In the aftermath of the Chiefs' crushing 22-21 loss to the Tennessee Titans, Chiefs coach Andy Reid has repeatedly refused to elaborate on who called the plays in the second half of the game, in which the Chiefs blew a 18-point second-half lead.
But during his introductory news conference in Chicago as the Bears' new head coach, former Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy provided some clarity on Tuesday.
"I called every single play in the second half," Nagy said. "That's a learning situation for me. I've gone back, I've looked at it. There's scenarios where I wish I would have made some different choices with the playcall. But that was a failure in my book, for me. But I'll grow from it, and I'll learn from it, I promise you that. I'll use that as a strength here for me with the Chicago Bears."
That's not to say Reid didn't have influence. Even when Nagy earned a larger playcalling role in early December, Reid still had a role in putting the gameplan together and calling plays.
But Nagy said he could have done a better job accounting for the loss of Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce, who left the game at the end of the second quarter with a concussion and did not return. In the second half, the Chiefs ran the ball on eight of their 22 plays after halftime, despite holding the lead, and gained a mere 61 yards total.
"You lose a player like Kelce, you've got to adapt," Nagy said. "I know that our offensive staff supports me, Coach Reid supports me, but I called every play in that second half, I stand by it, and I promise you I'm gonna learn from it."
