HC ANDY REID
OPENING STATEMENT: “As far as injuries go, Clyde (Edwards-Helaire) hurt his left knee. We’ll just see how it goes overnight here into tomorrow. Tyreek (Hill) also hurt his knee a little bit. Then, (Joe) Thuney fractured a hand. Then, Chris Lammons had a skin laceration, he’ll be fine. Then, (Travis) Kelce had a little bit of a stinger. All in all, Buffalo did a nice job against us. They were better than we were tonight. Way too many penalties, turnovers. It’s got to stop. Too many long shots on us in the first half from a defensive standpoint, and we’ve got to take care of that. I’ve seen it now in the third quarter what we can do, and that’s what I expect to be done as we go. And I expect the offense to follow with getting rid of the turnovers and the penalties. Those are things that we can change, and we’ve got to do that. It’s hard to compete in this league by doing those things that we’re doing. With that, time’s yours.”
Q: Are there any similarities between the all the turnovers?
REID: “Each one is different. So, no, other than they’ve got to stop for us to be competitive. And that’s my responsibility, so I’ve got to make sure the team plays the right way. Right now, we’re not playing the right way.”
Q: Did you see this coming?
REID: “No, I didn’t see this coming. Not tonight. Tonight, I came in thinking we had a chance to win the game. We didn’t handle ourselves the right way, so that’s my responsibility to get that right. I look forward to when both sides of the ball play well together because we could be a real good football team.”
Q: Daniel Sorensen appeared to be on the bad end of two deep plays—is that a matter of miscommunication back there?
REID: “I’ll know more after I talk to Spags (Steve Spagnuolo) and take a look at the film on it.”
Q: How dejected were the players in the locker room after the game?
REID: “They’re embarrassed by it. We didn’t play well. So, we all are. I surely don’t want to play that way anytime, let alone at home. We’ve got to do better. From the coaches on down to the players, we’ve got to do better.”
Q: What’s most frustrating about this 2-3 start?
REID: “Mistakes. Those are things that frustrate you and you know that we can do better on turnovers and penalties, big plays. I know what we’re capable of and I see that. We just have to get that done. As coaches and players, we’ve got to get that done.”
Q: It seemed like you had some momentum near the end until the roughing the passer penalty?
REID: “Yeah, it’s a shame that the penalty does that at that particular time on what I thought was a pretty good tackle. So, it’s a shame. That’s a shame that that happens. We did, we had the momentum coming back our way. It’s not the first time, but it’s a shame.”
Q: Did it look like they called the play correctly?
REID: “Yeah, it’s a shame that that penalty happened.”
Q: Did you see anything in Patrick Mahomes’ throwing motion trying to connect with the receivers?
REID: “We weren’t on the same page. We were not on the same page at times with where the receivers are going, where Pat was thinking they were going to be. We’ve got to do better with that. Yeah, I’ve got to make sure that takes place.”
Q: Do you see communication issues on both sides of the ball?
REID: “Yeah, when things aren’t going right, it’s not necessarily communication as much as it is the execution part of it and then maybe trying too hard to make something happen. Whether it’s gaining an extra yard, whether it’s trying to make a throw, tipped ball, lineman keeping a hand down on it or handing it off, it’s one of all these things. I don’t know if that’s necessarily communication, but it comes across that way. I think people know what they’re doing, you’ve just got to do it and you can’t go above what you’re supposed to do, just let the play happen.”
Q: Did you sense when things weren’t going how they were supposed to and guys were pressing all the way?
REID: “That’s a possibility. I didn’t necessarily feel that, but that’s a possibility. It kind of comes back to a question here. Maybe we’re trying to, maybe there is something to that that we’re trying too hard. I know the third quarter; we came out and we were sound defensively and played well. Guys were flying around, there was a certain energy and offensively we didn’t take care of business there. We drove it down the field and then gave it to them. So, you’ve got to put it together. Both sides have to play well. When you’re playing a good team, both sides have to play well. That’s what keeps me going on that. We’re going to figure this out and get that done. When that happens, we’ll have a good thing going.”
QB PATRICK MAHOMES
Q: Is there anything you can pinpoint your throwing troubles to tonight?
MAHOMES: “No there was nothing with the football, same football as usual, just didn’t hit the guys. Some I thought they were going to turn the other way; some I just threw bad footballs at the end of the day so just got to be better.”
Q: What was the conversation like in the locker room following tonight’s game?
MAHOMES: “Yeah I mean you kind of just have to take it on the chin. I mean you have to get better, at the end of the day that’s what we got to do. Still got a long season left, but this is one you’re going to remember. That’s a good football team, don’t get me wrong, but we don’t lose football games like that especially at home.”
Q: How do you keep guys motivated during a stretch like this?
MAHOMES: “Yeah I mean I think we know that we have what it takes to be great. We still have a lot of the players, we brought in a lot of good players that have been really good other places, so we know that we have what it takes. It’s just about coming together now and finding a way to do that. We’ve had spurts here and there offensively, defensively, special teams, stuff like that. But at the end of the day, it’s about coming together as a team because in this league it’s not about good players, it’s about good teams. We have to do that and we have to find a way. We have a tough schedule, and we have to win now at the end of the day.”
Q: How do you explain the four turnovers in this game?
MAHOMES: “It’s starts with me. Three of them were on me. The interceptions and fumble at the end of the game and so I have to correct that, I have to be better. It’s something that I’ve not usually done in my career, but I have to reevaluate where I’m at, what decisions I’m making so once we do that, we kind of hurt ourselves, I think we’ll find ways to score points. Turnovers are a huge deal in this league. Turnover margin usually decides games so it’s something we have to correct if we want to win these football games.”
Q: What’s the frustration like when the connection between you the receivers isn’t there despite playing together for a few years now?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, it’s just we’re seeing different defenses that we’ve seen in the past. We have a lot of stuff, we read coverages and run routes to different spots and we’re just not on that same page. I have to trust in these guys that we’ll figure that out if that’s me knowing what they’re thinking and them knowing what I’m thinking and that’s what makes our offense so good. It’s something I don’t want to lose, it’s just about us practicing and going to work every single day and being on that same page.”
Q: Just to clarify – it’s not a guy running the wrong route, he just has options on the play?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, it’s that. We recognize coverages as we run routes, That’s what has made us so good over the past few years. Teams can have the right coverage called, and we can run a route a certain way. The guys are seeing coverages differently than I am. They’re different coverages – I don’t think anyone has faced coverages like we’ve faced over these last few games. Once we get on the same page and get that thing rolling, I think we’ll be back to where we’re at.””
Q: What did you see on the unsuccessful fourth-down play in the second quarter?
MAHOMES: “We had a good play called in man coverage and they covered it well. I was (looking) at the out-route to Tyreek (Hill) on the left side. So I reset back and tried to find (TE Travis Kelce) as my last read in that progression. They covered it well. They had a spy for me, so I was trying to decide if I was going to outrun him. It’s fourth down, so I just tried to put one up and let the big Kelce try to make a play. Dude made a good play and got a hand on it.”
Q: What were your initial thoughts on WR Josh Gordon’s first game?
MAHOMES: “He’s somebody that’s going to help us. How physical he is, teams are playing us in man coverage, especially on third-downs. Once he gets a full grasp of the offense, it’s going to be hard for them to man him up. It’ll take some pressure off Tyreek, take some pressure off Mecole (Hardman) and Trav because they kind of have a lot of people focusing on them. Having a big guy like that when teams are playing man coverage, it’s going to help us.”
Q: What do you call the play where you threw a chest-pass to Kelce?
MAHOMES: “I won’t say. You can ask Kelce about it.”
Q: On the interceptions, it seems like you’ve been unlucky this year. Do you feel like you’ve been lucky before and it’s coming around?
MAHOMES: “I think everything kind of comes back to the middle at the end of the day. Hopefully if I’m unlucky at the beginning of the season, as we get to the end of the season, it kind of goes back the other way. I’ve been kind of a crazier player as far as scrambling and making throws, but in my career, I’ve never been someone to throw a lot of interceptions. I have to look at it now, I have to go back and evaluate what I’ve been doing. I have to cut it out at the end of the day. If you cut out those turnovers, it’s a different ballgame. I don’t know if we win, but it’s a different ballgame.”
Q: Did you say anything to RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire following his injury?
MAHOMES: “Obviously he’s upset, he just wants to play. He had the injury at the end of last year. He’s been rolling these last few weeks. He’s upset. I didn’t get to talk to him after yet, but hopefully it’s nothing too serious and we can get him back before the end of the season.”
Q: Do you feel like it’s become a burden to take every team’s best shot each week?
MAHOMES: “I wouldn’t want it any other way. I want to be as prepared as possible to play in the playoffs to try to make it to the Super Bowl. If that means we’re going to get the best shot from every single team, then I’m ready for the challenge.”
S TYRANN MATHIEU
Q: Can you walk us through what happened and why you had your hands up on a couple of long pass plays?
MATHIEU: “I felt like we were in pretty decent coverage. You don’t expect anybody to be wide open. I do that on good plays as well. It was kind of embarrassing.”
Q: How do you explain what happened tonight on defense?
MATHIEU: “To be honest with you, I think we are beating ourselves. If you look back on it, go back to the Raven’s game, it was missed communication, blown coverages. In the Charger’s game it was kind of the same thing. Tonight, I think most of their explosive pass plays were guys running wide open down the field. Obviously, we don’t practice that. Our coaches don’t teach that. You’ve got to find a way to dig deep, man. Every team we play wants to beat us. They want to beat us bad. I think we have to understand that coming into these kind of games.”
Q: Can you explain why these types of mistakes are happening in year three of this defense and with a lot of the same players?
MATHIEU: “For one, you can’t keep every player. Our room has changed from the first year, to the second year to even this year. There are some new faces. That is definitely not an excuse. I feel like we practice really hard and we detail our work. I don’t know what it is. Obviously, we are not going to give up. I’m not going to give up. Coaches aren’t going to give up. This is still a long season for us. We are only two and three. That is not our expectations. We do have a lot of football left to play. You look forward to turning the page going forward.”
Q: What have you seen on film in your three losses that other teams have been doing? Are they beating you at the line of scrimmage?
MATHIEU: “I don’t think it’s that at all. Those guys get paid and get coached up too. When you look back at it, it’s missed tackles. It’s blown coverages. That is really kind of the theme. If we can stop some of these tackles, it’s third down. If we don’t miscommunicate on third down then we are off the field and giving the ball back to our offense. We have just got to find a way to stop the bleeding when it is happening and try our best to get it right. If you look back we don’t have a turnover the last three weeks. That is a big part of this game too, getting the ball back to your offense.”
Q: What challenges does Josh Allen present and where has he improved?
MATHIEU: “He has definitely grown as a quarterback. Even tonight with some of his scrambles, he was realizing certain coverages we were in, the middle of the field was wide open and he didn’t hesitate. He took those 30, 20 yards, 15 yards, whatever he could get. He is definitely going up in this league. He is getting better. I don’t think they did anything we didn’t practice or prepare for. It’s a simple game. Cover your guy, make a tackle, inside out. When you don’t do those things, it’s embarrassing, and it looks bad.”
Q: What do you do to prepare for next to manage some of the explosive plays?
MATHIEU: “You try your best to set a good example. I feel like I can make more plays. Teams aren’t going to let me make certain plays but you have to take the bull by the horns sometimes. For me it is all about continuing to lead these guys the right way. I think my emotion, my spirit, it can go left or right. For me it is important for me to push these guys in a positive direction. I know we still have a good football team. We are struggling right now but, like I mentioned earlier, it’s a long season and I think we will be able to get it right.”
Q: What did coach say at halftime that allowed you to have such a good third quarter?
MATHIEU: “Halftime was really simple. We went through a few adjustments. We came out of halftime and we were down and our hair was on fire. I thought we took the field in the second half with a sense of urgency that we should have had in the first half. I think as a defense overall, we are going to continue to grow.”
WR BYRON PRINGLE
Q: Can you describe what the locker room was like after the game?
PRINGLE: “We just need to find a way to be great. We want to get back to ourselves.”
Q: When returning kickoffs, does Dave Toub tell you to be aggressive and bring the ball out of the endzone or is that your choice?
PRINGLE: “He just leaves it up to me and I just come out. I come out and be aggressive so the other teams knows I am not afraid of them.”
Q: What did you see on your touchdown reception?
PRINGLE: “I saw Pat rolling out and I was running out of real estate on the sideline and I just ran toward the open field. Pat will always keep an eye on his receivers. He throws me the ball, I have to make the catch.”
Q: Is there something you put your finger on to explain why you have fumbled returning kicks in two straight weeks?
PRINGLE: “Yes sir. I take full responsibility for my fumbling. I need to secure the football more, protect it and put us in good field position.”
Q: What gives you confidence in your guys that you will get it figured out?
PRINGLE: “We know what we need to do. We need to start faster and come out on fire, in the beginning and for four quarters straight.”
LB NICK BOLTON
Q: What was different defensively to get the stops in the third quarter?
BOLTON: “Just energy and effort. We came out with the mindset after the break, we wanted to get stops and give ourselves a chance to win the game. We came out executing at a high level. Extended plays we kept covering downfield and stuff like that. So, I feel like that’s what we did a little bit better in the second half.”
Q: What was the break like?
BOLTON: “It was actually a good experience for us. We had time to go back through, make corrections, fix things we needed to. Just came out with a cleaner head and go back out there and execute. So, the break for us was a little longer than expected, but I thought it was beneficial for us.”
Q: What was your assessment of the first half?
BOLTON: “Like I said, extended plays downfield. Give credit to those guys over there. They’ve got great athletes, a great quarterback. He was able to throw the ball down the field, extend plays. Just had to plaster, stay on them and work toward our man. So, we did that better in the second half. Just have to put this one behind us and go forward.”
Q: Were you able to shut down the flats tonight?
BOLTON: “Yeah, playing the technique. Coach came in with a great game plan and kind of helped us throughout the game, but just playing deep to short, playing with leverage and stuff like that helped me take those away.”
WR MECOLE HARDMAN
Q: Just some frustration in this game it felt like…
HARDMAN: “Yeah man it started off bad, couple turnovers. Just got to get it together and figure it out and just come in each day and get better.”
Q: How tough was the hour layoff for the rain?
HARDMAN: “It was cool. Just got to stay loose in the locker room and get off your feet and just be ready for it. Like you said defense gave us three stops and as an offense we have to come in and capitalize on those stops especially in a game like that and just take care of the ball. After those three stops we should’ve put 21 up on the board, at least 17 to make it a more challenging game for them. Just got to learn from it and get better from it.”
Q: How about that play for you catching the ball with your foot just barely in bounds?
HARDMAN: “I tried to stay off the sidelines as much as I could. It was a really good throw by Pat (Patrick Mahomes) and I’m glad it was a catch and it kind of helped us on that drive. Just next time try to get my feet in a little bit better so there’s not much to review.”
Q: What about your game has grown to where now you’re moving all over the field?
HARDMAN: “Just trying to be better as a player overall each and every week. Whenever they call me to do things, I want to be able to do it and just be more of a deep threat. Somebody who can be in the intermediate or short game. I know in the short game I can make somebody miss and turn it into a big gain, so I just want to be a complete player and just do what I need to do on the field. Short, intermediate or deep.”