KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and Quarteback Patrick Mahomes discussed personnel and Patriots during a Wednesday presser. Following are their comments.
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid. Photos courtesy Chiefs
CHIEFS HEAD COACH ANDY REID
OPENING STATEMENT: "OK, those guy that won't practice today are Morris Claiborne, (Rashad) Fenton, Damien Williams and then Darrel Williams. Claiborne has a shoulder that's bothering him. Frank Clark is going to be limited on what he does with his shoulder. Fenton has the hamstring. Damien's got the ribs. Darrel's got the hamstring, also. With that, we look forward to the challenge of playing the Patriots. They're one heck of a football team, history has told us that. They're very well-coached, obviously, by a future Hall of Fame coach, and they have good football players. We look forward to that challenge. That's why we do this, right? You love having opportunities like that. Our guys are going to start preparing today to play against a good football team, and it's important that we focus in on our fundamentals and techniques, then the scheme that we're presenting. We'll do that. With that, time's yours."
Q: When you look at this team, what have you seen from them in the last month or so, particularly QB Tom Brady and what he has been able to do?
REID: "He doesn't seem to age. That's what I see. He's a great football player."
Q: How different is that Patriots offense without TE Rob Gronkowski?
REID: "They just go other places. They do other things. They have tight ends that are catching the ball, so it's not like they’re not doing that. He spreads it around. I'm not sure he lets that be a distraction for him. He just goes – I'm saying Tom – he's got a good offensive line, good runners."
Q: How much more does this game give a competitive edge to QB Patrick Mahomes, now going to face the Patriots for the third time in his career?
REID: "I think they know us, and we know them. You get in and you battle. We've played them quite a few times here over the last few years. It just comes down to execution on both sides of the ball and on special teams. Playing good, solid football. Make sure that we take care of our business here over these few days, and Pat being a part of that. He has to focus in and do his thing that he does every week and get himself prepared to play in a game."
Q: For you to be offensive-minded and for Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick to be defensive-minded, how much do you look forward to that challenge this week?
REID: "I'm sure he'd tell you the same thing, you enjoy the challenge every week in this thing. That's what we do. There is nobody better than he is. But he would also probably tell you, like I would, that he and I aren't playing. Our guys are playing, so we have to make sure that we get them prepared. That's what I'm going to focus on, my coordinators are going to focus on, and the coaches."
Q: How much respect do you have for what Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels has been able to do with his running backs out of the backfield in the passing game?
REID: "Listen, he is a good football coach. Very creative. He does a good job with the screen game, very good job. That's something that we have to work on and make sure that we've got that covered."
Q: Do you make it a point to watch what McDaniels does with his offense somewhat frequently?
REID: "I kind of watch everybody. I try to keep track of the league and what's going on the best I can, and still get prepared for the next week. I have a lot of respect for him. He does a nice job."
Q: There is a big court case coming up in the offseason about TV rights in the NFL. How neat would it be for the Chiefs to have their own TV broadcast?
REID: "That's a good question (laughter). If I was a University of Missouri grad, I could probably answer that question better (laughter). That's their deal. I would just piggyback on what (Chairman and CEO) Clark (Hunt) and (President) Mark (Donovan) say. I think it'd probably be very good for the organization. Whatever is best for the league, I'm all in, and for the Chiefs. I try not to dabble into that. I'm worried about third-and-two's (laughter)."
Q: What are you telling your players this week about the unique challenges of playing in Foxborough (Mass.) at this time of the year?
REID: "We've done that. The weather, that's out there. They're at that time of the year, just like here. Same type of deal. You always have to prepare for the elements. It's noisy, so you have to make sure that you prepare for that. And, they're a good football team, so you have to prepare for that. Most important is that you actually prepare yourself to go play the best you can each week. If you do that, you're going to be OK."
Q: With Damien Williams and Darrel Williams being banged up, how much of a plug-and-play option is a guy like RB Spencer Ware?
REID: "One of the reasons that you bring him back is just the production from when he was here before. He knows the offense. He doesn't have to go through that whole thing. It looks like he is in pretty good shape. He hasn't played football, but he's in pretty good shape. It's important that he practices hard and does all of that. Then, we'll see. We'll see at the end of the week how it fits in. He's not going to be your starter and go out and play every down, that's not what he's doing, but we'll see. We'll see how it all works out."
Q: It's that time of year where there are going to be some openings for head coaching positions. What has Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy's influence been here with the Chiefs, and what would you say if an owner called you and asked about him?
REID: "I'd say hire him, like right now. That's what I'd tell you. I don't want to lose him, but if you're asking me if he's ready to be a head coach? Yeah, he's ready. He was ready last year. Nobody is in more control than what he is within this game. He is a leader of men. He knows football, but he knows the offense like the back of his hand. He is in the quarterback room every day. I think if you talked to Patrick, I think Patrick would tell you how much of an influence he has had on him."
Q: How much will film study this week have an influence on Patrick, due to the potential of the Patriots showing something new this week, compared to the previous two games?
REID: "When you play Bill (Belichick) and the Patriots, that’s what you're going to get. You're going to get something different every week. That's where you bank on knowing your scheme and fundamentals, knowing your players and how they play. Then, studying them. Studying the individual player and seeing how they play. He obviously has more experience now than he did before. He can bank on some of that, depending on whatever they play. They play a variety of things different weeks. You're right, it's different every week."
Q: How exciting is the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats Campaign and letting your players showcase charities that are important to them?
REID: "I think it's great. My wife and I are involved with Laurel House back in Philadelphia (Pa.) there, so we've spent a lot of time with that for battered women. I understand the importance of it. I think it's neat that our players get involved. How great is that? They give back and they care. It's not just giving money, that's an easy thing to do. It's giving time and your personal effort to do it – and the want to. That's what they do. That probably does not get publicized enough in this league. I know that the league tries to do it, but sometimes the negative things get publicized a little bit more than the positive things. But these guys do phenomenal work."
Q: Have you ever been involved to a point where you have had customized shoes for a cause before?
REID: "I haven't. I've got a pair though. You want to buy them (laughter)?"
Q: I know that you don't like to look too far ahead, but this game could be the last time that you play an opponent that you might see again this season. What's the balance of winning this game, and then wanting to keep some stuff close to the vest?
REID: "I think both teams will try to play their best game. That's what you're going to try to do. We both have enough variety in our packages where you play them a couple of different times and it's not going to be the same thing. That's just how it rolls."
Q: Patrick Mahomes expressed a little frustration after the AFC Championship Game last season about playing against man coverage. Are you happy with where the offense is right now to compete against the Patriots defense?
REID: "Yeah, they do a great job of that. They're a good man football team. They do other things too, but they're really a good man team. They have a nice package there. We've had some looks at it. We have a little experience under our belt with it. I feel good about it. Yeah, I do, to answer your question. But you have to go win. That's the one thing about man. It's man-to-man. You have to win the battle there."
Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes
CHIEFS QUARTERBACK PATRICK MAHOMES
Q: Do you remember what the feeling was like when you were on the sideline and watched Tom Brady win the game? Do you use that feeling as a fuel to this game?
MAHOMES: “Obviously when you lose to a team, you’ll want to beat them the next time you play them. I remember being on the sideline and having full confidence the defense was going to make the stop and they got really close several times on that drive. You never have that defeated feeling until after the game is over you would say. I had the upmost confidence the defense was going to get the stop in that possession and we just came up a little short.”
Q: It seemed like you were on the move a lot on Sunday, how much of that was by design or you making it up as you go?
MAHOMES: “I think it was a mixture of both. I feel like we had a game plan where we could move the pocket and make stuff happen on the perimeter. Then there were times I was scrambling and trying to make stuff happen as well. It just goes to the game plan and how well we feel we can attack opposing defenses.”
Q: Since returning how comfortable do you feel stepping up in the pocket?
MAHOMES: “I definitely feel confident. We’ve kind of gotten our whole O-line group back now, so I feel like I’ve gotten better and better stepping up. I think as seasons go on and I mentioned in the bye week, I feel like I drift back and I just have to keep working on hitching and hitching in the pocket when I have a clean pocket so I can make those throws down the field.”
Q: What’s your takeaway from watching the success of Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson in defeating the Patriots?
MAHOMES: “Obviously when you see a team can move the ball and score points against a defense of this caliber you watch and see what are the things they did. I think the biggest thing was when they had their opportunities, they hit them. I think that’s the big thing. They’re not going to give us a lot of opportunities, they’re a very good defense and very sound with what they do. It’s about taking what’s there and when you get the big shot or the big play, you hit that and score touchdowns when you do.”
Q: We know Gehrig Dieter is one of your best buds, how is it going to be without him on the practice squad this week?
MAHOMES: “Obviously it’s a business and you understand the game and how the NFL works. Obviously, he is a good friend of mine and you just have to keep rolling and we have a big week ahead of us.”
Q: How good is it to have Spencer Ware back on the squad?
MAHOMES: “It’s really good to have someone come in with familiarity with the offense and someone that you know can go out there and run and get the tough yards and also catch the ball coming out of the backfield. You don’t have to worry about him having to figure out protections since he has been in this offense and he has played against this team. He understands how to help you out in the backfield protection wise as well.”
Q: Protection wise, you played against the Patriots twice and they did a lot of different things. How much will that experience help you this week?
MAHOMES: “It’s definitely helped me out just with this season in general, just how they presented different things that maybe we didn’t expect or they did their unscouted looks and being able to adjust on the fly. It’s a team that they’re going to have stuff that we didn’t necessarily prepare for because they’re going to do stuff they haven’t done in maybe two or three years. So, we’ve watched the tape and looked at everything they can possibly do but whenever we get these unscouted looks, it’s about me finding the best way to get us into the best play and not take these negative plays while keeping the offense moving.”
Q: What is the feeling like as a quarterback when you go against a defense and you see them do something you haven’t seen before?
MAHOMES: “You just have to quiet your mind. You have to understand that you can’t be perfect every single time that you want to be. You just have to find ways to get the ball out of your hand. The good thing about this team is that we have so many playmakers that I don’t have to be perfect every single time. I can just get the ball to guys like Tyreek (Hill, (Travis) Kelce, or Sammy (Watkins) or all these guys and they can make plays happen. That’s something I think I learned after the first time I played these guys and holding the ball maybe a little bit too long and I tried to adjust to that when we played them in the playoffs. Whenever we play them this year, I’ll try to do the same things.”
Q: I think one thing you have tapped into is the pre-plays, what has been the key to that?
MAHOMES: “I think it’s just kind of catching teams off-guard. We try to change the cadence and do different things as much as possible so teams can’t get the jump off the ball that they want. Just trying to find ways to get any advantage as you can to get yards and in this league, those little things can be huge at the end of the game.”
Q: Seeing defenses do things you haven’t seen before, does that change your film work at all? For things you don’t see in film do you just forget it or do you go back into further years?
MAHOMES: “For us we always go back and see how they’ve played us. Especially teams that we’ve played a lot of times to a few years back. I think the biggest thing I learned and the biggest thing from the first time I played these guys to the second time is to not get rattled. Just to see what it is, understand that it might be an unscouted look and just find the best way to get us in the best play to get positive yards on.”
Q: How much time do you spend watching the AFC Championship game?
MAHOMES: “Obviously, I watched it right after we played them just to see, even though we didn’t have another game, I wanted to learn from that game and get as much as I could going into the offseason and I watched it again this year. This week I mean. Just those two times. Obviously, we have them in cut ups when we’re looking at certain plays or certain breakdowns. As far as through and through, I think just those two times.”
Q: Tyreek Hill had a big first game against the Raiders and it seemed they took that away. What do you do during the week to prepare your best players to be in positions where they can’t take them away?
MAHOMES: “You have to prepare for whatever they’re going to do whether that’s doubling Tyreek, doubling Kelce or Sammy. Whatever it is, we just have to prepare ourselves to move those guys around and get them open in the best way we think possible. I think the biggest thing is taking what is there. If you watch the Texans game, they would double (DeAndre) Hopkins a lot and they were doing stuff to take away him and Deshaun it Kenny Stills or Will Fuller. You have to take what’s there when it gets down to it. Obviously, we want to get Tyreek in any way possible but whenever they do whatever they can to take him away, it’s about these other guys stepping up to make plays.”
Q: What influence has Eric Bieniemy had on you and this offense the last couple of years?
MAHOMES: “I think the details and the way he is able to control the room to get the best out of every single player is a big thing. He holds you to a high standard and he holds you to the standard that you need to be perfect with every single rep you get in practice. I think those details and that standard he holds everybody to elevates everyone’s game.”
Q: Everyone talks about how this might be Tom Brady’s last year, does the competitive side in you think this may be the last time you can beat potentially the greatest quarterback of all time?
MAHOMES: “I’ve known for a while it’s not going to be the last year anytime soon, he’s still playing at a high level. Unless he just doesn’t want to play, which I don’t see, I expect to see him for just a couple more years. Whenever you play a guy like this who’s won all these championships, you want to go out there and give your best effort obviously and you want to find a way to win. At the same time, it’s a team game and we’re going to try to go out there and do everything we can to get the win.”
Q: You’ve played a lot of tough defenses but what do you see in (Stephon) Gilmore and what he is capable of doing?
MAHOMES: “The understanding he has of the defense is the biggest thing for me. He really understands what the offenses are trying to do, and he tries to take that away and he understands not only what’s going on with his guy but the pass rusher and the other guys around him. I think that’s the biggest thing having such great seasons this year and last year. He’s obviously physically gifted and able to play man coverage or zone coverage or whatever it is. He understands the whole concept of the defense and what the offense is trying to do to exploit it.”
Q: Your ‘My Cause, My Cleats’ aren’t in the other room, can you tell us what they’re for and what they will look like?
MAHOMES: “It’s going to be a surprise but it’s going to go with the foundations I wear with my wristbands and my foundation as well to try to help them out as best as possible. It’s going to be a surprise on what the colors will be. I’ll probably wear them the Denver game but hopefully we get those in soon.”
--CHIEFS--