Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes
October 21, 2024
HEAD COACH ANDY REID
OPENING STATEMENT: “(I) don’t have any final injury report for you. I’d tell you (Jaylen) Watson, it’s not going to be good, and he won’t be ready this week. JuJu (Smith-Schuster) won’t be ready this week, so two different things there. As far as the game goes, I liked what I saw as far as just the team effort, all three phases contributed. We’ve got some things (that) we can obviously work on, on both sides of the ball, special teams-wise, likewise but there were some real positives that we can take out of the game. We rushed, obviously, for a lot of yards offensively. Defensively, we – against a strong offense we were able to hold them in their rush yards and hold them relatively and likewise, in the pass game with the three turnovers. That was big. Then, special teams-wise, Mecole (Hardman) had – again, a nice (punt) return there. (Matt) Araiza was really punting the ball well field position-wise, I thought (that) was a positive. I thought – defensively, I thought Chris Jones just – as he’s done every game – has just been really a dominate force. People know that, I mean, the Raiders will know it, too. They’ve played against him before, but this guy is playing at that MVP level – defensive MVP level. He takes a lot of pride in being the best and right now, he’s doing that, he’s showing that. Offensively, again, there was some good individual things that took place with Kareem (Hunt) and the other running backs I thought really ran hard. Pat (Patrick Mahomes) had some big time runs for us, (in the) pass game we’ve got to get a couple things worked out, but we’ll get that taken care of. (Travis) Kelce had another productive game, as did Noah (Gray) and that combination was good for us yesterday as we went through the game. Again, all in all, on both lines (offensive and defensive), I thought both sides of the ball did a nice job and that is really where everything starts and (where) your production starts on both sides. It makes the secondary and linebackers look (good) on the defensive side, and it makes the receivers, tight ends and running backs look good on the offensive side so, with that, (the) time’s yours.”
Q: What impresses you about Travis Kelce’s ability as a blocker?
REID: “He’s (Travis Kelce) so willing to do that (block). He just wants to win is what he wants to do and make sure that we’re doing well offensively. He’s not selfish (in) that way, he just wants to be in there, right? He wants to be in and playing and as a result – if you take out the offensive lineman out of the picture – he’s always one of the top play per game guy and that’s him and he prepares that way during the week. He busts his tail during the week and part of that is the run game and he makes sure that he stays on top of that.”
Q: How much talk has there been about elevating a receiver from the practice squad?
REID: “Really, all those guys on the practice squad we’ve got a lot of trust in and feel good about. We’ve talked about it a little bit (but) I’m going to get with (General Manager Brett) Veach here after we’re done, and we’ll go through everything. I just came out of an offensive meeting (and) I had a chance to talk to those guys (and) see what their (offensive coaches) thoughts were. We’ll see. I haven’t had a chance to really get with Veach on it.”
Q: You mentioned Chris Jones is playing at a Defensive Player of the Year level. What would it mean to you, Chris and the organization for him to get that award and how much do you have to campaign for Chris since there’s so much that he does that doesn’t show up in a box score?
REID: “Yeah, Matt (Derrick), I mean everybody goes off of sacks. You kind of know that they look at sacks first, but what he (Chris Jones) does in the run game and the pass game, to me, is what constitutes somebody for that spot. Listen, he’s done this over and over, a number of years here and he’s been close to the number of votes in that award with (former Rams Defensive Tackle) Aaron (Donald). Now, the thing that’s amazing is, here he is at this age and getting paid what he’s being paid, and the joker just comes out and goes 100 miles an hour every play that he’s in - pass and run - and he’s dominated at that. You know he’s everybody’s target. He’ll be the Raiders target this week from an offensive standpoint, but he works through that. (Defensive Line Coach) Joe Cullen helps him with that, (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags helps him with that, but the kid’s there every day and then every week and so I get to see that.”
Q: How much of the management of some of this rookie class has been with the understanding and the expectation that you’ll play a 20+ game season and wanting to make sure they don’t hit that rookie wall?
REID: “Yeah, there is a rookie wall that the guys can hit at times. We try to manage that the best we can. We’ve had pretty good success with it with the young guys where we can kind of get them through that phase, but the guys are – they’re working hard, they’re contributing in the games. Then, we’ll just – as the college season goes on, I’m always – you start getting around that bowl time in there and guys – that’s when they go, ‘Oh jeez, we still have seven games left or six games left,’ and that’s kind of where you have to look at but we try to do a good job of working them through all that.”
Q: Where do you feel like the ability to win close games has kind of happened for you guys over time?
REID: “I think it starts with your locker room, your coaches and just how do the guys like each other (and) like playing together and then that whole trust thing that they develop with each other I think is important. Everything’s not going to be roses when you’re playing. You’re going to have ups and downs in games. Very few teams go and win every game during a season, so you literally take it game by game and make sure you’re taking care of business this week. I think the locker room has a big part of that (and) the coaches added too, with everything is a big part of that.”
Q: What did it mean to see Tate and Dawson play each other? How was it to see Tate throw the game-winning touchdown?
REID: “How ‘bout him, man? Both those guys, jeez – playing opposite of each other, that was something. They’re both great kids, but Tate’s a gamer and he’s been that since he was a little shooter and now KU is going to get a good player from all this. It was great. That was a big game for both teams and they love playing against each other. It was great to have all the support out there and it was hard for all of us to – you can’t root for one side. You have to go right down the middle because these kids have been at our training camp (and) we all love them. They’ve worked our training camps, and you get to know them and you know they’re fighting their tails off to beat up on each other a little bit.”
Q: The snap count indicates that Nazeeh Johnson will be the first option to replace Jaylen Watson. What have you and Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo seen from him that gives you the confidence that there will be no drop off with him stepping in?
REID: “Every week he’s (Nazeeh Johnson) gotten better and stronger and so that’s the main thing. He’s a good player. Just that he has the confidence in his leg and the leg’s strong and that just happens by playing. Every week it’s been a positive going forward and he’s ready for the spot. 2’s (Joshua Williams) also been in there, he’s done it, so he knows what it takes. Two different body types and we’ll need both of them and they both need to step up. (Jaylen) Watson was having a heck of a year. Now these guys have an opportunity here to step in and do the same.”
Q: How do you stay prepared when players go down in the game and you have to adjust your gameplan?
REID: “The coaches I think do a good job with rotating guys in during practice, making sure that everybody knows everybody’s spot and that you can function. Yesterday was smooth, (Wide Receivers Coach) Connor’s (Embree) got a big part of that on his plate because he does all those substitutions and trying to get everybody in on time and moving them around is not an easy task when people go down. He did a good job the last couple weeks with that, just making sure things ran smoothly, the calls were easy, personnel-wise (and) getting them in. I give him most of the credit there.”
Q: What goes into the conversation on running a fake on fourth down? How much of that is discussed during the week versus an in-game decision?
REID: “That one we thought we had something there and (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator) Dave (Toub) had practiced it this week and I was aware of it, and he made me aware of it during the game so I was aware that it was going to take place with a certain look. They gave us the look and you know, we have to do a little better job executing it. Trying to stay aggressive, especially against that crew there, they’re a good football team.”
Q: How unique is it to have your best players seemingly be unselfish? What does that mean to the culture of your team as you get through a long season?