Communicating Like a Champion

Sunday night will probably be remembered as the Taylor Bowl.

Or if you're optimistic about those two crazy kids, The First Taylor Bowl, but the game itself ended up being quite exciting when both teams were tied 19-19 at the end of regulation.

Back in 2022, the NFL changed the playoff rules, ensuring that both teams got a chance to score (before you could lose without even touching the ball). Still, the odds of going to the Super Bowl are slim, and the odds of the Super Bowl going into overtime are minuscule--only one Super Bowl has gone to overtime in the history of the game.

When the unexpected happens, things get interesting.

Both teams had reached the peak of their season and their profession, but read these three quotes and tell me which one came from the winning team:

"You know what? I didn't even realize the playoff rules were different in overtime. I assume you just want the ball to score a touchdown and win. I guess that's not the case. I don't know the strategy there. We hadn't talked about it, no."

"I didn't even know about the new playoff overtime rule, so it was a surprise to me. ... They put it on the scoreboard, and everyone was like 'Oh, even if you score, they get a chance still.'"

"We've talked about it all year. We talked about it in training camp about how the rules were different in the regular season versus the playoffs. Every week of the playoffs, we talked about the overtime rule."

As overtime began, the Chiefs kicked the ball off to the 49ers. The 49ers marched down the field but ultimately had to settle for a field goal. They then had to kick the ball off to the Chiefs, who could win the game with a touchdown or kick a field goal and continue the game.

If you're unfamiliar with football, the advantage immediately tilted towards the Chiefs. They now didn't have to worry about punting because they had to score no matter what. This opened up the entire field and the entire playbook.

To abbreviate what happened, the Chiefs started their drive on the 25-yard line, went down the field, scored a touchdown, and won the game.

Of the quotes above, the third one was from one of the Chiefs players, Justin Reed, specifically. Even though the chances of going to overtime were slim, the Chiefs were more prepared, and they knew what to expect going into the Super Bowl and going into overtime.

The best leaders communicate until they are certain that everyone on their team knows the plan, and then they communicate the plan some more.

The best leaders also practice productive paranoia, asking, 'But what if,' and 'If that happens, then what do we do?'

The Chiefs coaching staff ensured that both of these attributes were true. They ensured that their team was prepared for the unexpected, that they knew the plan, and that they knew the contingency plans.

Super Bowl XVII became an excellent case study in preparing for the unexpected and communicating what to do when the unexpected occurs.