Andy Reid: There was ‘no doubt’ Chiefs were going for it on fourth down

Scared money don’t make money. And Andy Reid is rolling in dough.

The Kansas City Chiefs coach could have played it safe. He could have played conservatively with his backup quarterback. He could have relied on his defense to win the game.

Some wolves don’t need to hide in sheep’s clothing to get a jump on an opponent. They just need to be a wolf.

With Chad Henne taking over for Patrick Mahomes, who is in concussion protocol, Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy didn’t stop dialing up passes, even on the final clock-draining drive.

The biggest call of the game came on a fourth-and-inches from his own 48-yard-line with the clock ticking under 1:30 left and K.C. clinging to a 22-17 lead. A first down would mean a trip to the AFC Championship game.

Options: 1) Punt. Force Baker Mayfield to drive 75-plus yards in about 80 seconds for a touchdown. 2) Go for it and either ice the game or give the Browns the ball at midfield.

For Reid, it wasn’t much of a choice.

“To go for a fourth-and-one … there was no doubt,” Reid said Sunday after the 22-17 win. “There was no doubt. I think everybody knew we were going to go for that play on our side. I’m not telling you that in the world here, but on our sideline, guys just went, ‘Hey, there’s no tomorrow. Let’s go. Let’s roll.’ So I think that’s important.”

It wasn’t some safe QB sneak either. Nope.

Reid’s play-call got Tyreek Hill wide open, streaking to the flat, and Henne hit him on the move. Ballgame.

The coach’s players expect their coach to be aggressive.

“Hey man, that’s why we love Big Red,” safety Tyrann Mathieu told CBS after the game. “He’s always on time. He’s like our spirit warrior out here, you know, behind the scenes, he’s always firing us up. We always know he’s got one play in the chamber.”

Reid’s offensive acumen is among the best ever, but his best coaching attribute might be building confidence in every man on the roster from 1 to 53.

Reid didn’t coach scared when Henne entered the game. Nope, he called passes for the veteran quarterback. Even after a horrific deep interception from Henne, Reid still put the ball in the QB’s hand on the final drive. Reid was rewarded for his faith. Henne made a short throw to convert one first down. Then on third-and-14, the QB scrambled for 13.75 yards. Reid then trusted his backup once more on fourth down.

“I think it’s a character of the guys that [GM Brett Veach] brought in here, and then the will to win,” Reid said when asked about how his club persevered after Mahomes went down. “… Somewhere you’ve got to be able to reach deep in the tough times and pull that out. And if the coaches are flinching, if the players — your leaders — are flinching, it’s not going to happen. And our locker room is not going to flinch. They’re tough that way. That doesn’t mean you’re going to win every game, that’s not what I’m saying, but it’s going to give you a chance. And then it builds confidence in the coaches.”

The confidence from a Super Bowl winner has the Chiefs hosting their third straight AFC Championship game at Arrowhead Stadium.

Whether Mahomes is cleared to play remains to be seen. Either way, you know Andy Reid isn’t going to coach scared.