by 
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has become synonymous with success after the bye week since his inception in 1990.
In games that followed more than 30 combined regular season and postseason weeks, Reid amassed an 87.1 percent winning percentage. The extra time to prepare has been more of a boon to his teams than any other team in the league.
RELATED: The No. 1 seeded leaders will follow a familiar route through the playoffs
While he’s claimed in the past that there’s no rhyme or reason to their success after the bye week, Reid seems to have an idea of what it’s all about now.
“That’s the thing, that’s the pay, then how the players use their free time and their coaches elsewhere,” Reid told reporters last Monday. “We also have to make sure we stay on top of things. We’ll see how it all works, but yeah, I’ll tell you the trick is to keep the pay where the players stay sharp, and the coaches can always add a few things to the guys in their mix and go from there. »
Follow every game: Latest NFL Scores and Schedules
ODDS: Jaguars vs Chiefs odds for the NFL Divisional Playoff game
Balancing rest, study and staying active is important for players, but it also largely depends on how the coaching staff uses their time. During the regular season, they usually self-scout, assessing and addressing team strengths and weaknesses. During the playoffs, the bye week is spent getting ahead of potential divisional round opponents and game planning.
“Yes, I think he has a big pay the time he gives the guys and the time he gets the guys in to get them moving and ready for next week,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said of the bye week strategy. by Reid. “And then obviously the coaches did a great job planning the game. I’m sure this week they’ll plan the game like three or four different teams and try to get the guys a good game plan at the start. of the week so they can perform at a high level. And then he goes out there and we do what we usually do, so he just has a good sense of how much time he gives the guys and how much time he has them in the building.”
When players aren’t in the building, Reid gives them a rough idea of what they can do to make the most of the bye week and the opportunity in front of them.
“I think guys get all of that,” Reid said. “We had a meeting this morning – a team meeting this morning and we covered what we’re going to try to do (and) try to move forward here with practices and meetings and all that. They are well aware of this, and they understand the magnitude of their current situation and the opportunity they have. There are not many teams playing at the moment, so this is a great opportunity and you want enjoy it to the full, as best you can.”
Ultimately, it’s up to players to take this message seriously and make the most of it. At this point in the year, you’ll be hard pressed to find a player who isn’t fully bought.
