Head coach Andy Reid says he can understand the Kansas City Chiefs being viewed as the underdog for this weekend’s Super Bowl but stressed he never approaches a game feeling like one.
Sunday’s NFL championship match in Las Vegas sees defending champions the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers.
Reid’s side – who he has guided to three of the last four Super Bowls, triumphing against the 49ers in 2020 and the Philadelphia Eagles last year – suffered four defeats in six towards the end of the regular season before finding form in the play-offs.
And the 65-year-old told a press conference: “I understand why we’re the underdog, I get that – we had some ups and downs during the season.
“I never feel like an underdog going into a game. I understand why it’s been situated that way. It is what it is.”
Reid, whose experienced stars include quarter back Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, said his message to players tasting the showpiece for the first time to help calm nerves they might have was: “When you get through all of this, this stuff here, it’s a game.”
He added: “It’s faster than most games. It’s crazy how in the play-offs every game is a little faster the higher you go up. So it’s fast. But it’s still a game. You’re professionals, so you go play and do your job.”
Reid was asked about the likelihood of him considering retirement if the Chiefs complete back-to-back successes this weekend.
And he said: “I haven’t gone there, I don’t think about that. I’m tied up in the game and trying to take care of that. I’m sure somewhere I’ll know when that time is. It’s not today or Sunday.”
Kelce described Super Bowl week as having been “chaos and a lot of fun” with “a lot of energy at practices”.
He said: “I’m not even going to lie, things got a little chippy – I’m not going to say between who, but the offensive and defensive lines are trying to get their work in, trying to make sure everybody’s ready for the game.
“It just got me fired up yesterday, seeing everybody locked in and wanting to get their work in, making sure that everybody’s ready for the task in hand on Sunday. I just love the focus and the energy of the team right now.”
There has been considerable attention in the build-up to the contest on the fact Kelce is in a relationship with pop star Taylor Swift.
Asked if the buzz over his personal life was a distraction for him, Kelce said: “I love this game and I love coming into work.
“I think everybody has things in their lives that can take away from their focus in their work life, and you’ve just got to be able to compartmentalise that.
“It might be on a national media scale so it seems like it’s a lot harder, but in the reality of things, when I step on that field I’m focused on championship football and being a Kansas City Chief.”
Kelce was also asked why he thought there was such fascination with him and Swift, and said: “I think the values we stand for, and just who we are as people.
“We love to shine light on others, shine light around the people who help and support us, and on top of that I feel like we both have just a love for life.”
Cousins throws for 509 yards, 4 touchdowns in Falcons' OT win over Buccaneers
Kirk Cousins passed for a career-high 509 yards and four touchdowns, the last of them a 45-yard scoring pass to KhaDarel Hodge in overtime that gave the Atlanta Falcons an improbable 36-30 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.
After a wild fourth quarter that featured a blocked field goal, a fumble and an interception, Cousins and the Falcons (3-2) got the ball back at their own 20 with 1:14 remaining in regulation and no timeouts, trailing 30-27.
Cousins completed five passes to push Atlanta to the Buccaneers 29, then hustled to the line to spike the ball with a single second on the clock. In all the confusion, the Falcons were called for delay of game as they lined up for a tying field goal, but it didn't cost them.
Younghoe Koo knocked it through from 52 yards to force overtime, one week after he made a 58-yarder with 2 seconds left to beat the New Orleans Saints.
The Falcons won the coin toss in overtime and made sure Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers (3-2) didn't get their hands on the ball again. Cousins connected with Drake London on a couple of passes before throwing one over the middle to Hodge, who split the secondary and raced untouched to the end zone to end the game.
Chiefs place top wide receiver Rice on injured reserve
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid told the media Thursday the team was waiting for swelling to go down on Rashee Rice's knee before performing additional tests.
Three hours later, the Chiefs had enough information to know he'll be side-lined for at least one month.
The Chiefs placed Rice on injured reserve later Thursday, meaning he will out for a minimum of four weeks.
Rice was injured in last Sunday's 17-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and it was reported he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
There has been no update on the extent of the injury, but a torn ACL would side-line him for the rest of the season.
The second-year receiver was injured on a bizarre play when he collided with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who inadvertently dove into Rice's knee as the two team-mates were attempting to tackle Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton on an interception return.
Rice was carted off to the locker room shortly after leaving the field and eventually ruled out of the game.
His injury is the latest blow to a Kansas City team that is already without leading rusher Isiah Pacheco, who is recovering from a fractured fibula he sustained in Week 2.
It also leaves Mahomes without his top target, as Rice led the NFL with 24 receptions through this season's first three weeks.
No other Kansas City player had double-digit receptions entering Week 4, though Travis Kelce finally took on a larger role in the offence.
The veteran tight end had seven receptions for 89 yards against the Chargers after catching eight passes for 69 yards in the first three games.
Despite losing two of their top play-makers, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are 4-0 heading into their Week 5 Monday night game against the New Orleans Saints.
'It was a good day' - Goff proud of setting new NFL record
Jared Goff was proud of making history, as he set an NFL single-game record by completing all 18 of his pass attempts to help the Detroit Lions to victory.
The Lions beat the previously unbeaten Seattle Seahawks 42-29 on Monday, with Goff eclipsing Hall of Famer Kurt Warner's 10-for-10 performance in 2005, the previous standard for most passes in a game without an incompletion.
The quarterback threw for 292 yards, including touchdown passes to Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown on his perfect evening, while also hauling in the latter's 7-yard toss for a touchdown in the third quarter.
That made him the first quarterback with a receiving touchdown since Zach Wilson in 2022, while he also became the first QB in NFL history with 15 or more pass attempts with no incompletions in a game.
Goff was aware that he was closing in on a perfect game, even if he had doubts at one point.
"I knew I did it in the first half last week, so I was aware of it then, and I was kind of aware of it today in the middle of the third quarter," he said.
"I couldn't think of one [incompletion], but then I threw the one out of bounds that ended up being offensive pass interference, and I was like, 'Does that count?' I didn't know if that counted or not.
"But yeah, it was a good day."
On his touchdown reception, he added: "No, I think that's my first one, too. Ever.
"And I'm saying all the way back to 7 years old, I think that's my first one."
Lions coach Dan Campbell did not realise how impressive Goff's performance had been after the game, choosing to give the game ball to Williams and safety Kerby Joseph for their strong play.
"I just gave the game ball to somebody else," Campbell laughed. "So, I feel awful right now.
"I knew he played a heck of a game. I did not realize he was perfect. I did not know he was literally 18 for 18.
"I thought what really kick-started him was that he had to move a little in the pocket, got spun around and hung with Jamo [Williams] and hit him on the hook for the first down, that was big because he was rolling after that."
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