KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs' coaches and players fielded questions during a Thursday presser. Following are their comments.
HEAD COACH ANDY REID
OPENING STATEMENT: "Good seeing you again. As far as injuries go, Chris Jones won't practice today. Getting better, but not there yet. LeSean McCoy and Matt Moore both are still sick but getting better. With that, time's yours."
Q: Do you feel any pressure personally to have to win a championship?
REID: "Listen, you've known me for a long time. I think more about the players than I am sitting here thinking about myself and all of that. That's not where I go. I try to get the guys ready. I try to make sure that I'm ready and then go play. I don't look at it that way. I look more at the disappointment for the other teams that I've been able to coach and how those kids felt, because they worked their tails off for that amount of time, and the other coaches."
Q: Are there any changes that you've made in preparation for this game this year, compared to going into last season's AFC Championship Game?
REID: "You try to keep it fresh every year. You learn, every year, a little something here and there. There are subtle little things that you do. Every year, every coach does it, we try to win the whole thing. That's what you strive to do. Every player does that. But there are a few variables that you have to get through to get to this point, and then to continue on. those are things that we look at every year, though."
Q: Can Chris Jones play without practicing this week?
REID: "I'm not saying that he is not going to practice, I'm just saying that he's not doing it today. We'll see. Every situation is a little bit different. I'll just see how it goes and see where he's at. Try not to put him into a position where he gets hurt or hurts the team. You have to take care of both, the players and Chris."
Q: Has the narrative surrounding Eric Bieniemy and play-calling bothered you at all?
REID: "We just jump in and go. I've always been that way with it. I think it's important that everybody is on the same page and involved with it. I don't really care who's calling it or not calling it, I just want to make sure that it gets called and that we have good plays to call from. That's where I put my energy."
Q: Based on what you saw in the Titans earlier this year, are you surprised that they have made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game?
REID: "I saw it at the beginning of the year. They have good talent, they're well-coached and they play hard."
Q: Seeing how the team has transitioned into a routine of lighter practices on Wednesdays, is that something that you've gone to in years past and why did you decide to do that this season?
REID: "Yeah, I've done that in years past. You just get a feel on your team. It depends on when I do it, but I have done it before. We did it last year. It's dependent upon what week and how you feel your team is."
Q: Do you look at the loss to the Titans earlier this season as a turning point?
REID: "You learn from all of them, win or lose. Maybe we didn't play the best. Obviously, we didn't play the best that we could play. And, they played very well. They got after us. They kicked our tail that day. There's a point in every season where you go, 'Hey, listen, we need to pick it up.' It could be early, it could be later, but that was a point where we probably all took it up a notch and needed to."
Q: Do you talk to the team about bulletin-board material?
REID: "No. I don't care about all of that.”
Q: What has impressed you about Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel, particularly with how he made the decision to play QB Ryan Tannehill?
REID: "He's made some tough decisions and has done a good job in a lot of areas. That's one of the toughest ones that you have to make. Both of them are good kids, so you know that it's not because it is disrupting the team in that way. He made a decision where you have to play the best guys at that particular time of the season and that's what he chose to do."
Q: Patrick Mahomes was just featured on a list of the top-10 most well-mannered celebrities. Is that a trait that you've noticed in your interactions with him?
REID: "You heard that he was a great kid and all about football. We look at that. I'm not going to tell you that we don't look at that. Again, you never know until you get him on your team. He has been what people told us he was."
Q: How have the Titans handled facing the higher-seeded opponents thus far in the playoffs?
REID: "They've done a nice job. They've been underdogs in all of those games, and they've played well. They've played good, physical football on the road. We know that. We've looked at all of that. They've done it and have done a very nice job with it."
Q: What qualities or characteristics of this team do you value most?
REID: "I like our teams work ethic. They get themselves ready. They're not afraid to grind. They don't present a lot of issues. I meet with the players committee every week. Sometimes you get things thrown across your desk there. That's not the case with this crew here. They just kind of handle business. They enjoy being around each other."
Q: If someone hasn't seen Mahomes play, how would you describe his arm to them?
REID: "He's got an active arm, but he's got a good touch with it. He knows when to heat it up a little bit and he knows when to put it down and cut down on the velocity. Has a great feel. Can throw from all of the different arm angles."
ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB
Q: How would you describe just the emotional swing that you experienced last week?
TOUB: “It went from a nightmare to a great dream, really. The good thing was I was really proud of our guys – the way they bounced (back, the way they stuck together and went about going to the next play, moving onto the next play and making plays. They had one play then they had another play, and we ended up getting five big plays after that. We had two bad ones then five good ones. We were fortunate that it ended up the way it did and I’m just so proud of our guys.”
Q: I was going to get you to speak about Daniel Sorensen’s play on the fake punt.
TOUB: “Dan’s play, that was one of the most unbelievable tackles I’ve ever seen on a special teams play. It was a solo tackle out in space – a hard tackle, an angle tackle – and he has to stop him short for basically a two-yard gain. I thought it was a good call (by the Texans, I really did. But Dan, I think he’s been waiting all year for that play. He zeroes in on that guy and he’s looking for that direct snap, and here it came. He shot out of a cannon and didn’t miss a beat and made a nice tackle in space.”
Q: The kick return obviously got you guys jump started last week. You guys had a lot of chances for returns because their kicker couldn’t kick it through the end zone. What’s the weapon with Harrison Butker’s leg? There were no returns for them. How big is that for you, especially at this time of year when those plays can swing games?
TOUB: “That’s a great point, and it’s a huge factor for us that we’re able to kick touchbacks when we want to kick touchbacks. Here is a prime example: it’s 34-24 in that game and we have the taunting penalty so we have to kick off from the 20. He kicks an 80-yard kick all the way down to the goal line and we tackle him at the 25-yard line. That’s Butker and our coverage units. That was another big play in that game that I thought kind of went unseen, un-talked about really.”
Q: Given how long you have worked with Andy Reid and your friendship over the years, how important would it be to you to get him through the AFC Championship Game and potentially win a Super Bowl?
TOUB: “I’ve thought about this a lot. Nobody deserves it more than Andy. He’s such a great coach. To not have a Super Bowl win under his belt – this would be huge. I don’t know if I’d stop crying with him. I’d probably hug him forever. I’m just so proud of what he’s done and everything he’s done in his career and he needs that. He needs this. He needs that.”
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLO
OPENING STATEMENT: “Good afternoon. How is everybody doing? I am not going to take long. It is great to be here in front of you all this particular week and to still be working into mid-January.”
Q: What is the week of the AFC Championship Game like being one win away from the Super Bowl?
SPAGNUOLO: “It is funny, I was just thinking about that and until I looked at one of these [press conference backdrops] that is in the backroom, and it has the back with all of the AFC Championship [logos] and all that. I will be honest with you here and maybe I am different this way, but to me, it is another game. I know that sounds really strange, but you get in the walls of the facility we are in and you kind of get in the grind and get right back in the same routine, which (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid is really good at putting everybody right back in the same routine. I don’t know that I feel it right now. I am not saying I won’t feel it as the week goes on, but trying to make it as much as we can on just another game and another sequence of however many we are going to play here.”
Q: How did you feel about the Chiefs defense’s first game without S Juan Thornhill?
SPAGNUOLO: “Tried not to think about it very much. I tell you what can happen and even some of the assistant coaches helped me with this, sometimes when that happens and you lose somebody in the back end, you start to change things and you call the game a little bit differently. I think (Defensive Backs Coach) Dave Merritt even said it in the course of the game – Dave is great that way – ‘Don’t let who is in there change what you are calling. Just go with it.’ It is good to have assistants like that who say ‘Have confidence in the guys we are putting out there.’ I think that helped, so I did not feel it. We called it like we normally did. We miss him. I think the surgery went well and he is doing well. I can’t wait to get him back.”
Q: Where are you and S Tyrann Mathieu in the sense of being on the same page at this point of the season? Do you see a correlation between his leadership role on defense and QB Patrick Mahomes’ leadership role on offense?
SPAGNUOLO: “I don’t know Patrick well enough. From what I see from afar, he looks to me like the ultimate leader and we know what he is like as an athlete and the way he is on game day. I see some of the same qualities obviously in Tyrann. I am sure glad he is here. It makes my job a lot easier when you can rely on somebody like that. There have been a number of times during the year where I have sat in my office and said, ‘I need to convey some message to these guys somehow, someway.’ Ultimately, what I normally do is I go to him and say, ‘Look, can you steer them a little bit this way.’ Usually, it is ‘I got it coach,’ and we roll. It is good to have that.”
Q: During the game, do you feel like you know what Mathieu is thinking and what he will do?
SPAGNUOLO: “I am not sure I ever know what he is thinking (laughter) because he is out there just balling out. He is great on the sideline. The game is emotional so we can all get a little bit [emotional]. Sometimes he is calming me down. Sometimes I am calming him down. I think the other guys really feed off of him. When you have that in a player and a guy they respect, they know at some point he is going to help make a play to help win the game. I think that bodes well for us.”
Q: Mathieu has talked a lot about having a championship swagger. How would you define that?
SPAGNUOLO: “I don’t know if I have a definition for that. I don’t even know what a swagger is to be honest with you, but they have it. He has it. Most of them do. To me, it is a confidence thing. You can’t play this game or be successful in this particular game unless you are confident. You have to believe in yourself. You have to be secure in yourself. I don’t know if that is his definition, but that is what I can see.”
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR ERIC BIENIEMY
Q: How does it feel to be recognized for the work that you do on offense, given there was a lot of national attention on you calling offensive plays during last week’s game against the Houston Texans?
BIENIEMY: “Listen, we have an operation in how to do things and we have a communication system. (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) is communicating to me and I am communicating to the quarterback. To be honest with you, I think people are making something out of nothing. At the end of the day, the only thing that we want to do is chop wood and continue finding ways to get ourselves to that game that is taking place in Miami. That is what this is all about.”
Q: What changed on the Chiefs sideline after a few dropped passes early in the game?
BIENIEMY: “One thing – I have said this to you guys before – is I am very proud of the way our guys have rallied through adverse situations. I am very proud of how we have handled things through tough times. In life, everything is not perfect. Things happen. The only thing that you are going to be measured on is how you handle it. One thing I kept talking to the guys about is just remain poised. You never want to spot a team 24 points. You never, ever want to do that, but one thing that I commend our guys for is that we did remain poised. One thing that we talked about – I know you heard (QB) Patrick (Mahomes) talk about it – and we talk about this every single day, just play one play at a time. Focus for that one particular play. Why? That play is the by far the most important play. Then when it is all said and done, we will line up and do it again. We are going to put all of our focus, effort and energy into that play. That is what it is about, and those guys played one play at a time. The results end up showing.”
Q: How important is it for the Chiefs to get an early lead in this week’s game, particularly given the Titans’ ability to run the ball and Titans RB Derrick Henry’s production?
BIENIEMY: “It is very important. It is important for us to make sure that we are maximizing the opportunities that are presented to us offensively because yes, Derrick is a force. He is a great kid. He is a great human being. I had an opportunity to spend some time with him at the Combine when he came out, and I was very impressed with the person. Being a former running back and a former running back coach, it goes without saying, I am a fan of the kid. The kid does a hell of a job. Now this weekend, I am not going to be a fan. It is important for us to take care of business on our side of the ball, it is important for us to execute with great attention to details and it is important for us to put points on the board to apply pressure to them.”
Q: Is it unfair that Reid’s coaching career is often criticized for his record in championship games and not having a Super Bowl on his résumé?
BIENIEMY: “I will say this, for Coach (Reid) to be in as many championship games that he has been in – he maybe hasn’t quite gotten over the hurdle yet – I say it is still a huge accomplishment because he is still one of the best in the business. When it is all said and done, when you take each year as they present itself, the only thing we want to make sure that we are doing is that we complete this season the way we want to complete it. For Coach (Reid, he is just excited. He is energized. He just wants to make sure that collectively as a staff and as a team that we maximize the opportunity that is being presented to us. We know how close we came last year, but this time, we want to maximize it and get over that hurdle.”
QB PATRICK MAHOMES
Q: You and Travis Kelce seem to be on the same wavelength even when things get a little off, is that how you are able to get things done?
MAHOMES: “I think we just stay with the process is the biggest thing. All season long, obviously, we didn’t have the same success we had last year in the red zone as we did this year, but I think when it counts we came up big and made big plays. I think that goes to the play calls. We’ve been having good play calls and getting guys open and whenever stuff is off schedule, guys are continuing to work. They aren’t settling, they’re moving around and staying alive so I can find them in the end zone.”
Q: Dave Toub said he would cry if he was able to get Andy Reid a Super Bowl, what would it mean to you?
MAHOMES: “It would be amazing obviously. The work that he’s put in every single day at every place he’s been at, he’s had success. Obviously, you want to get him that Super Bowl, but we understand it’s a process. We understand that first off we have to come in and have a great practice today and play great this weekend, then give ourselves a chance to be in that game and give ourselves a chance to get him that trophy.”
Q: Would you be happier for him or for yourself?
MAHOMES: “Probably be happier for him for sure. I think I’ll be pretty happy too for myself.”
Q: How do you use the benefit of his experience in games like this in your preparation and confidence going into the game this weekend?
MAHOMES: “I think having Coach Reid, he understands there’s going to be un-scouted stuff, there’s going to be different looks that we didn’t prepare for, so being able to make adjustments quickly is something that he preaches. Also, knowing the speed of the game is going to take another step. It’s hard to think about that when you’re in the NFL, but every single round of playoffs seems like it gets a little bit faster. So, we’re just going to lean on that, lean on his experience and trust in his game plan that he is going to put us in a position to win.”
Q: Do you talk to your teammates about bulletin board material so that if something specific happens, they rely on you to put something out there?
MAHOMES: “No, not necessarily. I think the best thing about this team is we let our personalities show. We are who we are. We go out there, we play football and we love doing it and we’re going to enjoy playing this game together every single time we get the opportunity to.”
Q: Your hometown of Whitehouse, Texas, is planning to paint the town red, what is your message to them as they continue to support you?
MAHOMES: “It speaks to the people I have been around growing up. Whitehouse, Tyler (Texas, East Texas, Lubbock (Texas) where I went to college supports me now and Kansas City supports me. I’ve been blessed that way where I’ve had a lot of people in my life that have really steered me in the right direction and I’m thankful for everything they do for me.”
Q: Does the experience of going to the AFC Championship last year help you and does seeing a defense you played earlier in the year help you when you see them again in the playoffs?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, anytime you get to play against a defense once before, you know some of the personnel and some of the things that they try to do and try to take away. Obviously, they’re going to make some adjustments and we’re going to make adjustments and a different game plan, but in the same sense, you understand what their first thought of what they need to do in order to have success. You also know what you were thinking. I think just going back on that, looking at all that stuff and looking at other stuff they’ve done against other teams to form a good game plan so you can be ready for anything.”
Q: Is it helpful knowing the one, two or three things that can get you over the top to win?
MAHOMES: “I think it goes both ways. If you look at last week against the Texans, I didn’t feel like we played as good offensively in the last game we played them. I think it goes both ways. You get to see the defense, you get to see what they’re trying to take away and you try to combat that. It can be stuff you’ve had success with and you go off of that or it can be stuff you didn’t have success with that you want to try to do better. Every game is different. You know they’re going to have a different game plan and you are going to go out there and try to execute as best as possible.”
Q: Tyrann [Mathieu] mentioned having trouble sleeping because of the anticipation of how big this game is. How has your week been in comparison to other weeks?
MAHOMES: “Obviously you have excitement. You’re ready to play in this game and you want to play a home AFC Championship Game and get a chance to win in front of the fans. I just try to stay with the process. I think that has been one of the biggest things with me all year long, not trying to get too high or too low. I just focus on the process day by day of being great. Hopefully at the end of the year, I can look back and be in the spot that I wanted to be at.”
Q: You guys sat there at 6-4 after that loss to Tennessee in week 10. Everyone kind of looked at each other and said its time to step up. Do you agree with that knowing you were at 6-4 at that point in the season?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, totally. I think at that point in the season, we didn’t have a good run of games and weren’t playing the way we wanted to play. Obviously, we had injuries but at the same time, I feel like we weren’t playing the way that Chiefs football is played. Guys just looked into the mirror and decided that they were going to work every single day. They weren’t going to be satisfied with just going out there and putting up numbers. They were going to find a way to win the football game. That was a big thing that a lot of guys realized then. It doesn’t have to be pretty but if you win, then it’s pretty in the end.”
Q: You were on the list of Top 10 Well-Mannered Celebrities. Does that surprise you and where do your good manners come from?
MAHOMES: “I think it goes back to where I come from. Being in an East Texas small town, everyone is really nice to you and you have to respect your elders, and all of that type of stuff. I’m just who I am. I’ve always felt like if I’m nice to people and I treat people the way that I want them to treat me, then good things happen.”
WR SAMMY WATKINS
Q: On the importance of his production in the AFC Championship against the Titans…
WATKINS: “Not really my production, but I think I just need to go out there and play hard, play physical, and play fast like I’ve been doing. I want to go out there and enjoy this moment and do everything in my might to help my team. It’s not really about yards or receptions. If I can go out there and block, do everything to the best of my will, I think we should be fine.”
Q: What differences have you seen in the Titans secondary between Week 10 and now?
WATKINS: “They’re a well-coached team. They play fast, hit hard, play well together. We know it’s going to be a challenge. I think they have a great team in general. We’re going to have to go out there with poise, have fun and play like the team that we’ve always been. Play fast and enjoy this moment.”
Q: A lot of entertainment comes from watching your reaction to what Patrick Mahomes does on the field, specifically with Travis Kelce. What’s it like to be on the field and see something so creative and different happen?
WATKINS: “It’s amazing. I think that we have one of the best teams with some of the best athletes. Sometimes you do kind of sit back and watch what he’s going to do. I think everyone on our team can do some wild and crazy stuff. But our quarterback does the most amazing things, with his eyes, the way he throws the ball, the way he carries himself. I think that if he comes ready like he’s been doing, we should be fine.”
Q: How happy have you been being a part of the Chiefs organization?
WATKINS: “I think that the happiness and the fun really comes from the winning. If you’re winning, then everything is going the right way. We’re one game away from a super bowl. I think that everyone on this team and in this organization should be happy. You’ve got 32 teams in the league and 28 sitting at home. I think that’s one of the best points of my life, to be in this position, again. To have another opportunity to get to a super bowl is one of the most amazing feelings.”
RB DAMIEN WILLIAMS
Q: What are you preparing for when you look at Tennessee?
WILLIAMS: “Tennessee has a great defense. They have a great front. I’m kind of upset they didn’t have big 99 [Jurrell Casey] up front just to have their full healthy defense. I’m going to feel excited just to get into this game and play against a healthy Titans defense.”
Q: How much of that excitement is because of how Week 10 went?
WILLIAMS: “My type of personality, I can’t have somebody beat up on me and then come to my house and think they’re going to beat up on me again. It’s going to be one of those games where people are looking at them as the underdogs, but I feel like we’re the underdogs right now. They already have one up on us. I feel like it’s going to be an exciting, physical game.”
Q: What was going through your head in that moment? Was it all about the fumble?
WILLIAMS: “At the end of the day you think about that fumble because they took that to the crib. I’m a pride type of person, so I take that as that’s on me. I could’ve done better, I should’ve done better. But at the end of the day, you can’t harp on it too much. You can look at the situation, know what type of defense they are. They like to punch at the ball, they like to grab at the ball. So, knowing that when you’re running between the tackles you have two hands on it. But at the end of the day that’s not going to stop me from feeling comfortable and running hard.”
Q: Are you feeling, right now, as healthy as you have been all season?
WILLIAMS: “I feel great. At the end of the day, you don’t want to have that time off because you don’t want to miss those games. You want to stay in a rhythm. At the end of the day, people don’t really look at what you’re doing off the field and behind the cameras. How hard I’m really working and what I’m doing to get back on the field. And being mentally tough and strong to stay into it and keep up on the plays so when I do come back, I can still stay in rhythm with the offensive line and everything just flows.”
P DUSTIN COLQUITT
Q: Have you heard this week from former teammates you’ve played with in your career here?
COLQUITT: “Not yet. I think after the game we’ll talk. When you’re a former player I think they think we’ll chat with him after the game. We understand, and it’s fun watching on social media, all the guys reaching out that I’ve been fortunate enough to play with all these years. I know they’re excited, and it’s fun thinking about all these guys who did stuff the right way. The timing grace I have had to play in this game after 15 years of being in this city and how much football means to this town, the Hunt Family and just our organization. It’s fun looking back and seeing the guys I’ve gotten to play with. I’d love to say he deserves to play in this game and do that. I’m very fortunate right now.”
Q: Who comes to mind? Who are you referring to?
COLQUITT: “Oh my gosh, there’s a bunch of guys. Derrick Johnson, who I came in with. Tony G (Gonzalez, obviously, he was great for this city. There’s a hundred names when I first got here, like Will Shields, Brian Waters, Casey Wiegmann, guys like Willie Roaf. Hell, I’ve played with a thousand people here, so you end up just thinking about guys who do things the very right way and just time wise, weren’t on this team. And you’re like ‘god, it would be fun for them to have this experience.’ That’s the beauty thing about it is watching seven years of this coaching staff, (Brett) Veach, and our executive offices upstairs build this team. Guys, you have had 15 guys on the injury report and Rick Burkholder and the training staff manage to get everybody healthy and back, and we still have our record and this opportunity ahead of us. It speaks volumes for the coaches that build through the draft, through free agency and know what player they’re looking for. It’s fun to see how all the guys got here when you look down our roster. Everybody is obviously from different places, whether it be the draft, from free agency or if they called Kansas City and said “I want to be here,’ that’s fun, seeing who’s on our current roster and how it’s built.”
Q: What have you heard from your dad and brother?
COLQUITT: “’We’re on our way.’ Britton (Colquitt) is on his way in an RV I heard and I’m going ‘oh, brother.’ So he’s coming and I’m like well, you can’t wear purple, you got to wear red. My dad’s on his way. They’re just excited to be in this and be able to do it. Britton was able to win a championship in Denver and had a good few years in Cleveland and Minnesota, so they’re excited I’m able to play here for all of my years. So, they’re like ‘We’re coming, so get tickets!’”
Q: Have you dreamed about winning a Super Bowl?
COLQUITT: “Every player does. Every player does that works at this game, envisions going all the way. It’s what you work for, it’s what you work out for, it’s why you stay in the weight room, it’s why you do a lot of things professionally. The way Coach Reid does things, coming in 2013, we’re lucky to have this guy to even come into this small market team. The only thing we ever heard was ‘small market, small market, small market,’ and then all of a sudden, Andy Reid is here and it’s crazy. It’s kind of changed the trajectory. To win one for him, for all of us for that matter, and this city that is so hungry. I mean they were hungry during preseason games. It’s amazing seeing the fans, the barbeque and the excitement in this crowd. Just the vibe that was there even when we weren’t doing well. Now, it’s just a monster. I don’t ever think they can get any louder and they just do. It’s fun to see that and of course you want to win one for Big Red. Everybody says he’s a player’s coach and I don’t think that exists. He’s just a man that wants to make other men and win a championship.”
--CHIEFS--