The Kansas City Chiefs' offense needed some help to get by the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. Fortunately for the Midwest's Super Bowl prospects, they had a friend in the area willing to help out.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid revealed during Super Bowl prep in Las Vegas that he was able to lure old friend Eric Bieniemy out of Kansas City retirement for the conference title, a 17-10 victory that saw tight end Travis Kelce torch the Ravens for 116 yards and a score. Bieniemy had been stationed in the DMV area in his first (and only) as the offensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders, the Ravens' interconference geographical rivals.
"(He) came in, talked to our team before our last game," Reid admitted, per Scott Thompson of Fox News. "He talked with the offensive guys and hung out with us in our meetings."
Bieniemy is/was one of the lasting recurring characters of the Chiefs' current run of success, spending a decade (2013-22) involved in the team's offense. The latter half was spent as the team's offensive coordinator, where he oversaw quarterback Patrick Mahomes' rise to power. Kansas City ranked no worse than sixth in scoring during Bieniemy's tenure as offensive boss but dropped to 15th while he was in Washington.
Mahomes said that Bieniemy's arrival brought "energy" and "chill bumps" that gave Kansas City the necessary push to get by the top-ranked Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
"It's always great to have EB in the building," he explained. "Just being there, the energy that he brings, the mentality that he brings, you can feel. He has that intensity, but you love it. He loves being there. He loves being a part of the team and being a part of that culture. So having him back in the building was really cool."
With Bieniemy's inspiration packed in, the Chiefs' offense got off to a strong start, scoring on each of its first two possessions and three of its first five en route to a lasting two-possession lead. The Chiefs are now set to partake in their fourth Super Bowl over the last five years and first without Bieniemy as a full-time employee. They'll face the San Francisco 49ers for the right to another Vince Lombardi Trophy hoist at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday evening (6:30 p.m. ET, CBS).
Time will tell if Bieniemy returns to Kansas City: new Commanders head coach Dan Quinn announced that he would not return to the offensive coordinator spot earlier this week. While each of the NFL's eight head coaching vacancies has been filled, Reid said that Bieniemy was "still up for a couple of jobs."
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