Andy Reid

Mahomes is in concussion protocol but continues to practice after leaving last week's win over the Cleveland Browns following a hit from Mack Wilson.

It remains to be seen whether the Super Bowl MVP and the 2018 Most Valuable Player, who did not return against the Browns, will face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

But speaking after Thursday's practice, Reid told reporters: "Pat looked good out there.

"He did a nice job when he was doing it. It looks like he's moving around well.

"He feels good. It's just important that we follow the protocol and that's what we're doing.''

Mahomes became just the second player in NFL history – after Steve Young – to have both passing and rushing touchdowns in three straight playoff games. 

He has thrown for 14 touchdowns and two interceptions across six playoff games, with a career postseason QB rating of 106.6, the best in league history.

Kansas City's offensive co-ordinator Eric Bieniemy added: "He looks like Pat to me.

"He's been great in meetings. He's fun. He's energetic. You can always count on Pat being Pat.''

Top seeds the Chiefs are appearing in the AFC Championship decider for the third consecutive season as they prepare to welcome the Bills to Arrowhead Stadium.

Superstar quarterback Mahomes, who was already struggling with a toe injury, left the Chiefs' win over the Cleveland Browns last week following a hit from Mack Wilson. 

The 2018 MVP was unable to return, but veteran backup Chad Henne led the defending Super Bowl champions to a dramatic victory in their playoff opener. 

Henne, playing in the postseason for the first time in his NFL career, endured a shaky outing, though, throwing an interception and being sacked once despite completing six of eight passes and crucially gaining 13 yards on one of his two rushing attempts. 

Kansas City will be keen for the return of Mahomes, who became just the second player in NFL history - after Steve Young - to have both passing and rushing touchdowns in three straight playoff games. 

Head coach Andy Reid said every player besides Willie Gay was "out there in some form or another", with the Chiefs also hoping to welcome back rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. 

"Tomorrow's a bigger practice, but they all seemed to make it through well and we'll just see how it goes tomorrow," Reid said.

On Mahomes specifically, Reid added: "He looked good. He's in the protocol, so there's only certain things he can do.

"It's a limited basis, but today was a little bit limited practice, so that fitted right in to what he could do.

"He took all the snaps and he feels good, so we're just going to have to follow this protocol as closely as we possibly can."

Having continued to take risks with Henne at the helm last week, including a gamble on a pass from fourth and inches to seal the win, Reid is confident Kansas City's preparations will not be impacted by the uncertainty at quarterback.

"When Chad was in the game, we didn't really have to change much, so that was a plus," he explained. "We're just leaving it the way we do.

"Chad's comfortable with it, and he feels he can handle that. It's all well there."

Mahomes has thrown for 14 touchdowns and two interceptions across six playoff games, with a career postseason QB rating of 106.6, the best in league history.

Mahomes found Kelce with 28 seconds left as the Super Bowl champions won 35-31 in Las Vegas to move to 9-1 in the AFC West.

The Chiefs trailed 31-28 inside the final two minutes after Jason Witten's go-ahead score, leaving Mahomes under pressure to deliver.

The two-time Pro Bowler duly responded, leading a seven-play, 75-yard drive in 75 seconds as the Chiefs moved into range for a game-tying field goal.

Instead, Mahomes threw 22 yards for Kelce's touchdown to cap a stunning finish to the game that even drew admiration from Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who tweeted: "I mean was there any doubt on that drive!?!?! No there wasn't."

"[Mahomes] is always ready for the moment,'' Kelce said. "We've got 15 back there making plays. He kind of turns it up when it matters the most.''

Likewise, coach Andy Reid never seemed in doubt.

"I've got Pat Mahomes,'' Reid said. "You give me a minute and a half and I'm pretty good right there. We can roll.

"I'd take him over everybody and I'm lucky to have him.''

Mahomes finished 34 of 45 for 348 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while he rushed for 16 yards on four carries.

From Tom Brady's trophy toss during the Bucs' boat parade to Thursday's unveiling of Tampa Bay's massive Super Bowl rings, the champs have stayed in the spotlight throughout the off-season. 

With training camp finally set to begin next week, though, the Chiefs are ready to clear the slate and move on.

"I think the best thing about getting to training camp is it all starts over," Mahomes said at a news conference Friday as the team's quarterbacks and rookies reported to camp.

"No matter how you ended the year before, you have to go in with the mindset of starting from scratch. We’re excited to do that and try and make another run at it.”

The Chiefs have made it to the final game two years in a row, with Mahomes taking MVP honors in their Super Bowl LIV triumph over the San Francisco 49ers. 

To Mahomes, the path back to the Super Bowl starts immediately, not in the September 12 season opener against the Cleveland Browns. 

"I think we’ve learned that if we put in the work now, that we’ll be where we want to be at the end of the season," he said.

"It’s about putting in the work right now, day by day, getting better and better so that at the end of the year you have no regrets about what you did in the season.”

Mahomes had surgery to repair a turf toe issue immediately following the Super Bowl but will be ready to go for training camp. 

Head coach Andy Reid said his 25-year-old quarterback, already among the best in the league, has spent the off-season working to be even better and he expects more of the same in camp. 

"He’s always looking for that next thing that makes him even better than what he is now, and that’s the part you love about him," Reid said. "He has that type of personality. He wants to be the best, and he’s not just talk."

The Chiefs are one of a handful of NFL teams who spend training camp away from their team headquarters, setting up shop at Missouri Western State University about 60 miles north of Kansas City. 

Reid said the more secluded location helps eliminate distractions and he looks forward to watching his team bond along the way. 

"We come up, it’s a time for camaraderie and bringing things together as a team. It’s hard work. There are no shortcuts obviously," he said. 

"We’re going to try to make sure we cover everything we possibly can, but there’s this concentration of football that you take in here.

"You’re sleeping in a dorm, you’re eating over in the dorm and you’re doing all of that. You’re here and it’s football kind of 24/7 right now.”

After months spent rehashing what went wrong in Tampa Bay, that probably is the best thing possible for the Chiefs. 

Rees-Zammit shocked rugby union fans in January when he announced he was turning his back on the sport to enter the NFL's International Player Pathway programme. 

He was signed by two-time defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City in March and is now looking to earn a place on their roster for 2024, learning the role of running back at the Chiefs' rookie minicamp after attending another training camp alongside Mahomes. 

Rees-Zammit has made sure to pick the brains of Mahomes, who has led the Chiefs to six straight AFC Championship games and won three Super Bowl rings since being drafted in 2017.

"It was amazing, all the quarterbacks and receivers were there, we were running routes, we were working in the gym", Rees-Zammit said of his experience at that camp in Texas.

"It was a great two weeks, I definitely learned a lot with Pat and the other boys."

Asked if Mahomes was acting like an extra coach, he said: "100 per cent. 

"I'm new to the game so I'm trying to pick everyone's brains and try and pick up the sport as quick as possible because I want to be out there playing.

"The way I can do that is picking the brains of everyone that's currently here and trying to learn the game as quickly as possible."

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has been impressed by Rees-Zammit's attitude, saying: "He's so diligent with everything and wants to be so good at everything. I appreciate that. 

"I like the fact he's got shorter steps initially, that's a good thing as a running back. If you're a long strider in there you've got to really work on making it through those tight adjustments you have to make. He seems to have a nice feel."
 

Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to an impressive victory over reigning MVP Lamar Jackson's Baltimore Ravens last time out, extending their winning streak to a franchise record 12 games across the regular season and playoffs. 

In Week 4 they face Bill Belichick's Patriots, giving Mahomes a chance to pit his wits against another MVP-winning quarterback in Cam Newton. 

Using Stats Perform data, we break down that matchup and some of the other enticing games coming up.

FEATURE GAME

Patriots at Chiefs – Sunday, 4.25pm (all times Eastern)

- In three career games versus New England, including postseason, Mahomes has only one first-half touchdown pass against three interceptions. In the second half of those three games, Mahomes has seven TD passes, no interceptions and a 64.7 completion percentage.

- After Newton piled up 122 rushing yards and 552 passing yards in Weeks 1 and 2, New England running backs took over against the Las Vegas Raiders last week, piling up 287 scrimmage yards – the most for Patriots tailbacks in a game in seven years. The Patriots lead the NFL with 178.0 rushing yards per game, the team's highest mark through three games of a season since 1983 (225.7). They have led the NFL (or AFL) in rushing yards only once in their history – in 1978.

- Andy Reid is set to coach his 340th career regular-season game, breaking a tie with Jeff Fisher for eighth all-time. His 210 wins rank sixth all-time, three spots behind Belichick’s 275 victories.

OTHER KEY GAMES

Colts at Bears – Sunday, 1pm

- The Chicago Bears are the first team in NFL history to win two games in a single season where they were trailing by at least 16 points in the fourth quarter (Week 1 at the Detroit Lions, Week 3 at the Atlanta Falcons). This season, teams that trail by at least 16 points at any point in the fourth are 2-18 – the Bears are 2-0 and everyone else is 0-18.

Vikings at Texans – Sunday, 1pm

- Kirk Cousins threw two interceptions in the Minnesota Vikings' loss last week giving him an NFL-high six on the year (tied with Carson Wentz) and matching his total from 2019. Cousins has completed 59.0 percent of his pass attempts this season, a figure that ranks 31st among 33 qualifiers (minimum 14.0 pass attempts per team game).

Ravens at Washington – Sunday, 1pm

- Baltimore have scored at least a point in their last 95 halves of regular-season football. The longest such streak in NFL history is 96 by the New Orleans Saints from 2015 to 2018. The Ravens have scored 54 first-half points this season, third most in the NFL, and Washington has allowed 54 first-half points this season, tied for fourth most in the league.

Bills at Raiders – Sunday, 4.25pm

- Buffalo Bills running backs have not scored a rushing touchdown since Week 9 of last season, a span of 234 carries, by far the longest active streak in the NFL (the Bears are second with 70). Meanwhile, the Raiders have allowed two rushing touchdowns in each of their games this season – only the Carolina Panthers (7) have allowed more rushing scores this season

Eagles at 49ers – Sunday, 8.20pm

- For the first time since 1999, the Philadelphia Eagles have yet to win a contest three games into a season after tying with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. Only two teams (out of 251) that have gone winless through the first four games of the season went on the make the playoffs – the 1992 Chargers and the 1963 Bills.

ELSEWHERE...

Chargers at Buccaneers – Sunday, 1pm

- The gaps in age (20 years, 219 days) and in career starts (284) between Tom Brady and Justin Herbert would be the largest of all-time between opposing starting quarterbacks.

Falcons at Packers – Monday, 8.15pm

- After blowing a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys, the Falcons squandered a 16-point lead in the final period in their Week 3 loss to the Bears. Since 1925, teams with at least a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter have won 98.2 percent of the time, and Atlanta are the only team two lose two such games consecutively.

After 222 wins and 21 years as a head coach, Reid ended his drought for a Lombardi Trophy following Sunday's come-from-behind 31-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Reid was the winningest coach in the NFL without a Super Bowl ring until the Chiefs overturned a 10-point deficit inside the final seven minutes against the 49ers.

Celebrating Kansas City's first Super Bowl success in 50 years, Hunt hailed Reid – who joined the Chiefs in 2013 after 14 years with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he lost to the New England Patriots in the 2005 showpiece.

"It's a beautiful trophy and I can't think of a better conclusion to the 100th season of the NFL than receiving this trophy," Hunt said during the trophy presentation.

"I'm so happy for our players, coaches and our fans. And especially Andy Reid. Nobody deserves this trophy more than Andy Reid.

"I want to thank the lord for blessing our family with all these incredible people, who helped bring these championship home.

"To the Chiefs kingdom, you guys are world champions once again."

Reid's long wait for a championship ring ended thanks to Sunday's 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Miami.

It was Reid's 222nd win in the NFL, and it proved to be the biggest.

Reid, who spent his first 14 seasons as a head coach with the Philadelphia Eagles up until 2012, has spent the past seven campaigns in Kansas City.

A career spanning 21 years, Reid's teams had made 15 playoff appearances, winning 10 division titles and reaching seven conference championships.

The Reid-led Eagles reached the Super Bowl in 2005 but fell 24-21 to the New England Patriots in Jacksonville, Florida.

But the popular 61-year-old finally had something to celebrate at the second attempt – Reid's Chiefs overturning a 10-point deficit inside the final seven minutes.

The Eagles even congratulated Reid, tweeting: "Time's yours, Andy".

His place in Canton's Pro Football Hall of Fame will surely be assured if he can claim a first Super Bowl ring by leading the Kansas City Chiefs past the San Francisco 49ers in Miami on Sunday.

Until he gets that monkey off his back, Reid has the most victories among NFL head coaches who have not won a title in that role.

Here we take a look at who else features high on that list.

ANDY REID - 207 regular-season wins, 14 playoff wins

There is a Super Bowl ring in Reid's collection, but it came when he was the Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach and assistant to Mike Holmgren at Super Bowl XXXI.

Since being elevated to the top job with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999, Reid has had 16 winning seasons, including seven in a row in Kansas City.

Yet his only previous appearance in the Big Dance was at Super Bowl XXXIX, when the Eagles were beaten by a New England Patriots team wrapping up a dynasty.

MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER - 200 regular-season wins, five playoff wins

A head coach with the Cleveland Browns, Chiefs, Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers, Schottenheimer had no problems getting teams into the postseason.

Yet he had a 5-13 record in the playoffs and never made it to a Super Bowl.

His teams went one-and-done nine times in the postseason, including San Diego's 2006 Divisional Round home loss to the Pats - after Schottenheimer's Chargers had gone 14-2 in the regular season.

DAN REEVES - 190 regular-season wins, 11 playoff wins

Had the distinction of taking two teams to the Super Bowl like Reid, but both the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons came up short under Reeves' guidance.

His career as an NFL head coach spanned 23 seasons and three teams - the Broncos, New York Giants and Falcons.

Reeves took the Broncos to three Super Bowls in four years and guided a 14-2 Falcons team all way to Super Bowl XXXIII, yet on each occasion, he was on the losing side.

JEFF FISHER - 173 regular-season wins, five playoff wins

Fisher's teams had sub-.500 seasons in each of his last six seasons as an NFL head coach, but a decade of success with the Tennessee Titans ensured he amassed the wins.

The Titans first reached the playoffs in the 1999-00 season, winning three times before losing to the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV, when Kevin Dyson fell one yard short of scoring and potentially forcing overtime.

Like Reid, he does have a Super Bowl ring, with Fisher on injured reserve when the 1985 Chicago Bears and their much-vaunted defense won the Lombardi Trophy.

BUD GRANT - 158 regular-season wins, 10 playoff wins

A Pro Football and Canadian Football Hall of Famer, the only thing missing from Grant's resume was a Super Bowl ring.

He got close - replicating Reeves and Marv Levy in getting to the showpiece event four times but never getting over the hump as his Minnesota Vikings team lost to the Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders in the 1970s.

However, Grant did win four Grey Cups in Canada, guiding the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to the showpiece game in five times in six years.

MARV LEVY - 143 regular-season wins, 11 playoff wins

Levy's Buffalo Bills endured a stretch of Super Bowl heartbreak that has never been matched. From 1990 to 1993 Buffalo were the class of the AFC, only to come up short in the Super Bowl in four consecutive seasons.

Scott Norwood's infamous missed field goal with four seconds left - a play now simply known as "wide right" - denied them victory in Super Bowl XXV against the Giants, but the subsequent year's game with the Redskins and a pair of clashes with the Dallas Cowboys ended in blowouts.

Levy did win two Grey Cups with the Montreal Alouettes, but the Pro Football Hall of Famer was never able to add a Super Bowl ring to an otherwise magnificent resume.

His Kansas City Chiefs team beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Miami's Hard Rock Stadium to capture the franchise's second Super Bowl, and their first in 50 years.

No head coach had won as many games as Reid without winning a Super Bowl title, yet his 222nd victory across the regular season and playoffs finally delivered a ring.

Asked how he planned to celebrate, Reid said: "Well, I joked about it but I'm going to have a double cheeseburger tonight, with extra cheese!

"I'm going to enjoy it with my family and the team, that's what I'm going to do. That's exciting."

The 61-year-old almost certainly secured his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the victory.

Yet Reid, who lost a Super Bowl when head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, said he was uninterested in what impact the win would have on his legacy.

"You know, I don't care about that, man, I really don't," he insisted.

"This is a pure team sport, I love that part of it, that's why I got in it - I didn't get in it for any other reason than to win games and to win them with great people.

"And so we bust our tail to do that as players and coaches, that's the part that I think needs respect.

"You take care of that and everything else happens and the other stuff? That's not really where my mind goes. It really is the last thing on my mind."

One thing that will be on Reid and his Chiefs players' minds soon will be whether to accept the customary White House invitation for the Super Bowl champions.

In previous years some players and even entire teams have swerved the visit due to their opinion of current White House tenant, US President Donald Trump.

Reid, though, intends to attend if invited.

"I haven't even thought about that. [but] I'll be there," he said.

"They're inviting us, I'll be there. It's quite an honour, I think."

The Chiefs overturned a 10-point deficit inside the final seven minutes as Kansas City claimed their first title in 50 years with a 31-20 victory in Miami on Sunday.

Mahomes led the way for the Chiefs, crowned Super Bowl MVP thanks to his two touchdowns against the 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium.

The youngest player to be named NFL MVP and win a Super Bowl in their career at 24 years and 138 days, Mahomes – the 2018 MVP – told Fox Sports afterwards: "We never lost faith. That's the biggest thing.

"No one had their head down. We believed in each other, that's what we preached all year long. We had this guy right here [referencing Reid] to get us here.

"We had to jump in. Defense had some big stops for us and we found a way to win in the end.

"Keep firing, keep believing in your eyes and throwing it. It gives me the confidence to do what I do."

It was also a monumental moment for Andy Reid, who finally celebrated his first Super Bowl triumph as a head coach.

Reid earned a championship ring, having first been appointed coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999.

Asked if it was worth the wait, the 61-year-old said: "Absolutely, absolutely. Love this guy right here [Mahomes] and the other guys. This is what it's all about. What a great team and coaches. Appreciated every bit of it."

Reid continued: "I'm good. My heart is racing. I'm getting older. I can't let it race too much."

The Chiefs' 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Miami was Reid's 222th across the regular season and playoffs, and it ended his long wait for a Lombardi Trophy as a head coach.

Mahomes, named the game's MVP, was instrumental, rushing for a first-quarter touchdown and then throwing two late scores as the Chiefs overturned a 10-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter.

"I had two goals when I became the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs," Mahomes explained in his MVP news conference.

"The first goal was to win the Lamar Hunt Trophy [AFC Championship]. I wanted to bring it home, the one that has our founder's name on it. I wanted to bring it to this family and this organisation.

"And the second most important thing was to get coach Reid a Super Bowl trophy. He's one of the greatest coaches of all time.

"I don't think he needed the Lombardi Trophy to prove that. But just to do that, it puts all doubt aside, and he's going to be listed as one of the all-time great coaches in history whenever he wants to be done, which I hope is not any time soon."

Mahomes, who finished with 286 passing yards, two touchdowns and a pair of picks, became the youngest player to ever win the NFL MVP award – which he did last season – and claim a Super Bowl ring.

Given their quarterback is only 24, the Chiefs could dominate the NFL for the foreseeable future in the same way the New England Patriots and Tom Brady have in winning six titles over the past two decades.

"It's pretty amazing, the dynasty or whatever you want to call it the Patriots have had these last 15 or 20 years," Mahomes admitted.

"So for me it's about taking it one year at a time. We came up short last year. We understood how hard of a challenge it was to get to this position again and we found a way to do it.

"We understand next year that when we come back it's going to be the same amount of tenacity and dedication every single day if we want to be here.

"I think we just take it one year at a time, one day at a time and try to put together great years, and then at the end of it all we will have no regrets on where we are at."

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback led his franchise to their first Lombardi Trophy in 50 years in Miami on Sunday, guiding Andy Reid's team to a 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers thanks to two late touchdown passes at Hard Rock Stadium.

In becoming the youngest man to ever win the league MVP and Super Bowl MVP awards in his career, Mahomes is viewed as the future of the NFL, a point his team will be making when they get down to talking money with the Chiefs.

Mahomes will enter the final year of his $16.42m rookie deal next season and though Kansas City have the right to exercise the fifth-year option, they could thrash out a long-term contract this offseason.

"That's stuff that's handled with other people," Mahomes said on Monday, where he addressed the press before making the customary MVP visit to Disney World.

"Obviously, I want to be in Kansas City for a long time. I understand that and also I want to win a lot of football games here.

"For me, it's kind of letting that stuff handle itself. I'm in a great organisation.

"I have a great team of guys working for me, guys and girls.

"For me, it's about trusting those people and finding the best way to do it in order to have the best team around me."

The biggest overall contract in the NFL was the five-year, $150m deal Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan signed last May.

Aged 61, Kansas City's Reid may be 37 years older than Mahomes, but he is not thinking of calling it a day after finally winning his first ring as a head coach.

"I still enjoy doing what I'm doing," said Reid, who revealed he did not sleep with the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday evening and instead spent it listening to Pitbull.

"I got this young quarterback over here that makes life easy every day. Every day it's a pleasure to come to work and know that you have an opportunity to coach him and his team-mates.

"[General manager] Brett Veach understands what it takes to win but also the kind of people that we enjoy working with, so he brings those kind of guys in and makes it enjoyable."

The Chiefs are reaping the rewards of trading up to land Mahomes with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, going one better and reaching Super Bowl LIV in Miami after falling in the AFC Championship Game last year.

That was Mahomes' MVP campaign and his body of work across his two seasons as the starter - during which time he has thrown 9,128 passing yards and 76 touchdowns - suggest he might be the best quarterback in the game right now.

Few believed Mahomes could make such an impact prior to the 2017 Draft, yet Chiefs head coach Reid revealed Veach was convinced he was not just great, but the best ever.

"You knew he was going to be great," said Reid, whose team face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV this Sunday.  

"Brett Veach said it; he's our general manager. He said he's the greatest player he'd ever seen.

"That's quite a tribute to the kid. Now that I've been around him, and you've watched him play, he's pretty doggone good."

Such was Veach's confidence in Mahomes, the Chiefs packaged two first-rounders and a third to acquire the former Texas Tech signal caller.

His sensational arm strength, ability to throw from different angles, on the run and even without looking have ensured he has astounded in the professional ranks.

According to Tyreek Hill, that talent is coupled with a leader's mentality that reminds him of a wrestling great.

"There's this thing that he does on the sidelines. Almost like The Rock, when he smoulders," Hill added.

"Then he'll just like be serious, he'll be like 'Come on, guys, let's go, man' and get us turned up and get us fired up.

"Having him is definitely a blessing. He's a tremendous leader on and off the field. He leads by example, he's always working hard, trying to be the best.

"Pat is very different, man. Like you see most guys, you'll be like 'Man, he's very talented but he don't got the work ethic.' Well, Pat got both."

The Bucs have home advantage as they bid to make history – no team has ever before played for the Lombardi Trophy in their own stadium – but there will be no full house present to watch the action unfold. In a campaign shaped by the coronavirus pandemic, there will be more cardboard cut-outs in attendance than real fans.   

As for the game itself, Tom Brady versus Patrick Mahomes is box office viewing. Both have supporting casts that can accentuate their talent, giving us a battle between two quarterbacks at opposite ends of their NFL careers but with the same goal: Win one more ring.   

Then there are the head coaches. Andy Reid, who couldn't win the big games, until he actually did. Bruce Arians, who retired from coaching, until he came back. They have continued to work through unprecedented times in the league, where protocols have dictated daily schedules and the only talk of two-a-days referred to COVID-19 testing, rather than practices.    

Adapting to their specific situations has been the key to getting this far, according to former NFL head coach Brian Billick, now working for NFL Media. 

"They evolve, they do what their players do best," Billick said on a conference call. "Certainly, Andy Reid has morphed that offense around Patrick Mahomes. He's been able to adapt exactly to the talents. 

"Bruce Arians is the same way, the things that he's doing with the experience of Tom Brady and the big play presence on the outside. They adapt, specifically to the type of players that they have around them."

After starting out in the NFL in a number of roles with Green Bay, Reid had success in charge of the Philadelphia Eagles – he remains top of their all-time list for wins - without ever managing to secure the franchise a first Super Bowl. The narrative of coming up short in the postseason continued in Kansas City, but eventually – thanks to a fourth-quarter comeback – he got over the hump.   

The Super Bowl triumph in 2020 ended any suggestion that Reid's Hall-of-Fame career required a ring for validation. Since then, he has appeared to be playing with house money.   

Depending on what unfolds on the field this weekend, the fourth-down call against the Cleveland Browns may well remain the lasting memory of this playoff run for Kansas City. Minus Mahomes and defending a five-point lead late in the game, a hard count by stand-in quarterback Chad Henne seemed the prelude to a punt. 

Hold what you have and hope to hang on, right? Not for Reid, who went all in. 

Knowing a first down would seal victory and a place in the AFC Championship Game, he allowed Henne to snap the ball while in the shotgun, wait briefly for Tyreek Hill to break on his shallow route and then fire in a pass to the wide receiver. The risk was great, but so too was the reward.  

Had Arians been in a similar situation, he too may have gone for it. A cancer survivor, the 68-year-old is known for his "No risk it, no biscuit" way of thinking, both in terms of his coaching philosophy and life in general.  

The Buccaneers certainly pushed all their chips into the middle of the table for this season, too. The seemingly unthinkable became reality when Brady walked away from the New England Patriots to start afresh in 'Tompa Bay', a move that tempted the retired Rob Gronkowski to put away the wrestling pants and don the football pads again. 

There were teething problems, as to be expected, yet Arians always insisted the team was learning on the fly, adjusting from week to week with a new starting quarterback – even one as good as Brady. 

However, the Bucs have been on a roll since their bye week. Four straight victories in which they amassed a combined total of 148 points to finish the regular season were followed by playoff triumphs on the road in Washington, New Orleans – who had previously beaten them twice – and then finally Green Bay.  

Arians went close to making a Super Bowl in his previous head coaching job in Arizona, losing in the NFC Championship Game. When he left in 2017, his future appeared to be in television working as an analyst.  

Then the Bucs called. 

Convincing both him and his wife Christine that it was the right move, he made a comeback. The arrival of Brady for his second season in charge changed the timeline, requiring Arians to use his man-management skills - "I'm not a father figure. I'm the cool uncle you'd like to have a drink with" - to bring it all together. 

The presence of a great quarterback on the rosters for both franchises should not overshadow what their coaches have achieved. Arians has ironed out the wrinkles in time while allowing Brady to turn back the clock in terms of airing the ball out. Reid's biggest issue in the regular season seemed to be finding a suitable face mask to wear, yet he could still see how to put Mahomes in situations that allowed him to dazzle.  

Arians and Reid have prevailed in hugely different circumstances but with the same positive outlook. Despite all that is on the line, you should expect both to be ready to gamble in the bid for glory. 

The Chiefs will be looking to claim back-to-back Super Bowl honours when they face Brady's Buccaneers in the NFL showpiece in Tampa on Sunday.

No player has won more Super Bowl titles or appeared in more NFL showpieces than six-time champion Brady, who has more playoff wins since turning 35 (17) than any other quarterback has in his entire career, per Stats Perform.

It will be Brady's fifth Super Bowl since turning 37 – tying the most appearances in a championship game/series by any player in any major North American sport, alongside NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and MLB great Roger Clemens, while he is only one of three athletes in North American sport to make three championship appearances at age 40 or older.

Chiefs tight end Kelce was asked about facing Brady and Rob Gronkowski, and the six-time Pro Bowler told reporters on Thursday: "When you're going up against a great quarterback like Tom Brady is, how legendary he's been in games like this, you just have to be able to control what you can control.

"That's what we do on the offensive side of the ball. We preach situational football, taking care of the football, winning the turnover battle. Things like that are things we can control as an offense.

"Going up against a high-powered offense like that, that's the key, you have to put up six points more than you're putting up three but at the end of the day, putting points on the board so you give yourself a chance in the fourth quarter."

The Buccaneers will be the first team to host a Super Bowl on home soil, but as big of an advantage as Arrowhead Stadium can be for the Chiefs, they have won 12 consecutive away games – one of the longest such streaks in NFL history, only behind the New England Patriots (15 between 2016-17) and San Francisco 49ers (21 between 1988-1990).

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid could also become the seventh coach to win back-to-back Super Bowls, and could also move into fourth place for all-time playoff victories – he is tied for 17 with Joe Gibbs, and behind leader Bill Belichick (31), Tom Landry (20) and Don Shula (19).

The Chiefs are also trying to become the eighth NFL franchise to claim the Lombardi trophy in consecutive seasons.

"I'm aware of it because the media, and I'm old, so I've heard it and seen it before with my own eyes," Reid said when asked about the milestones.

"But when you're in the middle of it, I don't think you appreciate it as much. Maybe when you're doing with the whole thing and look back on it, you can appreciate it more.

"But we're just scrambling from one drill to another drill, to a meeting, another meeting, making sure we are taking care of our media obligations."

Los Angeles Lakers star James has helped lead the fight for racial equality and social justice.

Reid believes Mahomes, who is preparing for the Chiefs' Super Bowl LV clash against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, can be as influential as the four-time NBA champion and four-time MVP.

"Yeah, absolutely. I think he's got a way about him where he understands people and they are interested in things he has to say, or back, and believe in," he told a news conference on Tuesday.

"So, I think that presents yourself with a good combination to whatever platform that you want to support or take, that you have that ability."

Mahomes, 25, has already won a Super Bowl to go with a Super Bowl MVP and NFL MVP honours.

The quarterback said James was one of the athletes he had modelled himself on.

"There's a lot of great athletes that are doing things the right way. LeBron is one of them. He's someone that I can talk to and get advice from but there's others too," Mahomes said.

"There's a ton of people that are using their voice to make a difference in this world.

"I try and take from them and kind of use my own voice in my own way to make an impact in my community."

Tom Brady led the Buccaneers to a comfortable 31-9 victory over the Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.

Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes completed 26 of 49 passes for 270 yards and two interceptions, while being sacked three times.

Reid said the performance came as a surprise, with the Chiefs also giving away 11 penalties.

"I didn't see it coming at all. I thought we were going to come in and we were going to play these guys right just like we had been playing teams. It didn't happen that way," the Chiefs head coach told a news conference.

"They did a nice job, I give them credit on it. I didn't anticipate this happening."

While Mahomes also rushed for 33 yards, the quarterback was consistently troubled by the Buccaneers' defense.

Reid said there were no questions over the mental toughness of last season's Super Bowl MVP, but he also took responsibility for not giving the 25-year-old more chances.

"Until the last snap he was trying to win the football game. That should never be questioned," he said.

"I could have done a better job in helping him out with the run game. I could've given him more opportunities where we could've run the football."

Reid's son, Britt, was involved in a multi-vehicle crash on Thursday and the Chiefs head coach said it impacted him personally.

"I'd be lying if I didn't tell you my heart bleeds for the people involved in it. We had put the game plan in the week before. It wasn't a distraction as far as the game plan goes. That was already in and how we were going to work with it and go forward," he said.

"From a human standpoint, it's a tough one. From a football standpoint, I don't think that was the problem."

Mahomes once again got the better of his ankle issue to propel the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl championship in the space of four seasons in Arizona on Sunday.

The Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 at State Farm Stadium, as Mahomes – who took a blow late in the second quarter, having already had to deal with a high ankle sprain he suffered in the Divisional round – went on to become the first NFL MVP since Kurt Warner in 1999 to win the Super Bowl in the same season.

Mahomes threw three passing touchdowns and was not intercepted or sacked, leaving Jones in awe of his team-mate's excellence.

"He is a dog, next year y'all, we will be like 'is this his flu game?'," Jones said in a post-game press conference.

"I appreciate it, Pat is a once and generational lifetime type of player and sometimes he does things so special that it becomes normality for him.

"We've got to just appreciate Pat."

Asked what he thought when Mahomes was hobbling, Jones cited the standards set by coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs' QB as the reasoning behind the organisation's sustained success.

He said: "I knew there was blood in the water, because Pat is the type of competitor where if he's hurt or he's sick, he wants to come back and show everybody that he's even better now.

"That trickles down from coach Reid, he's the type of coach you'll never see hurt, never see sick. Even if he is sick, you wouldn't even know it.

"I think one time he had to get taken to the hospital after the game and no one knew. And he was at work the next day, he was handing schedules out the next day. It just trickles down the type of coach Reid is, the type of player Pat is, the type of organisation we have here."

Jones, who said he would be celebrating with a bottle of Yamazaki Japanese whiskey, added: "Coach Reid is legendary.

"I'm just very fortunate honestly, heck of guy, better person. He makes us all look good."

When it was put to Jones that he was now part of a dynasty, the 28-year-old said: "Do you think so? Well then there it goes, I don't have to speak about it.

"I told y'all this after our first Super Bowl, we going back-to-back, everybody laughed, everybody just thought I was talking out the side of my neck. We've been very fortunate, the core here, Pat Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Bud [Harrison Butker], Tommy [Townsend], Frank Clark.

"Clark came here his first year and won a Super Bowl, the core here is special. It's a special group of guys, that I was fortunate enough to play with this year in the D-line room. Got my fingers crossed that we can bring everybody back but I still want them to get paid and be successful.

"This is the bittersweet part about it, because you have a special room and you guys win it and you know the room is always changing, always evolving, players always coming in and out. I just want to say here on record that I am super, super grateful for the D-line this year.

"This is probably the most unselfish group that I've been a part of. Starting with Frank Clark, number three in all-time in sacks in the playoffs.

"I'm so grateful just to be in the Chiefs organisation, to be in this position, Just a kid from Houston, Mississippi coming out of Mississippi State. I didn't think I had a chance of going to Kansas City [inaudible] coming to visit me.

"Seven years later, two Super Bowl rings, four to five AFC championships and we're still going. This team has a lot of fight in them, I definitely feel we can be in position to compete again for another one. This is a special team, we keep this core together, keep Frank Clark, keep killing it, keep me and him together, I think we can be very, very special."

Mahomes has led the Chiefs back to the biggest stage despite suffering a high ankle sprain in the Divisional round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Reid and his star quarterback have faced persistent questions about his physical condition, which will seemingly place no limitations on Mahomes at State Farm Stadium on Sunday as the Chiefs look to reclaim the Lombardi Trophy with victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, having last won it in Super Bowl LIV at the end of the 2019 season.

"Yeah, so he's been doing really well with his ankle," Reid said at his Wednesday press conference.

"We had a fast practice a couple days ago, and he moved well. He can really do just about everything, at least everything in the game plan that we've asked him to do. I think he'll be fine today."

For his part, Mahomes insists he will not have a complete picture of what he will be able to do until he steps on the field in Glendale, Arizona.

"I don't think you'll know exactly until you get to gameday," said Mahomes. "I'm definitely in a better spot. I definitely can move around better than I was moving last week or two weeks ago.

"So just trying to continue to get the treatment and the rehab and get to as close as I can to 100 per cent and then rely on some adrenaline to let me do a little extra when I'm on the field.

"It's going to be definitely better, more mobile, be able to move around a little bit better, for sure, and then we'll see on gameday how close to 100 per cent I can be."

Sunday's clash will mark the Chiefs' third Super Bowl appearance in four seasons, with Kansas City losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV a year after their win over the San Francisco 49ers.

However, Reid is not thinking about his team's place in NFL history.

"I'm not really into all that," Reid responded when asked if the Chiefs can be labelled a dynasty.

"I'll let you guys deal with that. It's important in our world as coaches and players you try to get better every day.

"You're only as good as your last game, or your next game I should say. We're striving to focus on this thing and try not to worry about all that stuff.

"That's good when you retire, kind of go 'hey, they said we were a dynasty', but right now we don't let that get in here [pointing at head], stay away from that."