HEAD COACH ANDY REID
OPENING STATEMENT: “As far as the injuries go, Mike Danna will not practice today and JuJu (Smith-Schuster) won’t practice today. Both are getting better but we’ll just have to see how things go as we go forward. (We) look forward to the challenge of playing the Raiders, (they’re) a good football team. (Raiders Head Coach) Antonio (Pierce) does a nice job with that group as do his coordinators, (Raiders Defensive Coordinator) Patrick (Graham), (Raiders Offensive Coordinator) Luke (Getsy) and then (Raiders Special Teams Coordinator) Tom (McMahon), who you guys (the media) know and they’ve got (Raiders Assistant Head Coach Marvin Lewis) Marv Lewis on that staff, too. He and I go way back a lot of years knowing each other but all good football coaches and they’ve got good players, so we’ve got to make sure we have a good week of practice, and we’ll get that going today. With that, time’s yours.”
Q: What kind of player has DeAndre Hopkins been to compete against over the years?
REID: “(General Manager Brett) Veach is dealing with all that so (I’m) hush on that.”
Q: Will you be a little more cautious with JuJu Smith-Schuster now?
REID: “Yeah, we’ll be cautious with him (JuJu Smith-Schuster). Well, we thought we were being cautious the last time. This time it’s a little bit worse.”
Q: Do you have a pulse on why there’s been so many injuries with wide receivers around the league?
REID: “These things are kind of cyclical, they happen like that, but I don’t have an answer for you, no.”
Q: DeAndre Hopkins is not here and he will not be practicing today, right?
REID: “I know nothing (laughter) .”
Q: What was it that you pushed off from after the last game against the Raiders that reset your team late last year?
REID: “They (the Raiders) came in and got after us. That’s their personality and so we didn’t handle that the right way, but I thought we learned from it and got better for it, which was the important thing after something like that.”
Q: Did that help you figure out what your own strengths and weaknesses were?
REID: “I don’t think, necessarily. I just think we could’ve been a little bit more ready, which is my responsibility and that part didn’t take place.”
Q: On Kareem Hunt.
REID: “Well, I mean, in his (Kareem Hunt) case, it was important for him to – for himself to come in and do well and he’d stayed in shape, which I think was important. He’s been able to contribute and help us keep moving forward and I think everybody appreciates that part. I think most of all, he was on a mission to make it right, so my hat goes off to the kid for that.”
Q: Where is your confidence level with the receivers that you have right now on the roster?
REID: “I like the receivers we have. I mentioned that before, we’ve got guys that can step in and play and everybody has confidence in them. We’re fortunate that way, I think (General Manager Brett) Veach has done a good job with all that and giving everybody – all the coaches an opportunity to be successful because of that and these guys (the players) opportunities. When they arise, they’ve got to take advantage of them and that’s what they do. People believe in them.”
Q: On Kareem Hunt’s impact on the run game.
REID: “We had Pop (Isiah Pacheco) before that and then the guys that stepped in for Pop did a nice job and rotated with him. He’s (Kareem Hunt) just a different style, they’re all – all of them are actually different but he’s got that pound it in at you style and that’s – it’s helped us that way. You lose a great player like we did with Pacheco and these other guys step up and Kareem comes off the street and helps us out, that’s great. We still have (Clyde Edwards-) Helaire sitting back there who’s a great player, too. It’s a good position to be in from a coaching standpoint.”
Q: Regarding Raiders DE Maxx Crosby, what do you have to be mindful of?
REID: “I mean everything, he’s (Raiders DE Maxx Crosby) a great player. He’s one of the best in the business of what he does. He’s going to give you an honest down every down, so he doesn’t take plays off. Our guys know that and respect the heck out of him, so you have to be ready to play four quarters against him.”
Q: Due to injuries, you’ve probably had to change your scheme and game plan. Has this been a different kind of year and who have you leaned on from the staff?
REID: “All of the coaches do a great job. We really haven’t had to change much. I mean the guys have stepped in and done a nice job. We’ve been able to ride that part of it but I’m fortunate to have coaches that are great teachers and motivators, the guys like to play for them and they want to do well. The players want to do well, the coaches want to do well so we’re fortunate that way.”
Q: Has there been an update on Hollywood Brown’s timetable on when he can return to play?
REID: “He’s (Hollywood Brown) doing great, that I can tell you, he’s doing great. He seems to be on schedule or a little bit ahead of schedule. I can’t tell you that, I mean I don’t know that. It’s going to be a while though but he’s a relentless worker. I can tell you that much and I can tell you that he’s doing very well for what he’s got there.”
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Quotes
October 23, 2024
QB PATRICK MAHOMES
Q: What’s the process like after you bring someone new in and getting them ready for a game?
MAHOMES: “I think the biggest thing is just getting with the coaches. I think our coaches do a great job of getting guys up to speed and you’ve seen that throughout this year already. Bringing in guys, getting them up to speed fast and letting them go out there and make an impact and do what they’re great at. That’s stuff that I think the coaches really do well. Then, me as a quarterback, I just try to be on the same page as the guys that are in there whenever I’m taking a snap.”
Q: What’s your comfort level in throwing contested catches on the field?
MAHOMES: “I think in my time, we’ve had receivers that can make some of those contested catches and once you build that relationship and build that trust, you put them up there and let guys go out there and make plays. I think that’s what’s special about (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid’s offense is that it adapts to whoever’s in there. He has different ways (that) he can utilize your strengths and then it’s my job to go out there and give them chances to go out there and make plays.”
Q: What’s your biggest takeaway from your experience of bringing in a receiver midseason?
MAHOMES: “I think the biggest thing for me is whenever a new guy gets into the building is just getting on that same page as quickly as possible. Even with guys like Kareem (Hunt) in the running back position, just being able to talk with him throughout the protection calls, talk with him kind of throughout the plays, making sure he knows what his job is to do and letting him go out and execute it. I’ve dealt with that throughout my entire career – bringing new guys in, that’s part of the NFL and like I said, I think the coaches do a great job of making sure guys are prepared so they can go out there and have success.”
Q: What do you remember most about the last Raiders game last year?
MAHOMES: “I think more than anything, more than even the play on the field, I think it was just a wakeup call for us to know that we’re not going to be able to just come to the game and win. We kind of battled through the year and it was like everybody was just kind of – we were just trying to build – especially, I feel like myself, we were just building for the playoffs. We weren’t even worried about the regular season. I think you’ve seen that mentality since then is the guys are really taking every single practice and getting the best out of it so that every single week, we can play our best football and if we don’t play our best football, we try to get better that next week. I think that’s translated into this season. We’re continuing to get better as the season goes on and that’s how you have to play in the NFL – and it’s still early, but I feel like we’ve had a great start to it.”
Q: Is that mentality at the front of your mind as you prepare to play the Raiders again?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I mean we know we’re going to get their best shot. That’s kind of how it’s been every single week, but obviously when you play a divisional opponent – like I’ve said in the past, this is a real rivalry between our two teams and our two organizations. You’re going to get their best shot and we’re going to go out there and match that and let the best team win.”
Q: Does anything the Raiders have said or done in the past resonate with you this week?
MAHOMES: “I don’t know if you would say (it) resonates with me. I think just knowing that the competitive spirit that they have on that side is going to match the competitive spirit that we have. I think it’s going to be a fun football game that we’re going to get the best out of each and every player on that football field and like I said, the best team will win.”
Q: What do you have to be mindful of going against a guy like Raiders DE Maxx Crosby?
MAHOMES: “You have to know where he’s (Raiders DE Maxx Crosby) at on every single snap because he plays extremely hard every single snap and he’s extremely talented. To have a guy be that talented and have that high of a motor, that’s special. It takes a lot because you don’t always feel great and you might not be getting – he gets chipped or he gets whatever it is, he doesn’t let that bother him, he doesn’t let that affect him, he just keeps playing extremely hard every single snap. (It’s) a great challenge for us to go up against him and that defense and I think the guys are ready for it.”
Q: How would you describe the respect level between you and Raiders DE Maxx Crosby off the field?
MAHOMES: “It’s a high level of respect. I mean, I respect guys that are going to leave it out there every single snap and do whatever they can to let their team have a chance to win. That’s the type of guys I want in this building and that’s what you see with guys on our team is that guys are going to lay it on the line every single snap to win the football game and that’s what it takes to be great in this league because everybody’s good. I mean, everybody’s good in this league. It’s about who’s going to do the extra thing, the extra step, the extra pass rush or the extra throw, whatever it is to make sure that their team has a better chance to win and he’s (Raiders DE Maxx Crosby) one of those guys. When we’re on the field, we’re going to compete because that’s the type of guys that we are, but we have a ton of respect mutually between each other off of it.”
Q: Did you hear anything from 49ers DL Maliek Collins regarding the hit that you took from him after the interception?
MAHOMES: “I honestly don’t think it’s that big of a deal. I mean, it’s not like anyone got hurt or anything like that. I threw an interception – I was more upset about the interception than actually getting hit. Whenever you throw an interception, you set yourself up to get hit by somebody and so that’s on me.”
Q: For a quarterback who spends so much time with receivers during the offseason, how big of a difference is it having the whole offseason to work with a guy versus such a short time?
MAHOMES: “It probably affects some things, I think at least initially, but at the same time, I mean, in this league, you have to be able to adapt quickly. I think that’s something that we’ve been great at is putting guys in a position to succeed, getting the reps in when we can throughout the week and at the end of the day, you have to go out there and play football. Obviously, you want as much time as possible, but at the same time you have to be able to adapt on the fly and make stuff happen whenever you’re out there.”
Q: On the long run down the sideline against the 49ers.
MAHOMES: “I didn’t believe on that play right there (that) I was really showing like I was going to go out of bounds. I don’t want to ever put a defender in a bad spot. I know that we are all competing. When I go out of bounds, I’m going to go out of bounds, I’m not going to try to fake a guy out by using a loophole in the rules. At the time, I was going to cut back and get the first down, and then once I cut back, I was going to do one of those dives for the first down, but I cut back and realized (that) I had a lane to run, so I went down the sideline and then, I literally ran out of bounds on that exact play. When I go out of bounds, I’m going to go out of bounds, and whenever I’m trying to get a first down, I’ll get a first down. I’m not trying to use a loophole or anything in the rules to try to cheat in any way.”
Q: How important is it for professionals such as yourselves to have a presence like you did in the community last Friday night?
MAHOMES: “I think one in the community – I think the Chiefs organization, in general, has had a great history of having a great presence in the community. It’s something that (Chairman and CEO) Clark Hunt talks about in the first meeting (that) we have every single year is giving back to the community because they give so much to us and being at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium every single week and showing support to our foundations. Just being out there, being at a game and being at a sport I love, letting my kids run around and then seeing (Offensive Coordinator) Coach (Matt) Nagy’s son and (Defensive Backs) Coach (Dave) Merritt’s son go at it. I mean I’ve seen those kids grow up, so it’s cool to see them live out their dream. Both of them will move on and go to Division I colleges, so it was cool to see their last match up that they’ll get to go up against each other and it was a great football game.”
Q: In what ways have you seen Kareem Hunt make a difference in the running game since he’s been here?
MAHOMES: “I think he’s (Kareem Hunt) just done a great job of getting what’s there and then making plays whenever his number is called. It seems like every single time he’s falling forward, getting five yards, six yards, whatever it is, and that makes my job easier at the quarterback position and the offense just in general when you’re in those advantageous situations and down and distances. Kareem has done a great job. He’s done a great job not only running the ball (and) catching the ball. He’s been doing a great job in pass protection, and I think as we start getting more and more guys back and healthy, he might not have to have 30 carries or whatever it is but whenever he gets his opportunity, he’s going to go out there and make it count.”
Q: What are your comments on your memories of playing at Whitehouse High School and being inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame?
MAHOMES: “I brag about it all the time. I feel like Texas high school football is the best in the world just because the way that you have pride in the area that you’re from and how you’ve grown up. I played high school football with the same kids (that) I played Little League Baseball with and that’s just how it is in Texas is you grow up with that dream. It’s like the movie Friday Night Lights. You grow up with that dream of winning a state championship. I wasn’t able to do that then, but we had a lot of fun times, and I still look back and watch – even last week I looked at the record of my high school football team. I just have so much pride in the area that I grew up in and it’s a tremendous honor to be in the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame just because of all of the great players and great people that are in it.”
Q: There has been a perception that Travis Kelce is not great at blocking. From your example of watching him and seeing what he’s done this season, what do you think people don’t realize about how effective he can be at blocking?
MAHOMES: “He’s (Travis Kelce) a winner, man. I think that’s – more than anything. He doesn’t care how we win. He doesn’t care if he’s getting catches, he doesn’t care what it is, he’s going to make an impact on the game and that’s what he’s done. This year, he’s had games where he’s caught the ball and made plays in the receiving game and he’s had games where he’s made critical blocks to get other guys open, and you need those types of guys on your team. It’s the little things that help you win those games at the end of the day, and he takes it upon himself to do the little things right so that he can go out there and we can have success as a team. (He is) one of the best leaders I’ve been around. He will do it all and he doesn’t have to. It shows everybody else that you better pick your game up because the Hall of Famer is out there blocking this tail off harder than anybody.”
Q: Where does the championship mentality come from in the Chiefs organization?
MAHOMES: “It’s a culture that I was even brought into. (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid built a great culture with guys, a lot of leaders – (former LB) Derrick Johnson, (former LB) Justin Houston, (former QB) Alex Smith – these guys that turned this organization into a time (that) it wasn’t winning as much to where it is now. I was able to join that, and I kind of followed suit and I just try to make my own impact with the guys that I have around me. Every single time we get a young guy in, we go to work, we have the extremely hard training camp (or) whatever it is, and then we come into the season ready to go out there and compete. It becomes a family-like atmosphere and whenever you have a bunch of brothers on the football field, there is nothing you won’t do for the guys standing beside you and that’s where you come across wins in this league.”