Arizona Cardinals respond to Andy Reid's comment on State Farm Stadium field conditions
The NFL has produced scandals such a Bountygate, Spygate and Deflategate.
Could Sodgate be next?
On Tuesday, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid was very critical of the field inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona after two of his players were injured slipping on it during the Chiefs' 44-21 win over the Cardinals in Sunday's NFL Week 1 game.
“It was a little loose. That's what happens sometimes when you re-sod,” Reid told reporters. “It's part of the (Harrison) Butker injury and the (Trent) McDuffie injury, and that's unfortunate. The turf picked up, and I would tell you that did have something to do with it. If it didn't, I'd tell you that, too. It's not an excuse by any means. But you all see it when you watch the tape.”
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Butker, the Chiefs' kicker, slipped early in the game on a kickoff, forcing the Chiefs to turn to safety Justin Reid on some extra point attempts in the game. Reid went 1-for-2 on those attempts before Butker returned.
The kicker was able to connect on a 54-yard field goal after returning.
Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie also hurt his hamstring in the game while in pass coverage.
More: What went wrong for Arizona Cardinals in loss to Chiefs — and what was encouraging
Cardinals respond to Andy Reid's comment on field conditions
A Cardinals spokesperson later refuted Reid's claim that the playing surface had something to do with the Chiefs' injuries.
“The entire field was replaced on Monday, August 22nd — the day after the last home preseason game vs. Baltimore — so it had it almost three full weeks before the Week One game vs. Kansas City,” Mark Dalton told Pro Football Talk via text message. “That’s more than enough time for the Tifway Bermuda 419 hybrid sod to take root, especially in 109 degrees and abundant sunshine.”
Dalton continued, via PFT: “The field at State Farm Stadium is routinely ranked among the best — if not THE best — among NFL players, including in surveys conducted by the NFLPA. Like all fields, the surface at State Farm Stadium undergoes the NFL’s required testing and certification process both before and after games. Sunday it not only met but exceeded those standards.”
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The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals respond to Andy Reid's field injury comments
