Andy Reid Thanked Opposing Coach for Beating the Complacency Out of the Chiefs

A loss on Christmas Day was a huge wake up call for Kansas City.

The Kansas City Chiefs outlasted the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday to lift the Lombardi Trophy for the second straight year.

After a somewhat rocky start, the Chiefs played like champions through the second half and overtime, ultimately taking home a 25–22 victory.

It was the sixth straight win of the season for Kansas City, who haven’t lost a game since a Christmas Day game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

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According to coach Andy Reid, that loss to the Raiders was one of the sparks for the Chiefs’ brilliant run through the postseason. As he told NBC Sports’ Peter King, Reid texted Raiders coach Antonio Pierce during the week of the Super Bowl to thank him and his team for the beat down.

Per King:

“I texted him,” Reid said. “I just said, Hey, beautiful facility, first of all. And I appreciate you kicking our tail because you taught us a lesson. You get complacent in this business, the margin between winning and losing is tiny. You better step up. There’s a time and a place for these players that have been here before. You know what it takes. If you’re the veteran that’s dropping the ball or you’re the veteran getting the penalties, you better figure it out. Figure it out quick. This season’s gonna go down.”

The Raiders’ win over the Chiefs was an impressive one, holding Patrick Mahomes & Co. to just 14 points of offense at home while physically dominating Kansas City on both sides of the ball.

While the loss surely stung at the time, it turns out it was just what the Chiefs needed in their quest to repeat as champions.