OPENING STATEMENT: “Alright as far as the injuries go, Nick Bolton, has a dislocated wrist so they’re working on that now and we’ll see how it does. He really had a heck of a game up to that point. The fans were incredible. What a day in GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Beautiful day first of all and then you add the noise there with the Chargers having to use a couple times out and illegal procedures and so on that they had going against them. Congratulations to Dante Hall too for going into the (Chiefs) Hall of Fame and the alums that were back here. We love having you all back and supporting the Chiefs. Listen, second half from our defensive standpoint was a shutout. (Defensive Coordinator Steve) Spags (Spagnuolo) is doing a great job with design and the players are playing their hearts out. I give credit to all the coaches there on the defensive side but when you have a shutout going against that crew, that’s quite a deal. Batted balls all over the places. Charles Omenihu, it was great to get him back in the mix or just in the mix. He never was in it, so it was a good deal there. He had a sack and a blocked throw. Five sacks by our defense (which) was tremendous, and the list keeps going on. Responded after the turnovers. Beautiful job there. Offensively a good day, I mean a real good day. Again, (Offensive Coordinator) Matt Nagy puts together the game plan. It was a beautiful game plan. I really – that defense is special with some of the players that they have there and their (Chargers) head coach (Brandon Staley) is calling the plays and he’s a heck of a coordinator and head coach but he also knows exactly what he’s doing with the defense. So, with that, Pat (Mahomes) had, obviously, had a big day with over 400 yards. (Travis) Kelce keeps getting better with time. Taylor (Swift) can stay around all she wants (laughter). Rashee Rice, I mean we’ve witnessed this now. You’re watching him grow right in front of us here and then (Marquez) Quez (Valdes-Scantling), the old man of the group, he had a big day today. The third down percentage, any time you can be six-for-11 on third down with the pass rushers that they have is something and that tells you that the offensive line did a pretty good job. (Offensive Line Coach) Andy Heck and his crew really did well with it. I thought all the offensive coaches likewise had a nice day. (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator) Dave Toub had a plan for Mecole (Hardman) and the guys blocked their hearts out for him and he busted that punt out there and he came back and had a big catch so welcome back Mecole. We only got him here on Thursday, so we’ll keep adding stuff to his menu there. Anyways, with that (the) time’s yours.”
Q: You talked about knocking the rust off for Charles Omenihu, what allowed him to be as effective as he was tonight after six weeks?
REID: “Well when I say he wasn’t in the mix I mean he hasn’t played a game for us other than preseason. But what he did, on the six weeks off he kept himself in shape and you had a chance to see that today. Now is he going to be sore? Yeah, he’ll be in the cold tub for a while tomorrow but he’s a nice addition to the mix there.”
Q: You were kind of joking about Travis Kelce getting even better. Is he getting better with age?
REID: “I think both he and Pat (Mahomes) are on the same page – that’s a challenge, you know, that’s a challenge for defenses. I know they work on it. This isn’t a secret. So, they’re working on those things. That’s when I say (Offensive Coordinator) Matt (Nagy) and (Pass Game Coordinator) Joe (Bleymaier), all the guys that are involved in that pass game (and) putting together things, it’s quiet a tribute to the coaches and then for those two going out there and executing like they do. He might be getting better with age, you and I can’t say that, Adam (Teicher) (laughter).”
Q: The Chargers had a lot of tempo in the first half. How did you see them respond in the second half?
REID: “Nobody hung – they weren’t hanging their heads, they kind of figured it out. We had a plan for it and then they got us a few. When I tell you – I mean that’s a good offense. But the guys figured it out and you look at the stops in that second half and the pressure on the (Chargers) quarterback (Justin Herbert). That was an unsettled position for him today. The guys got after him a little bit. Whether they were sacking or hitting him he had people around him all the time.”
Q: On Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce’s ability to be off script. How much would you say is schemed up?
REID: “Yeah, well I’d tell you it’s probably both. It’s a combination. They kind of know where the green lights are and where the red lights are with the flexibility of the play, and they utilize it. Long yellow light, right?”
Q: What does it do for your offense to have more guys involved today?
REID: “I think it’s great. We just got to keep growing here. We got another AFC West team coming up this next week here with Denver and they’ll have another plan for us. But the guys – they’re working through all of that and this is a new road that you have a chance to play a team twice. That’s a different thing. They know you and you have an idea about them, now what do you do. I’m saying for the young guys. They’re getting better, Neal (Jones). They’re getting better.”
Q: Do you feel like the offense found their best rhythm today?
REID: “Yeah, I’d probably say yeah. It was a productive day. We still got to get rid of some of these penalties. We get rid of a couple of those things and we’ll really have something going. I thought we were productive. It was a great plan and with the takeaways, some of the little mishaps there with the penalties then and you’ve had a pretty good day.”
Q: How difficult is it for Mecole Hardman to come back and jump right back in?
REID: “Yeah, it’s a tough thing. He’s been away for six months or so and going through all of their (plays), learning that offense and then coming back to this. (It’s) not easy to do but Mecole’s real smart. He’s a smart kid, innately smart kid and so it wasn’t hard for him to jump back in and pick up a few things that we had in the game plan and roll with those.”
Q: On the importance of answering a takeaway with a takeaway.
REID: “Nice drive. I was telling (Executive Vice President of Communications) Ted (Crews) that those are – when you have those it’s hard to come back and use those plays. You’ve used them to get there and you kind of throw them out the window with turnovers and penalties and that. For us to come back and do what we did after that was a good thing.”
Q: How does Travis keep getting open?
MAHOMES: “It’s a lot of things but I think the main thing is the way he’s able to recognize coverage and adjust on the fly. We always talk about it, but it’s something that you can’t take for granted. It’s almost like he’s playing Madden like he can read the coverage and stop in the windows and be open and be on the same page as me at all times. He did a great job, it seems like he does it week in and week out and that’s why he’s the player he is and why he’ll be a hall of famer one day.”
Q: How much of the time are Travis Kelce’s routes scripted and how much does he improvise?
MAHOMES: “It’s hard to say because even though it’s not technically scripted the way, we talk about it throughout the week. If you look at the one where I kind of throw it in the middle of the field right between people, we kind of discussed like if that guy flies out, just be in that window and I’m going to throw it. I think by practicing it and doing it in practice I have confidence he’s going to do it in the game. I always joke around with him I’m like, ‘Man just take a rep off in practice,’ but he doesn’t want to, he wants to be out there all the time. I think he understands how important it is to build that chemistry and that’s what makes him so great.”
Q: What did you see out there on that third down with Mecole Hardman?
MAHOMES: “The first third down, I missed him. He actually read it well, he saw a linebacker pushing to him, I saw the corner outside but Trav (Kelce) was going to take that guy out of the way so he actually saw it the right way and I missed him. Then the last one was cover zero and he used his speed, getting through traffic and making a big catch to get that first down. It’s impressive because he didn’t have the season that he wanted in New York but to be able to come back, have confidence, not be down on himself, and know that whenever he gets his opportunities, he’ll do the most with it. Then obviously the punt return really put the game away, so another piece we can add to the offense and that speed is hard to replicate.”
Q: Was this your proudest performance as an offense this season?
MAHOMES: “I would say so far. There’s still just little things here and there, the first drive, the penalty, it just hurts. When we play big games like this, those could be big. Then the second half, just here and there little miscues here and there. If I can hit Rashee (Rice) on that one where they’re triple teaming Travis (Kelce), he’s probably going to score so just little things here and there that I have to get better at but we’re definitely taking steps in the right direction. I’ll just say the interception, no one look at Quez
(Marquez Valdes-Scantling) because that’s who I was supposed to be throwing it to and he was probably – would have had another touchdown.
Q: Is Travis Kelce getting better as he gets older?
MAHOMES: “I think the way he’s (Travis Kelce) able to recognize coverages is probably even better I mean he’s played against every single team and every coverage and every way to try to take him away so he’s able to recognize that and dissect it on the fly. Younger Trav would’ve scored on that one touchdown, I’ll say that. But other than that, I think he’s doing a great job of finding ways to get himself open and having these monster games.
Q: On Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s touchdown.
MAHOMES: “He (Marquez Valdes-Scantling) actually was the first read. In all honesty, I called the running back was supposed to go out the other way and I called it the wrong way and so it ran underneath Marquez (Valdes-Scantling) but it actually opened up everything else to the right. I scrambled out to the right, he did a great job of working with me and then I threw the ball – I think those runs are starting to work now that the defenses are coming up when I scramble. I was able to get the ball to Marquez and he got in the endzone, he had a good game today and I have to continue to find him because he’s getting open and I have to continue to find ways to get him the football.”
Q: The defense adjusted in the second half on Travis Kelce. How did you adjust?
MAHOMES: “Third down they did a good job, they were going to double him (Travis Kelce) at least and if the running back stayed in, they were going to send a third guy in there. They were very conscious of Travis but it opens up other things, we just have to be able to hit and connect on those things and we did at certain points but if we can continue to get better at that, I like the one that Rashee (Rice) – if I can hit him on that and we get that big touchdown, it’ll can take defenses out of that and so we have to continue to prove that and that’s stuff that we can get better at as the season goes on.
Q: How did you feel about your offensive line against Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa?
MAHOMES: “They were great. They were great in pass protection. I’ve said it seven times to them in the locker room. Other than that third and super long, they kept me clean and a lot of pockets whenever I was going one two three back to one type reads and so they played their tails off, they battled and the second half they found a way to just grind out yards in the run game. That’s a great defensive front and the offensive line accepted the challenge and played a great game.”
Q: What was the vision on the play where you started to run but then found Travis Kelce up the field?
MAHOMES: “We actually talked about it on the sideline after. I saw him but couldn’t find the angle to make the throw to him. The offensive line did a good job and I was able to step into the pocket which made it easier to float it to him. He was kind of the second/third read to him on that play, I looked at the first two, they were covered and then I saw Travis and I just wanted to find a way to get him the football and so he did a good job of finding that open space and I was able to get the football to him.”
Q: On Travis Kelce’s ability to get open.
MAHOMES: “He does a great job of whenever he’s open, he doesn’t get himself covered. I say that, and it sounds funny but a lot of times if you’re supposed to run a route a certain way, they’re going to keep
running the route and they’re going to go through the window and in this offense, (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid gives them the freedom to – if you’re open stay there, don’t get yourself covered and run the route like we’ve ran in practice a thousand times, he does a great job of that. It sounds simple but it’s something that he’s really mastered.”
Q: What allowed you to be able to find so many different receivers today?
MAHOMES: “I think guys stepped up. If they’re going to focus that much on Travis (Kelce), obviously we’re going to still try to throw him the football in certain areas but other guys have to make plays. Guys stepped up and made a lot of big plays, big catches, and I think that’s what our offense is going to continue to be. Obviously there is still going to be a big dose of Trav, the player that he is, but if we want to continue to get to that next step of an offense and a team, we’re going to have to let other guys make plays when it counts and I thought the guys did a great job of that today.”
Q: What carryover from practice to games are you seeing from Rashee Rice?
MAHOMES: “He’s just learning. Not only from me but from Travis, from Marquez, he takes in information well, he learns and we continue to give him more and he continues to get better and better. He’s obviously a physical player, I think you can see that but the way he’s able to start recognizing coverages and get himself open is starting to really translate and we’ll continue to get better and better and if I can hit him on that one route, it’s even a bigger game. I think he’s done a great job but he can’t be satisfied he has to continue to get better if he wants to be the player I think he wants to become.”
Q: When you worked with Rashee Rice in the offseason, what stuck out about him?
MAHOMES: “I think the biggest thing I can tell – I mean obviously you see the physical stuff and everybody has the physical stuff but when I have those passing sessions in the offseason, I think y’all know, I’m talking through stuff with the receivers, I’m talking about recognizing coverages and stuff like that. I can tell that even though he didn’t know, because he hasn’t played in the NFL, he had a good grasp of feel, he understood how to kind of settle in certain areas and if he made a mistake, he would fix it the next time. I think that was the biggest thing that I saw with him. I mean obviously the physical stuff is there but the way he was able to comprehend and do stuff and adjust on the fly, I think that stuff is what is going to – what makes you great in this offense and I think he does of it.”