Andy Reid was concerned about how the Kansas City Chiefs would handle the short work week as they begin preparations for Thursday night's game against the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium. He worried for good reason.
The Chiefs didn't handle the short week so well last year. They came out flat in their lone Thursday night game and eventually lost to the previously winless Oakland Raiders to break their five-game losing streak.
The Chiefs also didn't play with much energy in the early stages of either of last season's games against the Broncos. They trailed 21-10 at halftime of their September game in Denver and 17-0 in the second quarter of their November meeting at Arrowhead.
"It's important how we handle it as coaches," Reid said. "It's important how we handle it as players. When given an opportunity to rest, you rest. Get off your feet and take care of business. Bumps and bruises, you take care of those. We've got to get ready."
The big differences in this year's Thursday night game for the Chiefs are that they won't be travelling to the West Coast but playing at home in front of a crowd that should be pumped for the home opener.
They're also facing an opponent that should have their attention. The Chiefs haven't beaten the Broncos since Peyton Manning arrived as their quarterback in 2013. That's in contrast to the Raiders, who were 0-10 going into last year's meeting.
So expect the Chiefs to play with a larger sense of urgency than they did in last year's Thursday night game.