Few individuals possess the authority and insight that Michael Lombardi does when it comes to the inner workings of the NFL — especially when it comes to the run-up to the Super Bowl.
With an impressive track record from his involvement with three Super Bowl-winning teams, Lombardi brings a wealth of experience, having worked with legendary coaches like Bill Walsh and Bill Belichick. As the excitement surrounding Super Bowl LVIII sweeps across the nation and takes over Las Vegas, Lombardi’s insight into the preparation and mental gymnastics before the big game offers excellent insight to the coaches, players, and strategies that lie ahead.
“Well, I think the work is done the week before you go to the game,” Lombardi told Sportsnaut. “But I think more than anything you want the players to be relaxed. You want them to not get caught up in the moment, to not get caught up in the big game and the noise and all the stuff that goes on outside the game. And you’ve got to almost treat it like it’s week four of the NFL season, which we know it’s not. And that’s a hard thing to do.”
The Super Bowl lessons of Bill Walsh — keep your team loose
During a discussion on how to keep a team focused amid the madhouse that has become the run up to the big game, Lombardi delved into Bill Walsh’s legendary techniques for keeping his team grounded amidst all the hype surrounding the Super Bowl. He vividly recounted what San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh used to do to keep his team relaxed.
“Walsh in his first Super Bowl, that I wasn’t a part of in ’79, he pretended he was the bellhop carrying bags,” Lombardi recounted and discussed in his latest best-selling book Football Done Right: Setting the Record Straight on the Coaches, Players, and History of the NFL. “And then, in ‘84, I watched him lay on the floor in the locker room. I can still see him lying there with his hands behind his head, just relaxed. And he was just trying to send a message that, fellas, if we do what we have to do, we’ll win the game.”
Lombardi’s anecdote serves not only as a nostalgic journey down memory lane but also highlights the significance of innovative and reassuring leadership during these intense moments leading up to such a significant game.
“There’s going to be ups and downs. There’s going to be ebb and flow,” Lombardi said. “We’re not going to win it in the first quarter. We’re not going to lose it in the first quarter. So I think there’s messaging that has to go through it in terms of how you want to approach it.”
With Andy Reid at the controls for Kansas City, they have a coach that not only understands these concepts, but has already employed them to get his team to Las Vegas and a chance at another championship.
How the Kansas City Chiefs find themselves back in the Super Bowl
One of the reasons the Kansas City Chiefs find themselves back in the Super Bowl is precisely because of coach Andy Reid. Not only has Reid kept his team loose and focused, but he’s also led them to adapt to a new reality. This season, the narrative around the Kansas City Chiefs has focused on their offensive struggles. Never mind, their defense is one of the league’s best. It’s the offense, former MVP Patrick Mahomes, and the supporting cast that has been under a microscope.
After leading the 2022 season in offense on their way to their third Super Bowl title, the Chiefs fell to the middle of the pack in 2023. With dropped passes, more human-like numbers from Mahomes, and even the ups and downs of Travis Kelce’s season, not many gave the Chiefs a chance to repeat as champions.
Then came Christmas Day. The Chiefs were beaten soundly by the Las Vegas Raiders, 20-14. The Chiefs tried to win like they always have — on the arm of Mahomes. But Lombardi said it was a key moment for Reid and the Chiefs who realized they needed to change his approach.
“And I think Kansas City more than ever, since the loss to the Raiders on Christmas Day that embarrassed Andy Reid when he turned it over twice for 14 points and essentially lost the game. I don’t think the Raiders won it. The Chiefs lost it by those turnovers and those mistakes. He decided no more. We’re not doing that anymore,” Lombardi said.
Lombardi praised Andy Reid for his adaptability and shift towards a more balanced and disciplined offensive approach, resulting in more success since that embarrassing December loss. He pointed out that the Chiefs have thrown the ball 132 times and rushed 112 times, with good results behind second-year back Isaiah Pacheco. By putting in more effective seven-play drives, scoring points, and adapting, the Chiefs have grown stronger and rallied behind their coach.
The Chiefs’ defense has led the way and gives them an edge Sunday
The Chiefs were underdogs heading into the AFC Championship Game in Baltimore and Lamar Jackson, and the Ravens were one of the best teams in the league all season. Still, Reid and the Chiefs stayed the course and pulled the 17-10 upset primarily because they could contain and shut down the presumptive NFL MVP in Jackson.
“Well, the defense has been sensational,” Lombardi said. “I mean, they’ve only given up 10 points in the second half in the last three games, right? And they’ve scored 46 of their 70 points in the first half. So they’ve been good.”
Against Baltimore, Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo effectively neutralized Jackson, and the Ravens’ league-leading rushing offense managed just 16 carries against a team, begging them to run the ball. The Chiefs took away the Ravens’ ability to throw the ball downfield and their play-action passing game, too.
Lombardi thinks the Chiefs will do the same against the 49ers on Sunday and whether or not they will be successful against San Francisco will come down to if Shanahan and San Francisco can respond and get off to a quick start.
“Kyle’s gonna not get away from that (the passing/play-action game),” Lombardi said. “Again, this game, is gonna come down to really simple things. It’s gonna come down to whether Steve Wilkes (defensive coordinator of the 49ers) can handle the script from Andy Reid. Because they start fast and have been starting fast. And can Kyle Shanahan start fast? The 49ers haven’t scored a touchdown in the first quarter all playoffs.”