Home practices in the books, Chiefs set sights on travel to Miami for Super Bowl prep
The final week of football practices in Kansas City is officially in the books.
Up next for the Chiefs?
A business trip to Miami in the coming days for another week of practices and preparations before the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV on Feb. 2.
“We travel Sunday and the players will be off tomorrow (Saturday),” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Friday. “We’ll re-convene down there and start our meetings, our prep for the final week, final few days before we play.”
A day after winning the AFC Championship Game, the Chiefs players spent time taking care of personal matters, such as tickets and hotels for family members, before returning to practice Wednesday.
And that’s when the football side of planning for the Super Bowl matchup went into full effect.
“What we try to do is get the game plan in now and before you have the distractions down in Miami,” Reid said. “We worked hard at that as coaches and players to get most of the information.
“That doesn’t mean there won’t be a little tweak here or there that you got to fix before the game. But for right now, you got just about 100% of the game plan is in and ready to go.”
The Chiefs will leave Kansas City in good shape health-wise to implement the plan of attack against the Niners, as safety Jordan Lucas (illness) was the only player who didn’t practice Friday.
Defensive tackle Chris Jones (calf) was limited for a third straight day, but on Thursday declared himself “1,000%” ready to go for the Super Bowl. Tight end Travis Kelce (knee) returned to a limited practice Friday after missing Thursday because of an illness.
The past three days of work reminded the coaching staff and players there’s still a job a do. But wide receiver Tyreek Hill didn’t contain his level of excitement knowing the next time he takes the playing field in live action will be for a league championship.
“I’m fired up and ready to go,” Hill said Friday.
Even before Hill’s exuberance during his media availability session, Reid admits he sensed a different level of energy in his team.
“This is the Super Bowl, so there are only two teams practicing and you’re one of them,” Reid said. “There’s a certain energy that comes with that, but it takes a certain energy to play in the game, too.
“Every time you move up in the playoffs, the game gets faster, so this will be fast and furious and two good teams playing each other. It’s different.”
Meanwhile, the days leading to the big game provides a unique experience, especially for the players who haven’t played in a Super Bowl.
But Reid, who took the Philadelphia Eagles to Super Bowl XXXIX, relied on structure mode with a basic foundation of practices and meetings to keep the team grounded.
And when the team lands in Miami, where numerous media obligations await the team, the Chiefs will continue with a routine to keep focused.
“You try to keep consistent, the same,” Reid said. “And even with the fluctuation you might have when you go down to Miami, you give them itineraries so they know where they need to be and what they’re going to do.
“You don’t throw a lot of surprises at them. That’s not what we’re doing. Within all the media and the hype, you’re still trying to get ready to play a football game against a good football team.”
This story was originally published January 24, 2020 at 4:51 PM.
