KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs are big favorites heading into this weekend's Divisional Round playoff game against Houston, and one reason stems from Andy Reid's extraordinary record as a head coach coming off a bye week.
It's a success Reid himself can't quite explain.
“I always say I've got good coaches and good players, and I think that's probably it,” Reid said. “I don't know why that's happened. It's just one of those things I think.”
Reid is 18-3 in the regular season following the bye week, including this season's 40-9 romp at home over Oakland in Week 13. Even in the playoffs when the competition steps up, Reid owns a 4-2 following a bye week. He split his first two games in the playoffs Kansas City coming off a bye, falling to Pittsburgh following the 2016 season before knocking off Indianapolis last season.
Patrick Mahomes thinks he has a theory why Reid's teams thrive after the bye week. He believes Reid does a good job of giving players rest while keeping them on a routine.
“He's got a good feel for it,” Mahomes. “(He) understands how to make sure our heads are still in the game and we’re still preparing for that next game even if we don’t know necessarily who we’re playing.”
Last week Reid gave his team two days off on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. The team reassembled for light practices on Thursday and Friday before an off day Saturday and another workout Sunday.
The schedule provided players with time to recuperate and heal lingering injuries while keeping them on their toes and connected to the game.
“That’s something that he’s really mastered as he’s gotten his coaching career throughout the years,” Mahomes said.
Other coaches have reached out to Reid for advice on how to handle the bye week. Reid doesn't know if handles the bye week that differently from other organizations.
“I don't know that,” Reid said. “I don't necessarily what over people do.”
