Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has voiced his opinion on the headset issues that occurred during week one of the NFL season when the two teams battled at Gillette Stadium, and it sounds like reporters in Kansas City might be trying to create a little controversy with the Chiefs coming into Foxboro this weekend in the AFC Divisional round.
Fortunately, head coach Andy Reid and Bill Belichick know each other well and have a good relationship, with the most recent battles before last season having included countless preseason contests and regular season battles, as well as a Super Bowl showdown against Reid’s Eagles club when the Patriots won their third championship after the 2004 season.
As a result, he’s got plenty of experience coming to Gillette Stadium and if anyone can give an honest assessment about any potential funny business going on there, he falls into that category as someone with enough credibility to debunk the idea that many seem to have in their heads.
“Listen, I don’t worry about all that stuff,” said Reid when the media prodded him about that this week. “I don’t get into all that. I’ve played over there so many times and we used to play up there every year in the preseason, during the season. I mean, sometimes there’s a problem. When I was in Green Bay, we had a problem with it there. We had it at home, and the away team had it. Played New York, it was the same way both sides, and sometimes that stuff happens. We’ve just got to get ready to play a good football team.”
As for Reid’s experiences playing at New England?
“They’ve been good,” said Reid. “I haven’t had any issues there. I mean, I’ve heard of things happening, but I haven’t had any of those problems.”
Sounds like some in the Chiefs media may be disappointed that Reid’s answers weren’t more colorful and there’s no smoke for them to start a fire with. He and Belichick are both experienced coaches who love the game, and that’s one of the things Reid said he admires about New England’s head coach. The two have a mutual respect, and Reid doesn’t doubt Belichick’s integrity one bit.
“He’s a good person,” Reid told the Kansas City media Tuesday. “He’s honest and he’s a heck of a football coach. He loves the game. He loves to coach. I enjoy being around people like that.”
Needless to say, forget the conspiracies. This weekend is simply about two good coaches battling it out for the right to play in the AFC Championship game, which is exactly how it should be.
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
