Andy Reid named NFL’s top head coach

On Monday, CBS Sports analyst Cody Benjamin ranked the NFL’s 32 head coaches. Normally, we’d only quote the portion of a ranking article that pertains to the Kansas City Chiefs... but this time, it’s impossible to resist including another section.

2. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots)

Season: 22nd with Patriots, 27th as HC
Career record: 280-136 (.673)
Playoff record: 31-12 (6-3 in Super Bowl)

Let’s make one thing clear: Belichick is still the greatest NFL coach of all time; his 31 playoff wins are absurd, and his six titles are matched only by Curly Lambeau and George Halas. Even after a bad 2020, when Tom Brady got the last laugh as the post-Brady Pats slipped to mediocrity, Bill remains one of the NFL’s best schemers. You simply cannot count him out. Ever. His defense, in particular, seems poised for a return to form. He’s also the personnel chief, though, and until he proves he can fill or successfully work around Brady’s old position, he isn’t nearly as formidable an opponent in 2021 as...

1. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs)

Season: 9th with Chiefs, 23rd as HC
Career record: 221-130-1 (.629)
Playoff record: 17-15 (1-2 in Super Bowl)

It seems darn near impossible to think of Reid without Patrick Mahomes, the NFL’s model QB and arguably the most naturally gifted passer this side of Aaron Rodgers. But there’s evidence for Reid’s coaching ability well beyond No. 15: He went 14 strong years in Philadelphia, guiding a whopping five NFC title-game appearances, then instantly coaxed playoff results from Alex Smith in Kansas City, all before completely remaking his own offense to capitalize on Mahomes and his weapons’ backyard-ball athleticism. For years, he always approached the big game. Then he won it. Now, as the perfect player-friendly and always-creative overseer of some of the NFL’s best talent, he’s a perennial candidate to win it all again.

The Baltimore Ravens’ John Harbaugh, New Orleans Saints’ Sean Payton and Buffalo Bills’ Sean McDermott round out Benjamin’s top 5 coaches.

For years, the Chiefs’ head coach has stood in Belichick’s shadow. And why not? Just as in any discussion about the greatest quarterback of all time, head-to-head records are part of the discussion. During his 14 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Reid was 1-4 against Belichick.

But more recently, things have been changing. While in Kansas City, Reid is 4-3 against New England’s longtime coach — and now that Brady has left the Patriots (and won a championship with a different team) it’s looking more like his presence in New England might have been a larger factor than we thought.

Meanwhile, Reid’s Chiefs teams have assembled a record of 0.695 over eight seasons — and in five of those, Alex Smith was under center. So Benjamin has it right: Belichick is definitely in the conversation to be considered one of the greatest coaches in NFL history — but at this moment, Reid has the edge.