Kansas City Chiefs: Huge win overshadowed by loss of Eric Berry

KANSAS CITY -- The Kansas City Chiefs announced their presence as contenders for the AFC title with a convincing 42-27 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots Thursday night, but the celebration proved bittersweet with news that All-Pro safety Eric Berry is lost for the season with an Achilles tendon rupture.

Head coach Andy Reid confirmed the diagnosis Friday as the team looks toward a future without its emotional leader on defense.

"You're not going to replace Eric Berry with another Eric Berry," Reid said. "That's not what happens."

Safety appeared one of the deepest position groups on the team before Berry's injury. The loss of the five-time Pro Bowl strong safety tests that strength. Ron Parker remains the starter at free safety, but the team must find a way to distribute Berry's playing time among Daniel Sorensen and Eric Murray.

Sorensen already plays well-defined roles in the team's substitution packages, often playing as an in-the-box linebacker in run situations while remaining among the team's top special teams players. Sorensen played 80 snaps against the Patriots, including 32 on special teams.

Murray, a fourth-round selection in last year's draft, comes off a strong training camp and played strong safety during the preseason. Berry missed all four preseason games with a sore heel.

"It could be him, it could be Sorensen, it could be both of them working it," Reid said. "We just have to sit back and kind of declare what the role is."

Berry addressed the team after the game, and Reid said he's confident the loss of one of the team's emotional leaders won't lead to a loss in focus.

"Most of all, the guys know that Eric would be disappointed if they let off the accelerator at all, so I think we'll be OK there," Reid said.

This marks the third time in Berry's eight-year career he ends the season with an injury or illness. He missed all but one game of the 2011 season with a torn ACL. He played only six games in 2014 before being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. He received chemotherapy throughout the offseason and returned with an All-Pro performance, capturing the NFL comeback player of the year award.