By Herbie Teope, The Kansas City Star
Pro Football Writers of America
KANSAS CITY, Mo. –– The Chiefs took care of the final piece of the preparation puzzle with a Saturday morning walk-through before boarding an afternoon flight to Tampa ahead of Sunday’s showdown against the Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.
The trip will include head coach Andy Reid, who will be on the sidelines guiding the Chiefs in the quest to win back-to-back championships.
The Chiefs, however, are without linebackers/assistant outside linebackers coach Britt Reid, the head coach’s son, for the game. The position coach was involved Thursday night in a multi-vehicle accident, which injured two young children, and will not make the trip, the team said.
The Chiefs stand by their Friday evening statement of remaining in the information-gathering process of Thursday night’s incident and have no further comment at this time.
Meanwhile, the players appeared in good spirits during the morning walk-through session.
“Good energy,” Andy Reid said. “It’s important to have that. This was just kind of a review day, so we go back through all the situations and make sure we have all those covered.”
The Chiefs also welcomed back two players Saturday.
Running back Darwin Thompson, who missed Friday’s practice with an illness and does not carry a game designation, participated in the walk-through practice. Backup center Daniel Kilgore returned from the reserve/COVID-19 list after clearing the league’s mandatory safety protocols and got in some work.
Left tackle Eric Fisher, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the AFC Championship Game, made an appearance on the sidelines with his left leg on a scooter and cheered on teammates as they practiced.
“He’s a part of the team,” Reid said. “We got a lot of the guys that are a part of it and we ask them to come out. Fish is a big part of it. I mean, he’s a reliable guy and he’s been here a long time.”
With the final on-field preparations over, the Chiefs officially set their sights on Tampa.
The team’s flight is scheduled to land in the late afternoon and they’ll return to familiar surroundings. Reid ensured the team would stay in the same hotel as when the Chiefs played the Buccaneers in Week 12.
While the Chiefs are loose and appear energized ahead of Super Sunday, applying the same routine is a part of the business-like approach to keep the team focused.
“You know where the meeting rooms are, most of the guys are in the same room,” Reid said. “So, they kind of know where they are there and how to get where they need to go.”
All that’s left to do now is take the field for Super Bowl LV.