ended the regular season in a 0-38 defeat to the Denver Broncos, their first scoreless game since Andy Reid took the helm 11 years ago. The Chiefs have been criticized for resting some of their key players, including Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, and leaving many to wonder what Reid was trying to prove, as this loss had serious league-wide consequences.

Andy Reid is facing backlash after the Cincinnati Bengals were knocked out of playoff contention

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is coming under fire after the Cincinnati Bengals’ scoreless loss to the Denver Broncos eliminated them from playoff contention. The Chiefs sat some key players for Sunday’s visit to Denver, giving Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones the game off. The Dolphins and Bengals needed Kansas City to defeat the Broncos.

The Chiefs lost 38-0 and were scoreless, helping Kansas City avoid the Bengals’ explosive offense and getting a bye into the wild-card round. Reid is coming under fire for not bringing his team out ready for a third consecutive Super Bowl, as they failed to play strong against the Broncos. CBS yanked the game off the national broadcast following a one-sided defeat.
A former NFL quarterback, Robert Griffin III, questioned Reid about a potential game loss that was engineered to avoid the big-scoring machine, Bengals, that night in town. “Chiefs did everything they could to make sure the Bengals didn’t make the Playoffs. MY GAWD,” he wrote on Twitter.

One fan even accused Reid’s decision of manipulating the AFC playoff picture. “Andy Reid needs fined or fired immediately!” they fumed. “What we witnessed in this game is illegal in sports. Taking a dive and trying to manipulate the entire playoff scenario in their favor. KC is disgusting.”
“For anyone out there complaining about the @Bengals not making the playoffs because the @Chiefs aren’t playing anyone in week 18 tell Cincinnati September matters too: *2024 0-3 then 1-5, *2023 0-2 then 1-3, *2022 0-2 then 2-3. All the games count the same amount. Start better,” another fan pointed out.

The Chiefs, despite past playoff defeats at the hands of Bengals, are not cowering from this year’s Bengals because of their 15-2 record. Detractors say the Bengals’ sloppy defense in 2024 is hardly a reason to be afraid of them. Despite that outcry, Reid’s fans spoke up to defend resting starters. The Broncos are jubilant about finally reaching the playoffs, but it’s hardly clear if the Chiefs are prepared for the divisional round, without Mahomes and so many other stars.
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In 2024, the Chiefs suffered injuries but still had a 15-2 regular season record. They were missing star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and receiver Hollywood Brown for most of the season, as well as running back Isiah Pacheco, who got hurt with a knock. Their defensive star Chris Jones was struggling with a calf injury in the final weeks of the regular season.