Chiefs Coordinator Quotes
January 15, 2025
ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB
Q: Do you have any serious concerns about Harrison Butker going into playoffs?
TOUB: “No. He’s (Harrison Butker) continually – he had a really good day yesterday at practice. We’re going to go outside today; he had a real good day inside yesterday. We’ll go out today, I think he’ll follow it up and with another good day. He had surgery on that knee, we can’t forget that. It was a minor surgery but still – it lingered a little bit because it’s the plant leg that he collapses or whatever we want to call that. It’s changed up things a little bit but he’s – you know I think he’s looked good most recently.”
Q: On Nikko Remigio.
TOUB: “He’s (Nikko Remigio) really done a good job. I’m really pleased with how he’s accepted the role. He works so hard in practice and he’s a guy you want him to succeed. I said this in training camp, I really love the guy, and I really do. He’s gotten an opportunity here, and he’s taken it and ran with it.”
Q: Do you have any advice for Matt Araiza for his first postseason game and possible jitters?
TOUB: “Just do what he’s (Matt Araiza) been doing. Once the game starts – he’s going to be nervous, I mean everybody – I mean first time guys are going to be nervous. He’s done it all year and once he gets into the groove of the game and after that first punt, he’ll be fine.”
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLO
OPENING STATEMENT: “Listen, (it’s) great to have this week and be with you. That means we’re still playing. Hopefully, we’re doing the same thing next week and with that, I’ll just kind of open it up (to questions). We’re fired up to get going and play in this game. It’s been a while, so the guys are ready.”
Q: What is realistic to expect from Jaylen Watson in terms of playing on Saturday?
SPAGNUOLO: “Yeah, so he’s (Jaylen Watson) been out there a little – you know, he had last week, those couple of practices, he had yesterday. Of course, yesterday was a no-helmets practice which is a little bit different. Him and I spoke this morning. I think these next two days will be really important because hopefully we’re going to get outside here, we’ll have the helmets and it’ll be shells on. He needs to get up to the speed of the game and it’s not regular season speed, right? It’s playoff speed, so we’ll see where we’re at and make a good decision at the end of the week.”
Q: What did you see from C.J. Stroud’s overall game against the Chargers last weekend?
SPAGNUOLO: “I was very impressed with him (Texans QB C.J. Stroud). I told him that after the game last time we played them (the Texans). For a young guy, (he’s) so talented and we all saw what he did last week with his feet. I think when the importance of these games keep amping up, you can expect quarterbacks to say, ‘Hey, I might have to run it here.’ We’ve talked extensively about trying to bottle this quarterback up because we saw last week what he can do when he decides to run it. It’s like all these athletic quarterbacks who play in this league now, it brings a whole another dimension and you have to figure out ways to – whether you commit one guy to the quarterback, turn three loose, however you do it, you have to have ways to do it. Now with that being said, we have to get him in those situations. I mean, (if) it’s first and second down and they’re on schedule, that makes it really tough. When a quarterback takes off on a first and second down, run-pass call and it ends up pass and he’s going, that’s challenging.”
Q: What will you remember this time around after the last playoff game against the Texans?
SPAGNUOLO: “I just remember bang, bang, bang and it was like – we got none and they had – it ended up 24 (points), right? Then, as quick as that happened, a quick turn, we had a special teams play, and I think we made a play on defense. I think Dan (Daniel) Sorensen made a big play; it’s coming back to me a little bit now. We didn’t go back and look at that tape, obviously, but I think – I mean, that builds confidence. The one thing, I’ve said this before and a number of these that – the one thing from a defensive standpoint if you’re part of the defense for the Kansas City Chiefs is you have extreme confidence in the quarterback that we end up putting out there to – whether if we’re ahead to extend the lead or whether we’re behind, he (Patrick Mahomes) can get us back in it. I’m sure that day just built that confidence just more.”
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MATT NAGY
Q: What was it like to watch things unfold during this break?
NAGY: “It’s been good for us. You go into it – you need to – the players get the physical rest, which is great, and they need that. It’s always a benefit but then, as coaches too, I think you get a little bit of a mental reset too, which is good. It reminds you a little bit of making sure that you don’t put in too much for that game as you prepare through that. Now, the good thing is that you don’t know who you’re playing until a few days ago so you can kind of whittle that down. It’s important for the rest – mentally and physically – and then the balance and I think like being here with (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) and being a part of an organization where you prep for the Super Bowl, he does a great job of making sure we stay in line and not too much, but enough. I think that for players and coaches it’s really good.”
Q: What advice do you have for Patrick Mahomes specifically in these games?
NAGY: “Don’t change anything, just keep it going. It’s working pretty good, but in all honesty, he (Patrick Mahomes) does a great job of balancing. I mean, even going back to the Denver game, for him, he didn’t change anything, (he did) the same thing. He’s got to stay in his habit of how he does things (and) what he looks at. Then, for him too, like not do too much. Don’t start – because what happens is you start chasing ghosts. You see so much that you end up maybe sometimes talking yourself out of something that’s pretty good.”
Q: How do you plan on slowing down the Texans front to make sure Patrick Mahomes has time to operate?