Andy Reid issues warning to Chiefs about Bengals rematch

The Kansas City Chiefs are considered clear favorites against the Cincinnati Bengals in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, but coach Andy Reid does not want any complacency seeping in.

Reid discussed Kansas City’s week 17 loss at Cincinnati, which saw the Bengals put together a late rally to win 34-31. Reid warned that the outcome was not a “fluke.” He says the Chiefs’ urgency level has to remain high in order to avoid a repeat.

“They made big plays on us on both sides of the ball. They were able to slow us down and then pick it up on the offensive side,” Reid said, via Chris Roling of Bengals Wire. “So, we’ve got to do a better job all the way around, special teams included. Every phase can be better.

“They beat us. It wasn’t a fluke. They beat us, so they’re a good football team and it’s important that we have a great week of preparation here, and that’s one reason why the urgency level is there even yesterday once the game was over to get busy.”

The Chiefs’ loss to the Bengals was a surprise, but it did come on the road. Things may be different now that the Chiefs will have home-field advantage on Sunday. That said, the Bengals are as confident as they’ve been all year. Reid is right that this won’t necessarily be easy.