Bill Belichick says the Chiefs’ close call against Denver should benefit them
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had mentally accepted defeat Sunday when the Broncos were lining up for a game-winning 35-yard field goal at Arrowhead Stadium.
“Kareem (Hunt) was on the sidelines screaming, ‘We’re about to block this (kick),’” Kelce said on the latest New Heights podcast. “I’m just in my head, I’m just like, ‘It’s only one loss, Travis. It’s only one.’”
Hunt was right, as Leo Chenal played hero with a block that preserved the Chiefs’ 16-14 victory.
It wasn’t pretty, but the Chiefs did remain undefeated. And former Patriots coach Bill Belichick said the close loss could actually help the Chiefs this week as they prepare to face the Buffalo Bills.
Former broadcaster Jim Gray said on the SiriusXM show “Let’s Go!” the Chiefs aren’t hitting on all cylinders and know they’re not “winning right.”
“No, Jim, that’s actually a good thing. It allows the coach to motivate the players,” Belichick said. “And they all know they need to play better and what can they improve on, and they can score more points, play better defense, play better in the kicking game, take care of the ball better. All those little fundamental things as well that allow them to play better, even though they’re winning, it’s gonna take more and they’re capable of more.
“So I think everybody in the Kansas City organization can look at their team and say, ‘This isn’t our best. There’s a lot of potential in front of us. We all just gotta keep working harder and figure out how to get the most out of our collective talents.’”
Following the victory, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said there are things the team needs to improve upon.
Had the Chiefs rolled over the Broncos, that message wouldn’t have resonated, Belichick said.
“It’s a lot easier to motivate a team after winning 16-14 like they did, than it is after you won 51-0 and you know that the other team had a really bad day, things went good for you, the score got outta hand,” said Belichick, who won six Super Bowl titles with the Patriots. “It’s hard to come in after a 51-0 game and say, ‘Well, we’ve got a lot of work to do.’ Everybody kind of rolls their eyes at you. But after a game like this where if that field goal is good they lose the game, that’s a lot closer to reality. And so I think it’s a better motivator.”
This story was originally published November 13, 2024 at 11:32 AM.
