PHILADELPHIA — Andy Reid showed little emotion about becoming the first coach to win 100 games for two different NFL teams, saying merely, “I’m pretty good with it,” after his Kansas City Chiefs beat his former employer, the Philadelphia Eagles, 42-30 on Sunday.
But between his week starting off in a Kansas City hospital, the Chiefs having lost their previous two games and the milestone win coming in of all places Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, the moment had to have at least some significance for him.
It was left to Patrick Mahomes to say that it did.
“It’s special to him,” said Mahomes, who threw five touchdown passes. “He kind of became Andy Reid in Philadelphia. … But when you look back on [his career], you’ll know him as a Kansas City Chief. The way he was able to build up this organization from day one. … No offense to Philly but I’m glad they let him go and he’s coaching us in Kansas City.
“He’ll definitely take in this moment for a second, at least.”
Reid won 140 games, counting playoffs, for the Eagles as their coach from 1999 through 2012. He then moved to Kansas City, where his record is 100-45 in eight full seasons plus four games in 2021.
Reid, at least publicly, was more excited about the Chiefs breaking a two-game losing streak that dropped them into last place in the AFC West for the first time since 2015. They are 2-2 heading into next week’s Sunday night game against the Buffalo Bills, a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game.
“It bothered everybody,” Reid said of the losing streak. “We’re in a profession where winning is very important. These guys take that personally. … They’ve had success and want to get back doing the things they know are correct and we weren’t doing that.
“It was important that we buckle down and do better, and that’s what we did.”
The Chiefs in the locker room felt much the same way. Ending the short losing streak was more important than getting Reid his 100th win with the Chiefs.
“It wasn’t like ‘We’ve got to go get Coach his 100th win,'” said running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who rushed for 102 yards and caught a touchdown pass. “It was, ‘We’ve got to go get a win.'”
Mahomes said, “We were due to get him that win. It’s been a couple of weeks now but I’m glad we were able to do it in Philadelphia, where he kind of came into his own.”
Reid fell ill at the end of last week’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and was taken to a Kansas City-area hospital. That cast some doubt, at least publicly, whether Reid would be available to coach against the Eagles.
He was released from the hospital on Monday and resumed his coaching duties the following day. It was evident then that he would be able to coach against his former team.
His players were happy he was a part of it.
“As a kid I used to watch TV and see Coach Reid coaching in Philadelphia,” said wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who caught 11 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns. “I used to have dreams and aspirations of playing in the NFL and now I’m actually playing for one of the greatest coaches of all time.”
Source: ESPN
