Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher praises Chiefs’ Andy Reid for gutsy fourth-down call
Bill Cowher is a Super Bowl-winning coach who is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, so he’s seen quite a lot during his time in the NFL.
But going for it on fourth-and-inches while on his team’s half of the field with a minute to play? Well, that’s not something he did.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid did, however, dialing up a pass from Chad Henne to Tyreek Hill that got the first down in Sunday’s AFC Divisional Playoff game against Cleveland. The Chiefs got the first down and ran out the clock in a 22-17 win.
Cowher, who is now an NFL on CBS analyst, heaped praise on Reid after Sunday’s game.
“It comes down to the calls Andy Reid made in the final minute of that game, the confidence that he showed in his team,” Cowher said. “He was playing to win, not to lose.
“He did what a lot of coaches would not have done. I sit here, I would have used the clock and I would have punted. I’ve got to be honest with you. Andy Reid is a unique breed and I think that’s why players play for him, that’s why they love him and that’s why he’s the defending world champion.”
Here is the clip:
Cowher wasn’t alone in praising Reid. Former NFL receiver Nate Burleson took time on the NFL Network to discuss the fourth-down call
“Ah, genius. Bravo, bravo,” Burleson said. “I want to give a round of applause, a standing ovation to that play call in particular.”
Burleson, who also gave a nod to offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
ESPN’s Ed Werder shared this message on Twitter:
USA Today’s Andy Nesbitt wrote about the call on Tuesday. The headline of the story: “We’re not talking enough about Andy Reid’s guts.”
“The Chiefs, as I said before, are deadly because of the number of studs they have on both sides of the field,” Nesbitt wrote. “But the fact that their coach believes in them and is more than happy to put them in positions to make game-changing plays in big moments only makes this team stronger as it heads to another conference championship game.”
