Santa Claus came through big time for the Kansas City Chiefs this year. In what has already been a dominant season for the Chiefs, a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day ended up being a present under the tree as a 29-10 victory not only earned them home field advantage throughout the entire playoffs, but it also gave them 15 wins in the regular season, the most regular season wins in franchise history.
But while the Chiefs displayed their classic excellence all throughout the afternoon, a big game from former Stanford star Justin Reid was a major catalyst in the result.
It was early in the game, but Kansas City had a commanding lead over the Steelers late in the first quarter, up 13-0 with two minutes to go. On 2nd and 14 with the ball on the Chiefs 20 yard line, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson dropped back to pass and delivered a strike up the middle while looking for tight end Pat Freiermuth.
However, Reid read the play perfectly and put himself in the exact coverage spot, intercepting Wilson's pass in the end zone before kneeling it down to award the Chiefs possession on their own 25 yard line, giving them even more momentum as the game went on. Receiving a game grade of 89.8 on Pro Football Focus, he was the Chiefs highest graded player for the his performance.
For the night, Reid finished with five total tackles, a pass defended and the interception. For the season, Reid has 87 total tackles (61 solo) with two interceptions and has been one of the Chiefs' best defensive players thus far.
His best game of the season came in the team's week seven win over the 49ers where he recorded nine tackles and an interception. A two-time Super Bowl champion with Kansas City, Reid's performance this year has helped the Chiefs put together their best ever regular season in a campaign where the team has seen some struggles offensively.
Drafted 68th overall by the Houston Texans in the 2018 NFL Draft, Reid's college career with the Cardinal was extremely successful, finishing his tenure having recorded 170 tackles, six interceptions and a sack. His performance during his junior year in 2017 earned him First-Team All-Pac-12 honors, which helped contribute to his decision to forgo his senior year and turn pro.
The Chiefs will have a tough fight ahead of them if they wish to win their third consecutive championship, but with momentum firmly on their side and a star player like Reid as a part of their defense, counting out a Kansas City three-peat would be a foolish endeavor. If this year's team has taught us anything, it's that they can win under any circumstance.
