Legendary former linebacker Brian Urlacher played his whole 13-season career with the Chicago Bears, and during that span, he participated in eight playoff games.
Notably losing Super Bowl XLI, Urlacher knows a thing or two about the playoffs. Thirteen years is a long career in the NFL, and the younger players would do well to listen to veteran advice.
Urlacher made those comments during a recent appearance on the Chicago Bears podcast Bears etc. with Jeff Joniak, when he was asked what advice he would give players preparing for their first playoff game.
“You can feel it amp up, you don’t need to do anything different. You feel the crowd is different, it’s just the whole feeling is different. There’s preseason speed, regular season speed, and there’s playoff speed.”
A Veteran Perspective
Urlacher immediately acknowledges the reality of playoff intensity, but remains grounded. The game steps up a few notches in January. Urlacher is clever to separate the season into speeds, and his words hold true to them. There's no mistaking that this game is the most important of the season. He's trying to say to be present and in the moment, but hold firm.
“I tried to do everything the same. You don’t need to change the way you do things. Just let the situation, you’ll feel the situation when you’re out there.”
Maintaining continuity is essential for a team making a Super Bowl run, and all 14 playoff teams have their work cut out for them. Establishing momentum early is paramount. But none of it matters if a team slips on the routine stuff because they've approached this game differently than the way that got them there.
That said, not all players are the same, and those who have played in the playoffs before should step up and lead the younger guys out there. It's only natural to feel comfortable in a situation that you've been in before.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson has made his stance on the playoffs perfectly clear. Preparation and routine for the players is crucial, but failing to acknowledge the situation would be foolish. That's exactly the point that Urlacher is driving at. The Bears have shown they deserve to be in this game, and the Hall of Fame linebacker's comments ring true.
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The playoffs will test composure as much as execution, and Urlacher’s message is rooted in experience rather than theory. If the Bears are ready for the moment, it will be because they trust the work that already brought them here.