KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Chiefs have fired defensive co-ordinator 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 co-ordinator 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 co-ordinator.

Reid did not say whether his replacement would be promoted from within his current staff.