KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Perhaps never before has the final full practice before an NFL game been more important than this season.
With the coronavirus pandemic wiping out the offseason and eliminating all four preseason games, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans found themselves going through a final workout Tuesday with plenty of things to iron out – from the basics such as pregame stretching and warmups to the last-minute tweaks to formations, play calls and the game plan.
After all, the Chiefs – the reigning Super Bowl champions – and the Texans – the team they beat in the divisional round of the playoffs – know that all eyes will be on them as they kick off the season with a Thursday night showdown at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium.
“Listen, the first game is always that way,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “because you’re never quite sure what they’re going to do. You don’t know what we’re going to do. Even with preseason games, the first few games are up in the air. You don’t know what’s going to be presented. But that’s the way it works every year.”
Fair enough. But not every year does a pandemic fundamentally alter the way the world operates. That includes professional football, where COVID-19 testing, face masks and hand washing have become integral parts of the daily routine.