AFC coaches flourish with friendship

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Andy Reid and Bill Belichick are good friends. And it’s plenty evident even if the origins of it either are hazy to them or — just as possible with two men who seldom show their hand — they’d rather keep it to themselves.

Before their teams met in the playoffs three years ago, Belichick said, “I don’t know if either one of us can remember that far” back to when and how it started. To which Chiefs coach Reid responded, “That’s why we need more fish oil.”

Perhaps still more: As he reiterated Thursday that he doesn’t recall when they met, Reid at least reckoned it was around the time he was a Green Bay Packers assistant coach and Belichick, now head coach in New England, was the defensive coordinator for the Patriots when they played in the Super Bowl in 1997.

Eventually, they got to know each other better as their teams met in several preseason games and they made some trades when Reid became the head coach and essentially the general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles and Belichick took over in New England.

Never mind that it’s hard to see much commonality between the public personas of the amiable offensive genius who coaches the Chiefs and the grim defensive mastermind who has led the Patriots to five Super Bowl victories.

Asked before the teams met in the 2017 opener what he appreciated most about the friendship, Belichick said, “I mean, everything. It’s all the things outside of football — family, personal, things that we have in common, personal likes, dislikes.”

No doubt in the sonorous monotone he always employs at news conferences, Belichick even said how much he enjoys Reid’s great sense of humor.

Which apparently is well-reciprocated, appearances notwithstanding.

“He has a great personality, actually,” Reid said Thursday as the teams prepared for Sunday’s AFC championship game. “Funny, good sense of humor. Good person.”

The sincere mutual respect has been reflected in meaningful ways.

During training camp in August 2012, Belichick was among the NFL head coaches who traveled to suburban Philadelphia to attend the funeral of Reid’s son, Garrett, who died at 29. Later that day back in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Belichick told local media that he had “a heavy heart” for Reid and his family.

Their relationship is a compelling angle in more ways than one for the impending 3-D chess match ahead, another fascinating matchup befitting the men who rank Nos. 1 and 2 in victories among active NFL coaches.

Reid is 2-6 overall against Belichick but 2-2 since he took over the Chiefs in 2013, and he is responsible for three of the seven times a Belichick team has allowed 40 points or more — including in Kansas City’s 43-40 loss at New England this season.