Reid has Kansas City on the verge yet again
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Andy Reid sat inside an opulent suite high above the field in Arrowhead Stadium six years ago, a sparkle in his eyes and a broad smile hiding underneath his bushy, red mustache.
He had just been fired by the Philadelphia Eagles after a mostly successful 14-year run highlighted by a Super Bowl appearance, and by all accounts he should have been weary and beaten. But he was instead wired and buoyant, eager to take on the vast rebuilding job of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Eager to answer the critics that claimed he lost it those final years in Philadelphia. Eager to prove to everyone that he can win the big game.
Now, the affable coach with the self-deprecating sense of humor has the Chiefs one game away from playing in their first Super Bowl in 49 years.
Standing in the way are the New England Patriots, a team that has ruined Reid’s postseason dreams on multiple occasions before, but who will have to earn their own trip back to the Super Bowl by beating the AFC’s top seed on the road.
“I think this is big for our fans. It’s big for our family,” Reid said. “There’s a lot that goes into it, from the head coach’s standpoint to the players’ standpoint. There’s going to be a lot of distractions here. It’s important to focus on the job.”
It’s the job Reid sought when he signed on in 2013, taking over a franchise coming off a two-win season and marked by on- and off-field misery. And getting to this point hasn’t been easy, either, with more playoff disappointments marking his first five seasons.
Twice his Chiefs teams have lost by one point, and once by two, when the Steelers beat them in the divisional round at Arrowhead Stadium without scoring a touchdown.
Twice they’ve blown 18point leads, something that has only happened two other times in NFL history.
Three years ago, the Chiefs finally won their first playoff game in more than two decades only to blow their shot at the AFC title game in New England.
The Chiefs trailed by 14 in the fourth quarter, but used 16 plays to score the first of two touchdowns they needed, and ultimately ran out of time.
“I don’t get caught up in any of that,” said Reid, who even after a 31-13 win Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts is just 2-4 in the playoffs with Kansas City. “I’m into history — I love history — but only if it makes you better. You learn from it and move forward.”
To be sure, Reid has had plenty of learning opportunities. He has been in 25 playoff games over the course of 20 seasons as a head coach, the most of anybody without winning the Super Bowl.
Still, Reid’s ability to build winning teams impresses Patriots coach Bill Belichick. “I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect for the way he does things. He does as good a job as anybody in the National Football League.”