Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes
September 1, 2024
OPENING STATEMENT: “As far as the injuries go really only Marquise (Hollywood Brown) is the only one not practicing today. I look forward to the challenge to play the Ravens, a good football team. (They have) good players and good coaches. (Ravens Head Coach) John (Harbaugh) does a phenomenal job there. Along with (Defensive Coordinator) Zach (Orr), (Offensive Coordinator) Todd (Monken), and (Special Teams Coordinator) Chris (Horton) and their spots with the offense, defense and special teams. We know they are well-coached (and) we know they have good players. So, we go through our preparation this week (and) today is the first main day of practice. We will start it off. With that, time’s yours.”
Q: What makes Travis Kelce so effective at his age?
REID: “He (Travis Kelce) keeps himself in good shape. I also think he’s a flexible guy, he’s not real stiff. From a physical standpoint, he’s not a stiff player, and he’s got good flexibility and good strength.”
Q: How do you prepare for a game like this? How much knowledge do you take away from an AFC title game?
REID: “They (the Ravens starters) didn’t play a whole lot in the preseason – their main guys but we know who they are. Again, (Defensive Coordinator Zach) Orr is coming in and he is familiar with the whole group. He is going to do what he does from a defensive standpoint. There will be some changes. I mean, there are going to be changes that take place. It happens early in the season, for the first few weeks, until he gets kind of settled on what they do best. So, you got to be flexible on your end, and we’ll just see how it goes but can definitely take away the primary scheme – or take away from the (AFC Championship) game the primary scheme.”
Q: What about Kingsley Suamataia tells you he is ready for what he is going to see Thursday night?
REID: “He had a good training camp. He had a good preseason, but this is going to be a learning experience for him here. This is a good defensive line, and he’s going to – I’m sure there will be some ups and downs as he goes like any young player has. He’s prepared himself, and it’s time to go play now.”
Q: Who are you using to mimic Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson?
REID: “Yeah, Bailey (Zappe) can do that. We’ve always mixed guys in there when we have a chance of playing (and) there are some other guys that can jump in. We have a little plan for it. Not that any of them are as good as him (laughter) – Chris (Oladokun) included. I mean, Chris did a nice job, but this kid (Lamar Jackson), he’s a special player. It’s very hard to mimic him.”
Q: What do you like about Bailey Zappe?
REID: “Good player – on the practice squad you're saying? We liked him (Bailey Zappe) in college (and) we liked what he showed us in the last game there, he did a nice job of that. We think down the road he’ll help us there.”
Q: Where do you think you’ve seen the most growth with Rashee Rice from the start of the offseason until now?
REID: “I think there was a couple of things. I think the conditioning part of it and how much you’ve got to play and how fast you have to play every play – that was one. I thought his feel for space was another. Just the experience part of playing, period. At the end of the season, he could roll now. He had a great feel for what Patrick (Mahomes) was looking for, what the coaches were looking for and he was able to execute that and play fast, with his skill set that he has been blessed with.”
Q: How much does someone like Justin Watson become when you don’t have Hollywood Brown for this first game?
REID: “Yeah, Justin’s (Watson) always kind of been a big part of it, silently. He doesn’t say much, and he doesn’t get a lot of pub (publicity), but he’s always been a pretty big part of what we do. That part won't change, he will be in there running around. Even when Hollywood (Brown) comes back, he will be in there running around. He’s a smart kid that is skilled, loves to play the game, (and) plays hard every snap (in) practice and games.”
Q: Do you still anticipate Samaje Perine being available on Thursday?
REID: “Yeah, I think so. I think we’ll be ok there.”
Q: Patrick Mahomes is on track to break a few of Len Dawson’s records but will do it quicker than Len did it. What does this say about the game today?
REID: “It’s a little bit different game now with the passing the way it is, but he has so much respect for (PFHOF QB) Len (Dawson) before Len passed. They had a relationship there, they talked. The game’s just – it’s a little different. There’s just a little bit more passing that goes on now. At the college – at all levels really. You start at the little kid’s level and on up through high school and college and the ball is being thrown more. It’s a compliment to Pat (Patrick Mahomes) because he does it the right way, he handles it the right way. As great as he is, he’s a humble guy and respects the things that happened before him, he gets it.”
Q: Besides ball security, what do you want to see from your team in this first game?
REID: “The obvious is execution. This is a team that’s a physical football team, so you have to add that element into it. They’re good, they’ve played together so they’re good. They’re going to test your ability to execute on both sides of the ball and special teams, so it’s important that we take care of business here these few days that we have to prepare and you’ve got to do that the right way. That would be it along with – part of execution is hanging on to the football.”
Chiefs Player Quotes
September 1, 2024
QB PATRICK MAHOMES
Q: What excites you most about playing on this particular stage to start the NFL season?
MAHOMES: “It’s just a great opportunity for the guys. To see what it’s like to be on the biggest stage. Obviously, you want to play in the Super Bowl at the end of the year, but this is a big stage as well. To be able to get that experience, play a great football team, I’m excited for these guys to get out there and the guys who haven’t been here see what it’s like to be on that type of stage.”
Q: How much appreciation do you have for Len Dawson and the way he played during his time?
MAHOMES: “I think you’re saying it. The fact that he kind of pioneered the game to show that how the quarterback could really go out there and dictate how you play the position and how you play on the offensive side of the ball. Getting to meet (PFHOF QB) Len (Dawson) and how good of a person that he was, it truly is remarkable to be able to go out there and have a chance to break some of his records because the fact that he’s able to put those yards up and that record has stood for so long speaks to the player and person that he is.”
Q: What do you think about mentally going into this game?
MAHOMES: “I don’t think last year’s too much in your mind. You’re so focused on trying to get better, and we’re playing the best of the best Week 1. We’re going to see where we’re at. We’re going to have to go out there and play our best football early in the season. All we can do is go out there and be our best. It’s going to take that in order to get the win, and we’re going to have to learn from our mistakes and make adjustments on the sideline and go out there and find a way to beat a really good football team.”
Q: What else did you like about Xavier Worthy, besides his speed, before this year’s NFL draft?
MAHOMES: “I think just route running (and) a guy that played physical too. For him (Xavier Worthy) to not weigh a ton, he plays hard, he plays through stuff, he goes out there and competes. The speed, obviously it opens up the field, but he’s not just a fast receiver, he’s a guy that can run routes. He plays hard, plays fast and you want those type of guys on your football team.”
Q: Are there things you’ve been able to do to kind of speed up the process?
MAHOMES: “I think more than anything just he’s been able to pick up stuff fast. He’s learning from his mistakes. We’re really opening up the playbook to him, and he’s learning and it’s like he doesn’t get tired. He can take all the reps and he runs those deeps routes, gets back in and even if he doesn’t necessarily want to, we make him go out there and do it again and I think it’s going to be better for him as his career goes on.”
Q: How do you feel like you’ve adjusted to not having Hollywood Brown for Week 1?
MAHOMES: “You have to adjust a little bit just because he’s (Hollywood Brown) such a vital part of our offense. He’s someone that can do a lot of different stuff. He can play a lot of different positions. I think what (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid and (General Manager Brett) Veach did this year is they brought in a lot of competition in that room. Guys have stepped up and taken over some of his role. It’s not going to be just one guy, its going to be multiple guys that kind of get in there and do the things that he does this week, and then the hope is that you have him back the next week. You just have to continue to push other guys to step up and that’s what football is.”
Q: What is it like to have JuJu Smith-Schuster back around?
MAHOMES: “It’s super exciting. Just the person and then being in the locker room, being in the meeting rooms, he (JuJu Smith-Schuster) gets it, man. He gets how to be a pro, and then he works hard. He’s out here and he looks great. I’m excited for him to just continue to learn the little things that we changed in the year that he wasn’t there, but he’s picked up a lot of the stuff really fast and it’s good to have that type of guy in that receiver room.”
Q: What have you seen from Kingsley Suamataia that lets you know he’s prepared for Thursday night?
MAHOMES: “He (Kingsley Suamataia) has the confidence. He’s going out there, and he’s enjoying the moment. He’s practicing hard. He’s learning from the guys beside him. This is, like we said, probably the best defense in the league other than ours, so it’s just going out there and competing against the best of the best Week 1. He’s going to get kind of introduced fast. I’m excited for him to accept the challenge and see where he’s at, but he did a great job in the preseason. He did a great job in training camp, and I’m excited for him to go out there and accept that next challenge.”
Q: You’ve played different variations of the Ravens defense over the past five or six years. Is there a common thing with all of those groups?
MAHOMES: “The common thing is just physicality and speed. That’s who the Ravens are. They’re a team that’s going to play hard. They’re going to play physical, and you have to accept that challenge. If you don’t, they’re going to dominate the football game. Even though they’ve traded through defensive coordinators, they have those same principles. I think that’s more of the team (and) the culture they have, and I’m sure there will be wrinkles that we’ll have to adjust (to) out there. I mean, they have a great football team (and) a great defense. It’s going to be a great challenge for us.”
Q: What mentality or tempo are you guys trying to establish on offense in Week 1?
MAHOMES: “You don’t want to get pushed around; I think that’s the biggest thing. Whenever you play teams like this, you want to make sure you match their physicality. We’re fast, and we’ve got guys that run around but we pride ourselves on being physical, as well, so it’s going to be a great challenge, man. We’re playing the best of the best football team Week 1. You can’t ask for anything better (than) to go out there and see where you’re at and to see how training camp and the offseason has paid off.”
Q: What do you admire most about Ravens QB Lamar Jackson when you watch him?
MAHOMES: “I think more than the athletic ability and the ability to throw, (it’s) the way he (Ravens QB Lamar Jackson) competes. He’s a guy who competes every single week – you can tell he cares. You can tell he wants to go out there and win, and he wants to put it on his shoulders to take his team to where they can win as many games as possible. I think that’s something – that’s truly what it really takes to be a great quarterback in this league, it’s not always about talent. It’s about can you go out there and compete every single week and find the ways – whenever you don’t have your best stuff (or) your team doesn’t have your best stuff, you find a way to win football games that way.”
Q: When you go into the first game of the season, do you get more excited about unscouted looks?
MAHOMES: “In a sense. It’s always a great challenge. I think more than anything, I just get more and more appreciative of having that opportunity to go out there. I joke around with Trav (Travis Kelce) – I’m older than Travis was when I got here, so it’s like it’s – you start appreciating playing in these games. You never know if you’re going to win another Super Bowl – I mean, that’s your hope but you don’t know if you’re going to be that opening night game. I remember my first year – I didn’t play but we go to the Patriots and play in that game. I remember how special that moment was for me, even though I didn’t step on that football field, so I just try to appreciate these moments because you never know if this is going to be your last one, but the hope is that it isn’t.”
S JUSTIN REID
Q: What do you think about Jaden Hicks?
REID: “Stud, absolute stud. Jaden Hicks, great player, humble, willing to learn and he’s going to help us this year. He’s going to be (in) some situations, he’s going to come in and make some plays.”
Q: You go against Travis in practice and training camp, what makes him so special – especially at his age?
REID: “You know what, there’s a quote from (NBA player) Lebron (James) that he talks about how Lebron now versus when he was younger, just the amount of experience and knowledge he has in the game. You know as time starts to go you start getting smarter and you start playing a little bit more fluid and (Travis) Kelce is just the epitome of that. It feels like he’s timeless because he’s so smart and knows the moves and him and Patrick (Mahomes) have so much chemistry that they’re able to just create on the fly and do things that nobody else in the league can do. He’s not slowing down anytime soon; I know that from practicing against him this last week that he’s still fired up and ready to go.”
Q: Mentally, what are you doing to prepare yourself for Week 1?