Days before the Super Bowl, Reid is working to calm his team’s nerves

By Drake Skelly, WEBN Correspondent

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid has been to the Super Bowl five times in his career, so as Super Bowl LVIII approaches in Las Vegas he’s going to use that experience to make sure his team is prepared for the pressure that comes with the last game of the NFL season. “I think it’s the same philosophy other than the game changes a little bit different every year.”

Reid’s first Super Bowl appearance was the 1996 season while he was still an assistant coach for the Green Bay Packers. Since then, he has returned to the big game once as the head coach for the Eagles and this year marks his fourth appearance with the Chiefs. 

“I don’t think it’s changed much,” Reid said, reflecting on his appearance with the Eagles. “But it’s very similar to what I was taught… is there a tweak here or there? Yeah, but not far off.”

Most of Reid’s team are familiar with what it means to play in the Super Bowl as the team has been here four times in the past five seasons, but new players are always coming in like Rashee Rice who has defined himself as Patrick Mahomes’ number two guy only behind Travis Kelce.

Reid tries to remind his younger players that the Super Bowl is still just a game and it’s important to treat it as such.

“You’re professionalism, arguably one out of 32 guys at your position in the whole world, so you go play and do your job.” 

Come Sunday, the teams will take the field and have to wait for the pre-game festivities. During that time, Reid and the rest of the coaches ask the players to “get off their feet, kind of pump the breaks a little bit, and relax so they don’t use all their energy during that time.”

There are few coaches who are more experienced in preparing for the Super Bowl than Andy Reid. His opponent, Kyle Shanahan, has made it to the Super Bowl three times in his career but has yet to win. Sunday will test how much that experience makes a difference.