The New England Patriots' impressive offensive showing in the AFC Championship Game has cost Bob Sutton his job, it appears.
The Kansas City Chiefs announced Tuesday they have fired Sutton as their defensive coordinator, two days after his team allowed 37 points to the Patriots in a season-ending, overtime loss at Arrowhead Stadium.
Sutton had been the Chiefs' defensive coordinator since 2013 and was one of the longer-tenured coordinators in the NFL. But Kansas City struggled on defense this season despite its 12-4 record, finishing 24th in the NFL by allowing 26.3 points per game.
The last straw for Sutton appeared to come Sunday, when the Chiefs became the first NFL team ever to allow 30 or more points at home in a conference championship game and lose.
“Bob is a good football coach and a great person," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said in a statement. "He played an integral role in the success of our team over the last six seasons.
"I’ve said before that change can be a good thing, for both parties, and I believe that is the case here for the Chiefs and Bob. This was not an easy decision, but one I feel is in the best interest of the Kansas City Chiefs moving forward."
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