Dick Vermeil led the Philadelphia Eagles to the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance. He also finished his Hall of Fame career coaching the Kansas City Chiefs.
So, in what direction is Vermeil’s allegiance flowing for Super Bowl 57?
“I’ve put in my frame of mind right now, philosophically, I’m going to root for both teams to win,” Vermeil told USA TODAY Sports. “And I’ll feel very bad for the team that loses.”
That neutral take can also be called “middle of the road.” Or just the plain truth. Vermeil, 86, who coached the St. Louis Rams to a victory against the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl 34, doesn’t need to have a dog in this race. The only person other than Andy Reid to have coached both the Eagles and the Chiefs, he won’t even be inside State Farm Stadium on Sunday, having planned weeks ago to spend Super Bowl Sunday at a family gathering in Key West, Florida.
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Yet it would be a stretch to conclude that Vermeil, who during his coaching career stood out amid the NFL’s macho culture in part because he wore his emotions on his sleeves and wasn’t ashamed to shed tears when the mood struck, is nonchalant about the looming matchup.
Vermeil coached the Eagles for seven seasons, beginning in 1976, and guided them to Super Bowl 15 after the 1980 season. His five-year stint with the Chiefs, which ended with the 2005 campaign, included an AFC West title.
“I’m excited for both of them,” he said. “Because I know the ownership. I worked for the ownership in Kansas City for five years; I have great admiration for them. I never worked for (Eagles owner) Jeffrey Lurie, but I have great respect for what they’ve accomplished.”
Vermeil has closer ties to the Chiefs these days, given his long-time relationship with Reid. A few weeks ago, Vermeil spent time in Kansas City. He watched the Chiefs practice and Reid had him speak to the team.
“I’ve sat in on his quarterback meetings, his offensive meetings,” Vermeil said of Reid. “So, I know him better. And I really don’t know Nick (Sirianni, Eagles coach). But I very much respect the job he’s done in the two years he’s been head coach.
“I know this: Nick Sirianni knows more about the Chiefs than I do, and Andy Reid knows more about the Eagles than I do.”
Vermeil has had many calls in recent days from media and others, tapping him for his insight into the matchup. He watched both teams extensively during their journeys this season, which included both locking up No. 1 seeds for the playoffs with 14-3 regular-season records.
“I’d say that where either team is strong, the other team is almost as strong,” Vermeil said. “And if any team is a little bit weaker, the other team is a little weaker. It creates an interesting matchup. It comes out with a definition of being competitive. Most Super Bowls are.
“You can say the Chiefs pass offense is dominating, but the Eagles pass offense is great. The Eagles run the ball really well; the Chiefs don’t run it as often. It doesn’t mean they can’t run, they just don’t run it as often. As you look at all the numbers, it just tells me it’s going to be a great football game.”
Ah, the numbers. Analytics may be all the rage in this era, with its increasing influence on situational coaching decisions and front-office personnel moves. But Vermeil was a heavy analytics person way back in the day, even though it wasn’t labeled as such. Nonetheless, statistical analysis was critical when Vermeil was breaking into the coaching ranks, just as it is now.
“I’ve always looked at the numbers,” he said. “And I let them influence my thinking, not dictate my thinking. Like I say to anybody: Analytics are great but they don’t include emotion and they only tell you what’s been going on. They don’t evaluate environmental influences. I don’t think they evaluate home and away, they don’t evaluate injuries – all the things that take place in a common NFL football game.”
Vermeil still dives deep into the statistics, including the Bud Goode reports that he says weigh 170 variables.
“The trouble with the statistics is that they cover the whole 17-game season,” Vermeil said, “and they don’t evaluate improvement. The Chiefs defense may have gotten a lot better over the last part of the season than it was early. Things like that. You just have to play the game.”
Vermeil’s pick for Sunday?
He serves up a tease – but not so much of a hunch from his gut. After all, the middle of the road is a safe place about now.
“I have a good feel for it, but I’m not predicting,” Vermeil said. “I know my Bud Goode computer predicts the Eagles will win by four, okay? The Eagles have a four-point advantage, basically based on the consistency of their defense all year.”
Vermeil has an advantage, too, as the big game approaches. Either way, he won’t lose.
Story Credit: usatoday.com