OPENING STATEMENT: “Alright, thank you to the fans, they went undefeated this year at home which is fantastic and they had some big plays today – with the penalties. We appreciate how loud they were and aggressive they were. All in all, I thought this was our best game offensively, defensively and special teams wise (all together). We’ve got to keep going though, we’ve got a lot of room to improve, we have to make sure we keep doing that and we’ve got a short turnaround to get that done in, against a good football team. Pat (Patrick Mahomes) had a nice day today, 28/41 for 260 yards and a touchdown, that was a positive. X (Xavier Worthy) had his best day with seven catches for 65 (yards). It was good to get Hollywood (Brown) back in there, all the receivers I thought did a nice job and (Travis) Kelce and Noah (Gray). It was a positive day for all those guys but it was good to get Hollywood back in the mix of this. Third downs, (Offensive Coordinator Matt) Nags (Nagy) had a great plan for third downs, 7/13 and then the red zone, likewise – ¾ in the red zone. Defensively, you’ve got to start with the d-line and the pressure that they were able to put on the quarterback. I thought they did a fantastic job with that. Then that led to these turnovers with (Jaden) Hicks and (Trent) McDuff (McDuffie) which is great, I mean, they’re doing well with those. 10 points we were able to capture off of the turnovers and then (Drue) Tranquill had a big day with all the tackles, leading the team in tackles. Josh Willliams, the big sack there, did a nice job. Special teams wise, Nikko (Remigio) had some real good returns and (Harrison) Butker, it was good to get him back in the groove there, he was kicking the ball well. Anyways, with that, time’s yours.”
Q: Besides the numbers, what stood out about Xavier Worthy’s performance?
REID: “Just the routes, how he’s (Xavier Worthy) progressed in that area, just on route running, Sam (McDowell) and the trust that Pat (Patrick Mahomes) has in him and those kind of go together. Knowing where your guy’s going to be and how’s he going to get there and how quick he’s going to get there. I didn’t mention injuries. The injuries – Jack Cochrane has a left ankle fracture so that’s not a good thing. Jawaan (Taylor) strained his knee and Chris Jones strained his calf.”
Q: When did you become comfortable with Xavier Worthy doing all these things in a game?
REID: “It’s just been gradual through it, Adam (Teicher). I can’t tell you the exact game but it’s been a few games but it’s been a few games now where he (Xavier Worthy) can do all those things and we feel good about that.”
Q: What did you see from Patrick Mahomes? Did you think he’d be able to play a game like this right after the ankle injury?
REID: “I didn’t think he’d (Patrick Mahomes) be able to get out and run like that – or would run like that but he did a great job with all of that. He had that mindset right from the get-go, Adam (Teicher), that he was going to be out there and going so he didn’t miss a beat, he practiced every rep.”
Q: Did you get nervous when Patrick Mahomes ran in the first touchdown?
REID: “There’s no time for that. Once you’re in the game, your mind is going so you’re not thinking about all those things. I’m glad he got up, that’s what I was glad about.”
Q: Was it an important statement to the team that Patrick Mahomes played through his ankle injury?
REID: “Yeah, he (Patrick Mahomes) spoils the dog out of us there because he’s so tough – mentally and physically. You just get used to it but that’s – most guys don’t come back from that like he did but he set his mind to it and then he jumped in that training room and stayed in there. They worked on him and they did a great job with that – our trainers. Most guys don’t do that but you’re right, Vahe (Gregorian) it sends a message to the whole team. Our guys are real good with that, our leaders are good in that way, they try to play through things like that.”
Q: How important was Kareem Hunt in the second half?
REID: “I thought he (Kareem Hunt) did a nice job that second half, I thought all three of them I thought did a nice job. 10 (Isiah Pacheco) had some big runs for us, tough runs. (Samaje) Perine gets in and does a nice job in there. He has a big catch there at the end which was good.”
Q: Are there signs that show you how comfortable Xavier Worthy is with his assignments on specific plays?
REID: “Yeah, you can. When they start making the little subtle adjustments on routes and not just running lines, that’s when you kind of know that they’re headed in the right direction. He’s (Xavier Worthy) been doing that and still getting to where Pat (Patrick Mahomes) can use him, which has been the most important thing – and on time, that’s the other part.”
Q: The first two passes to Hollywood Brown were in clutch situations. What about him made those plays work?
REID: “He (Hollywood Brown) had the big fourth down one (play). The great thing about all those guys (the receivers) is that they all want to play (but) we just have one ball. I try to explain that to them and they all want to go make the play – and he’s like that. He loves playing and he knew he was doing well in there and just wanted more – he was feeling well, I should’ve said, not doing well, but feeling well.”
Q: Will Chris Jones play against Pittsburgh?
REID: “It’s probably too early to tell right now. (We’ll) just see how he (Chris Jones) does here but I can’t tell you that. He’s going to get the MRI’s and all that stuff, so I don’t have any of that information.”
Q: Is three games in 11 days too much?
REID: “Ah, that’s a tough question. I mean – it’s uh – I’ll let you figure it out there – or you can pay my bill.”
Q: How did the line mesh together when Jawaan Taylor went down?
REID: “I thought they did a nice – I thought Wanya (Morris) did a nice job coming in. I thought Joe (Thuney) did a nice job on the other side, too – stepped in there. (Mike) Caliendo did a nice job there, too – at the guard spot but Wanya’s, you know, gone back to the drawing board (and) worked on it and is getting better every day. I know I say that, but both of those two young guys (Wanya Morris and Kingsley
Suamataia) are going to be okay. They’ve been working like crazy to get themselves back (to) where they need to be.”
QB PATRICK MAHOMES
Q: Can you describe what went into your rushing touchdown?
MAHOMES: “I don’t know if it was setting the tone – just kind of it all opened up. If I probably would’ve went to Trav (Travis Kelce) earlier, I could have just thrown them in that spot, but I knew I could run, it’s just the stopping that was going to be hard. Once I got running, I saw the end zone and just tried to get up in the air and get in the end zone. It wasn’t like setting the tone or anything like that. I just – just trying to play football at the end of the day.”
Q: On putting pressure on the ankle when stopping.
MAHOMES: “Yeah, exactly. I think just – I mean you saw the slide. It probably looked pretty awkward late in the game. It’s just the stopping and cutting isn’t great yet, so I just try to keep it on the run, keep moving and make a play happen.”
Q: Did something happen during the week that told you that you could be effective in the game?
MAHOMES: “I think it was the second practice. The first practice was still kind of iffy, but then the second practice and being able to move a little bit and do some of the under-center stuff, I knew I was going to have a good chance. I was able to move enough in the movements. We go under center and run the football so I felt confident that the o-line was going to protect me, which they did a great job (of) today and I could make some throws.”
Q: Do you feel like you were well ahead of where you were when you had the ankle injury in the AFC Championship Game against Cincinnati?
MAHOMES: “I feel like I was ahead of it there. That one, it kind of just hurt just to walk in general, whereas now I can kind of move around walking and stuff like that. Now, it’s just trying to get even better for this next game. I mean, we’re playing a good football team (and) a great defense. They’re going to be getting after it so (I’m) trying to get in a better spot so I can utilize my mobility and still be able to work within the pocket and outside the pocket as well.”
Q: What’s your impression of working with Hollywood Brown?
MAHOMES: “I thought he (Hollywood Brown) did a great job. I missed him here and there on a couple (of) throws, but I thought he was getting open, he was winning against man coverage which is huge. He’s a couple throws away from having a really, really big game – just getting him in there and getting the football in his hands and getting where he can feel confident and running through tackles and stuff like that. I thought he did a great job of that, and we’ll get him involved more and more as the season goes on.”
Q: How does it feel to have Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown and DeAndre Hopkins all on the field together?
MAHOMES: “You saw – I mean, they’re (Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown and DeAndre Hopkins) able to win versus man coverage and I thought those guys did a great job. I think they had won even more than I even threw them the football, but you saw – we moved the ball well today and we have to continue to do that. Some of the drives stalled out quickly, but once we kind of got the drives going, it seemed like we could move down the field. We’ll have to continue to answer that we can beat man coverage and then when teams play zone (coverage), we’ll have to beat that as well.”
Q: Is there one play that Xavier Worthy made that stood out to you in particular?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I think the one that stood out to me in particular was the catch that was out of bounds. I mean, that’s one of the best corners on the league (Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr.) and for him (Xavier Worthy) to go up and make a catch on a guy like that – I know he ended up out of bounds, but that’s what you want to see is a guy that can – I mean, he’s obviously fast (and) can make plays downfield but making contested catches. He’s getting more and more comfortable. I mean, you – I think since the Bills game you can see that. Just now, we have to continue to work him and give him more opportunities downfield. You saw even when he was out of bounds, he made a big time catch that was close.”
Q: What did you see from Xavier Worthy in that Bills game?
MAHOMES: “I think it was just the speed (that) he (Xavier Worthy) was playing at. You can tell when a guy’s not thinking and when he’s just playing and letting his natural ability kind of work. That Bills game, he was playing fast. I think that’s something that gave me confidence to give him more and more opportunities and he’s run with it.”
Q: On the experience of playing through an ankle injury in the past.
MAHOMES: “Not necessarily. I mean, I know that it’s a part of it, but I think more than anything we saw that once they (the Texans) – once I did run, they put that spy there which helped other guys get open. It wasn’t like I was necessarily going – my plan was to not run and then I ended up running (on) the first drive. You have to play ball at the end of the day and that’s a good football team and it’s going to take everything. We were able to go out there and win and now, we move on to another great football team and we want to try to fight to get that number one seed so we can be playing here at GEHA Field at Arrowhead (Stadium). It’s going to take our best football every single week.”
Q: On the challenge of their defensive line and Patrick having to pull Travis Kelce away from Houston at one point during the game.
MAHOMES: “I mean that’s just – Trav (Travis Kelce), he loves competing. He’s always going to have that and I’m never going to stop it because, I mean, that’s what makes him such a special football player and leader on this team. That’s a good defense, really good pass rush, obviously, good DB’s. They do a great job, so I was proud of how our offense competed today. Obviously, there were some three-and-outs here and there that we have to get better at, but other than that we moved the ball well and scored points in the red zone, so it was a step in the right direction, but we want to do better going into the playoffs and we’ll be challenged again this next week.”
Q: On the signs that he sees in Xavier and his fast play.
MAHOMES: “It’s more than just the speed of how fast he (Xavier Worthy) is, it’s just confidence that you can feel in the route. As a quarterback you can feel how he’s running a route, how he’s setting it up, he’s running it and getting himself open and stuff like that, and that gives you confidence to make the throws. I think there was even a couple more where I maybe got flushed where he was winning down field and hopefully, I can hit some of those. I think that would take his game to a whole other level.”
Q: Did you and Xavier Worthy have that touchdown planned the entire way?
MAHOMES: “100 percent and it’s something that we talked about, and we wanted him (Xavier Worthy) to set it up, let the guy get depth and hit it to the front pylon and he did that. Stuff like that, he’s getting really, really good at and we’ll continue to work at. He’s still a young kid man and his talent is through the roof, and he has the chance to be a really special football player.”
Q: On fighting through the pain of the ankle injury.
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I ask a lot from the guys around me, so I feel like if I’m going to ask them to play through pain, if I’m going to ask them to play through little knicks and bruises and stuff like that, I have to do it as well. That’s something that I pride myself on is being out there with my guys and playing football and I’m not going to put us in a position to be in a bad spot or lose a football game, but if I can feel like I can compete and win, I’m going to be out on that football field.”
Q: On the injury affecting his ability to throw.
MAHOMES: “I mean, a little bit. I did good enough. You’re not going to feel great, that’s kind of just what it is. You don’t make excuses in this league; you go out and play football and you fight until the very end and then you try to get a win at the end of the day. Like I said, I ask – especially the offensive line – to fight through and play through some of these injuries. You saw Noah (Gray) bounce back up and get back on the football field. I asked that from those guys, so I have to ask that from myself as well.”
Q: Is it difficult to get ready to play another game so quickly and are you motivated knowing that you have a chance to lock up the one seed on Christmas?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I think you’re motivated to play a great football team. To play in Pittsburgh – it’s a great environment, a great stadium, it’ll be rocking. Playing on Christmas so everybody’s going to be watching. I think more than anything it’s just getting off your feet when you can but at the same time, studying and getting the game plan in. (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid does a great job of it, but we knew this as the part of our schedule from the very beginning and Coach has prepared us so let’s go out there and play our best football.”
Q: On Xavier Worthy wearing Patrick’s Texas Tech jersey to the game today.
MAHOMES: “Yeah, it shows the support. It surprised me today, because they’re (Texas) playing right now, but I appreciate the support, man and that’s what this team is, it’s a family and we support each other.”
CB TRENT MCDUFFIE
Q: Can you take us through your interception?
MCDUFFIE: “Another two minute situation – which is important to get the defense off the field. This week I was at nickel, so it’s a little different on the field. The play before, we kind of knew what they were going to do, knew they were going to do inside breaking routes. Shout out to the d-line, they made C.J. (Stroud) throw a bad ball and I was able to come up with the catch.”
Q: On going more than 40 games without an interception and now having them in back-to-back games.
MCDUFFIE: “They were talking about breaking the seal last week. Anytime you get around defensive backs, they talk about it coming in bunches. I’m just seeing it play out, being in the right place at the right time and making sure I make the play on the ball when it comes to me. Hoping we can continue this moving forward.”
Q: Andy Reid mentioned that this was the best all-around team effort of the season. Did he convey that in the locker room?
MCDUFFIE: “I felt it. The energy with the team, the offense putting up points and controlling the ball, the defense making stops. We let up a few third-and-longs, which we were disappointed with. Overall, everybody just stuck together. The energy was there on the sideline, you could just tell that guys were trying to get back in the groove of things. For me, it was really exciting to be a part of that.”
Q: The sequence at the end of the first half seemed like it changed the game. Did you feel like that put the game in your hands?
MCDUFFIE: “(Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Steve Spagnuolo) Spags has a big emphasis on the first drive and the last drive of every half. Going back to the coaches during the week, we spent a lot of time in two-minute and in situational (football), just making sure we know what we’re doing but also what they’re going to attack us with. I felt like, over the course of the year we’ve been hit with a few different things, but now that we’re getting to the later part of the year, we know what teams try to attack us with. Guys are starting to get comfortable with our play calls and trying to execute the calls correctly.”
WR XAVIER WORTHY
Q: Can you take us through your touchdown play?
WORTHY: “We were originally calling that play for man (coverage), but they ended up going zone (coverage). I just tried to get a feel for what they were trying to do in the zone. I saw an open area and just tried to rush to it.”
Q: Mahomes believes things have started to slow down for you during the game. What do you think has led to that?
WORTHY: “I feel like I just have all these old-heads in the room. They’re making it really easy for me – understanding the game, learning the nuances and everything and getting a better feel for everything.”
Q: What did it say about Mahomes that he played through his injury today?
WORTHY: “That was just Patrick (Mahomes) being Patrick.”
Q: How much do you think you’re proving to the league that you can get open at all three levels?
WORTHY: “For me, it’s not proving, it’s showing. I feel like I had that nuance in my game and it’s just me showing everybody that I can do it.”