Andy Reid’s decision to throw the ball with a narrow lead late in the fourth quarter of the Kansas City Chiefs’ preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday cost his team the game. Sure, the stakes were low, but the inexplicable interception thrown by Chris Oladokun that sealed Kansas City’s fate was maddening for fans who wanted to see their first Chiefs win since Super Bowl LVII.
Reid addressed the media after the game and chose to look on the bright side of the loss instead of dwelling on the bitter defeat. He pointed out that Kansas City’s rookies got great experience in the matchup, noting the benefit of playing time for draft picks Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Rashee Rice in particular.
“That’s so valuable for them,” Reid explained. “They’re two guys who need that – the speed of this, live, the whole deal – and not just a handful of reps, putting a series together. I think that was good for both of them. Again, I have to evaluate off of the tape. We’re going to look at it. There are going to be some corrections. I thought for the most part they held their own and did a decent job there. I’ll take a peek at that.”
While the sting of the loss will pass quickly given that it won’t affect the Chiefs’ hopes of a championship repeat next season, the lessons learned from this mis-August matchup are sure to pay dividends for Kansas City’s young up-and-comers for months to come.