Chiefs Unleash Secret Weapon: “Next Level of Preparation” Key to Playoff Dominance

While the 2024-25 NFL playoffs are rolling, the Kansas City Chiefs still have a handful of days before their own run kicks off. The back-to-back Super Bowl winners are coming off plenty of rest, as well as some extra time to prepare for their divisional round opponent.

Of the teams in the current AFC field, Andy Reid’s group is by far the most experienced when it comes to achieving postseason success. It’s one thing to have veteran leaders in both the player and coaching ranks, but it’s another for those pieces to have years of background in situations that matter most.

Kansas City rises to the occasion in must-win scenarios, whether that be late downs in regular-season games or clutch moments in a single-elimination playoff format. The latter is something they take pride in finding an extra gear for, as defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo recently addressed.

“That would probably be a pretty fair statement,” Spagnuolo said. “I mean, I think we’ve got vets in that room that have been down this road and know what it takes to get to where we would like to go. It takes a next level of preparation, it takes a next level of taking care of your body and getting sleep, all of that. We’ve got a checklist of things you need to do to go win a championship. I think now, everybody’s fully in tune to checking all those boxes every week.”

Take the 2023-24 campaign as an example of this. At the point of Christmas Day’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chiefs had dropped five of their last seven games since starting the year 7-2. They looked like anything but a championship-winning team, even after a Week 17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals flashed some upside. Reid’s crew ultimately rediscovered its tried and true formula and relied on it in January and February, taking down three perceived top AFC contenders in a row and then defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

Now, the circumstances are even more favorable. After dealing with a myriad of injuries for months, this is perhaps the healthiest version of Kansas City (that’s still improving on that front). Instead of skidding into the playoffs, this year’s squad posted a 15-2 record during the regular season and didn’t have to play on wild-card weekend. A first-round bye and home-field advantage help shift the odds in favor of the league’s top team. There figures to be less adversity this time around.

It’s worth arguing that the Chiefs have already been through the hard part. They’ll now tap back into what got them here and what’s gotten them to the mountaintop in the past. It’s the best benefit to have in their back pocket.

“The experience of going through it, yeah, I would agree with that,” Spagnuolo said. “When you get a team that has never been through it, you’re probably always coaching up what you need to do to get ready for these. I think most of our guys in that locker room, except for the guys that are new this year, probably know what all that takes.”