When you're preparing for the Super Bowl, it helps to have a head coach who's been there before. A lot.
The Patriots made five trips to the Super Bowl during Julian Edelman's 12-year tenure in New England. But by the time Edelman arrived in 2009, head coach Bill Belichick had already experienced six Super Bowls of his own -- four with the Patriots and two as the New York Giants' defensive coordinator -- and gone 5-1 in those contests.
So, Belichick has a decent idea of how to handle the many distractions of Super Bowl week. During a recent episode of "Inside the NFL" on Paramount+, Edelman relayed the message Belichick would tell his players when they arrived at their destination.
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"I always remembered Bill Belichick saying one thing: 'Fellas: All the events, all this, you're not gonna remember it if you lose the game,'" Edelman said.
That's some wise perspective from Belichick, who has seen it all on the game's biggest stage: He's helped the Patriots win six championships but also lost three Super Bowls in New England, including a heartbreaking defeat to the New York Giants that spoiled the team's perfect season in 2007.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is on the opposite end of that perspective spectrum, coaching in his first Super Bowl in just his third season with Cincinnati.
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"No one on this team has played in the Super Bowl," Edelman said of the Bengals. " ... I want to see how Zac Taylor prepares his team for the obstacles that the Super Bowl brings you."
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay has slightly more experience, falling short against Belichick's Patriots in Super Bowl LIII. The 36-year-old claims he learned some valuable lessons from that Super Bowl defeat, but we'll find out Sunday if he's able to put those lessons to use against Joe Burrow and a talented Bengals team.
Coverage for Super Bowl LVI between the Rams and Bengals begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBC.