DL Chris Jones credits Andy Reid and former Chiefs veteran defenders for an important late season strategy
The Kansas City Chiefs are in the midst of the most grueling part of their 2024 schedule. After playing in Cleveland against the Browns this past Sunday, the Chiefs will host the Houston Texans on a short week, playing on Saturday. Then, Kansas City will go back on the road to Pittsburgh to face the […]
The Kansas City Chiefs are in the midst of the most grueling part of their 2024 schedule.
After playing in Cleveland against the Browns this past Sunday, the Chiefs will host the Houston Texans on a short week, playing on Saturday. Then, Kansas City will go back on the road to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers on just three days rest for a Christmas Day matchup.
That's a pretty daunting task for an NFL team, especially this late in the season. Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones voiced his displeasure over the league scheduling them to play three games in 11 days, and plans to address it with the NFLPA during the offseason.
All Jones and the Chiefs can do for now is deal with it as best they can. K.C. has plenty of veteran leadership from both coaches and players who will lead the way through this challenge. While speaking to the media on Wednesday, Jones gave credit to coach Andy Reid, as well as former Chiefs defenders who he played with early in his career, for prioritizing rest and recuperation late in the season.
"He's [Andy Reid] done an exceptional job over the years making sure that, especially with a long season with brutal games ahead of us, making sure that we have time to recover," Jones said. "Making sure he's cutting back on the physicality of the game and emphasizing the mental aspect of the game. I've been very spoiled over the years because when I got here [former Chiefs linebacker] Derrick Johnson was a older guy at that time, going into year 11 or 12, and [former Chiefs defensive tackle] Dontari Poe and [former Chiefs defensive end] Allen Bailey were going to year eight or nine. So, I got here with a group of veteran guys, and coach Reid was honing in on the physicality part. So, I've been very spoiled on seeing his schedule and being able to take the pads off early, and getting used to understanding the mental aspect of the game. I think he's done an exceptional job at it, and it helps us a lot, actually. It helps us recover and it helps us focus more on details."
This late in the season, player's bodies are just too beat up to keep practicing at an intense level. Reid knows the importance of keeping guys rested and fresh, particularly his veterans. If the Chiefs can grind through this stretch and find a way to beat the Texans and Steelers, they'll secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC and be able to rest during their Week 18 game against the Denver Broncos, as well as during the first-round bye they will have earned in the playoffs.
