Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to media members on Monday following the team’s 33-28 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Here were some of the items that stood out:
1) Reid believes the Chiefs are “so close” when it comes to forcing turnovers on defense.
“We’re so close on these turnovers, man,” he said of his Chiefs, who have three interceptions and four forced fumbles on the season. “We are right there. I think the more that we play in the defense, the more that those things will happen. They were attacking the football. I appreciate seeing that. That becomes important. Turnovers are a big thing in this league. Those things are going to start clicking, if you keep that mindset of attacking.”
Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu came close to at least two interceptions on Sunday.
“You saw Tyrann in a position to make a couple of interceptions,” Reid added. “Those things happen, though. The more familiar you become with a defense, then you’re not going to be off by just that tick any more. Then, you’re in an even better position. You just have to play. You have to keep going with it. Those things come up, but you have to keep attacking, or it doesn’t happen. I take that as a real positive coming out of the game.”
2) Reid commended veteran running back LeSean McCoy for finding a way into the lineup on Sunday despite his ankle injury.
“It’s always a great example when guys fight through things that you don’t anticipate that they might be able to do,” Reid said. “You saw that with LeSean with his ankle. That’s a veteran player working through something. Not that it’s something that’s going to hinder him for the rest of his career or any of that, but something that you have to have a certain mindset on when you come into it. He did that. He just said, ‘I’m going to get myself right, I’m going to get into the training room and work with (head trainer and VP) Rick (Burkholder) and the trainers and I’m going to get this thing right.’ That’s a great example to the guys.”
McCoy compiled 80 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns before eventually leaving the game.
“It’s similar to what Patrick (Mahomes) has done with his ankle there. To have that and to have our guys to see that – and I’m cautious as I say that because of the fact that we don’t put guys out there that are going to hurt themselves, and that’s what I explained to really both of those two.”
3) Reid explained that second-year running back Darrel Williams’ offseason work led to success on Sunday.
Williams led all running backs with 35 offensive snaps against the Ravens.
“Darrel really had a good offseason, as far as getting himself into the shape that he thinks he needs to be in to play at this level,” Reid said. “I think yesterday was a nice cookie that he gave himself for saying, ‘Listen, I busted my tail, I dropped my weight down, increased my body mass muscle-wise and this is the result.’ That helps you keep pushing through all of that. He’s naturally a big guy. I thought he played physical. I thought he did well in the pass game. Some of his blitz pickups… top notch. He did a nice job.”
Williams rushed nine times for 62 yards and caught five passes for 47 yards, which included the game-winning screen pass.
4) Reid said that he noticed defensive end Frank Clark getting “a lot of attention” upon rewatching the game.
“He got a lot of attention [Sunday],” Reid said. “They doubled him [Sunday]. That’s what I look at. Both he and Chris Jones were trying to work through those guys. Are you going to keep battling or concede to that? Somewhere you’re going to have a single [offensive lineman], what are you going to do with it? You saw what he did.”
Clark recorded his first sack of the season.
“Chris had one that was called back that there was a penalty on, but you saw them battle. They didn’t just stop. Sometimes guys get defeated on that and they get more frustrated and then they just (sigh). But, I didn’t see that.”
5) Reid provided some vague updates on both Eric Fisher and Tyreek Hill.
Fisher underwent sports hernia surgery last week.
“We’ll just see how long that takes,” Reid said. “It went well.”
Hill continues to recover from his sternoclavicular dislocation.
“He’s doing good,” Reid said of Hill. “He’s hard to hold down. He’s wired different, not more than everybody in this building but everyone in this room right here, he’s different. He’s bouncing around and wants to go, but this one here, the doctors really have to keep checking on him. We’ll see how the time frame goes.”
No exact updates on when Fisher and Hill will return to practice.