Chiefs fire defensive coordinator Bob Sutton

The Kansas City Chiefs announced Tuesday the firing of longtime defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, which followed Sunday's AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots.

"Bob is a good football coach and a great person. He played an integral role in the success of our team over the last six seasons," head coach Andy Reid said in a statement. "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."

Despite earning the AFC's No. 1 seed and advancing to the conference title game, the Chiefs owned the NFL's 31st-ranked defense during the 2018 regular season and then gave up 37 points - including the game-winning touchdown on the first drive of overtime - to New England on Sunday.

Kansas City's defense appeared to turn a corner by shutting down Andrew Luck and Co. in the divisional round, but the unit had no answer for the Patriots, allowing 524 total yards, 35 first downs, and 13 third-down conversions.

Over the course of the past few days, the #Chiefs have talked with players and coaches about defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, whose lack of adjustments has been a non-stop frustration. They moved on today, and a prime job is open.

- Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 22, 2019

Sutton spent six seasons in charge of Kansas City's defense after joining the team alongside Reid in 2013.

Former New York Jets and Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan could reportedly be a candidate for the Chiefs' vacant DC job after spending the last two seasons working as a television analyst.

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