Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid met with the media over a Zoom conference call on Monday, less than 24 hours after the team’s 42-36 Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills.
(Listen to the full presser above or by clicking here.)
Reid provided an injury note on safety Tyrann Mathieu (more on that here). In his opening statement, Reid complimented the team but acknowledged it still has things to work on this week. He also mentioned he was proud of the Chiefs for sticking together in what became a back-and-forth game on Sunday night.
Reid then took questions, which we have rounded up in four takeaways:
Reid was reminded that the Chiefs led efforts to change overtime rules after the 2018 season.
In the 2018 season, the Chiefs faced off against the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game, and they were on the other side of an overtime result in which a team never touched a ball. The Patriots won the toss and won 37-31 thanks to a touchdown on the first possession of overtime.
That offseason, the Chiefs sought to change the rule so that each team saw at least one possession. It didn’t work.
“I’m glad we didn’t change them as of last night,” laughed Reid. “I had a chance to talk to Sean (McDermott) afterward, and that’s I’m sure something they’re going to look at again, too, and I wouldn’t be opposed to it. That’s a hard thing, it was great for us last night, but is it great for the game, which is the most important thing that we should all be looking out for. To make things equal, it probably needs to be able to hit both offenses and both defenses.”
Reid detailed what makes quarterback Patrick Mahomes so competitive.
With the Chiefs down three points with 13 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Mahomes led a drive to get Kansas City in field goal range. Then he won the game with a pass to Travis Kelce in overtime, leading Reid’s now-famous “grim reaper” comment during the postgame press.
“He’s a nice guy,” Reid said of Mahomes. “We all know that. He’s a good kid. You guys deal with him all the time, but down in there, he’s gritty, and he wants to get after you every opportunity he has. Most of all, he wants to be great and everyone around him to be great. He has the ability at that position to do that, and he’s not afraid to be coached. He’s not afraid to study hard. He’s not afraid to work out hard, go the extra mile with diet, strength training, all those things, flexibility, he goes and tries to do it the best he possibly can, and as a result, you get what you got there.
“What we’ve seen – we’ve been spoiled with this for the last few years – he’s a pretty spectacular player, and we’re lucky to have him right here in Kansas City. So, to have the grit, I think that tells you a little bit about him. That’s something special.”
As to be expected by now, Reid has already begun shifting his attention to the Cincinnati Bengals.
As great as the win against the BIlls was for Reid, he emphasized that the Chiefs are already behind in getting ready for Sunday afternoon.
“Since last night, we were moving on to Cincinnati,” he said. “There’s no time to wait on that. They had an extra day there to kind of take a look at two teams they thought they were going to play, so it was important that we got on it and make sure we have all the bases covered. So, that’s where we are. We’re deep into it now, so Cincinnati.”
The Bengals defeated the Chiefs the last time they played — in Week 17. Quarterback Joe Burrow threw for more than 440 yards and four touchdowns in the win.
“They made big plays on us on both sides of the ball,” said Reid. “They were able to slow us down and then pick it up on the offensive side. So, we’ve got to do a better job all the way around, special teams included. Every phase can be better. They beat us. It wasn’t a fluke. They beat us, so they’re a good football team, and it’s important that we have a great week of preparation here, and that’s one reason why the urgency level is there even yesterday once the game was over to get busy.”
One player the Chiefs will need to have a better defensive plan for is wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who gashed them for 266 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.
“He’s a good receiver,” noted Reid. “He knows how to set up routes, especially for a young guy. Then he’s strong when he gets the ball in his hands. He’s got great core strength and lower body strength, and quick feet to go with it. So, he’s the complete package. He’s one of those guys that isn’t 6-foot-4 but plays like he’s 6-foot-4. He’s got great range.”
After the game on Sunday, wide receiver Tyreek Hill likened Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to the equivalent of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
“I presume I’m Shaq,” smiled Reid. “You know what probably would be better? Is if I heard Shaq’s comment on that. He wished he was looking this good.”
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