The Chiefs have fired defensive coordinator Bob Sutton after a second-half collapse in the AFC championship game, including an overtime period in which Kansas City failed to stop the New England Patriots on what turned out to be the only possession.
The Patriots won the game 37-31 to reach their third consecutive Super Bowl.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid announced the firing in a statement Tuesday, one day after he said he was evaluating all aspects of the team. Reid declined to address Sutton specifically.
Sutton had been the defensive coordinator since 2013, when he joined Reid’s initial staff in Kansas City. The longtime college and NFL assistant had previously spent more than a decade with the New York Jets, including a stint as defensive coordinator.
Reid did not say whether his replacement would be promoted from within his current staff.
NFL security is investigating whether a fan attempted to shine a laser into the face of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during their AFC championship game victory over the Chiefs on Sunday night.
Local television stations posted footage Tuesday that showed a green light flashing on Brady late in the Patriots’ 37-31 overtime victory. At least two instances occurred on their go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter, including a crucial 25-yard pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Laser pointers are banned at most sporting events because of the potential for distraction and safety reasons. The light can damage the retina in the eye after even a short period of time.
The NFL has dealt with the issue in the past, including a Monday night game in Mexico two years ago in which then-Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler was caught in the eye multiple times.
In the legal equivalent of a Hail Mary pass, two New Orleans Saints season ticket holders have asked a judge to reverse the result of the NFC championship game that sent the Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl — or order a do-over.
Tuesday’s state court filing says NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should implement a league rule governing “extraordinarily unfair acts.” Remedies include reversal of a game’s result or the rescheduling of a game — in its entirety or from the point when the act occurred.
At issue is the failure of officials to call interference or roughness penalties when a Rams player leveled a Saints receiver with a helmet-to-helmet hit at a crucial point in Sunday’s game. The NFL hasn’t yet responded. A hearing is scheduled Monday.
Two people with direct knowledge of the NFL’s plans tell The Associated Press that the league’s competition committee will consider expanding replay reviews to include certain penalties, including pass interference.
The people, who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the NFL has not publicly announced such plans, stressed that the committee looks into the parameters of replay yearly. It has considered inclusion of what are considered judgment calls by officials in the past.
Officiating once more became a hot topic during Sunday’s NFC championship game. A missed call by referee Bill Vinovich’s crew of a blatant pass interference penalty and helmet-to-helmet hit by Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman on Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis likely cost New Orleans a spot in the Super Bowl.
Saints coach Sean Payton said Al Riveron, the NFL’s senior vice president of officiating, told him afterward that a flag should have been thrown.