CHIEFS HEAD COACH ANDY REID
On an injury update and thoughts on the game
“As far as the injuries go, really [OL] Kingsley [Suamataia] was the only one who got hurt on the interception. [He] hit his head on the turf. Denver played a good game, and they got us today. On our side, I’ve got to make sure that we don’t go three-and-out with those last couple offensive series. Then there were a variety of things that went on that we all contributed to throughout both sides of the ball and special teams and there were some good things. When you’re playing a good football team and you’ve got to cut back on your penalties, for sure, too many there, and then some of the other mistakes that we had. We’ll get that cleaned up, and we’ll get ready for the Colts.”
On the last drives of the game
“We needed to do better on them. I could have given the guys a better opportunity to do that.”
On if they clean up penalties during the Bye Week
“Yes, that’s what you look for. That’s probably an obvious one.”
On the first half
“It wasn’t there. They’re the number one defense in the National Football League. We were fighting and then we had some where we were going backwards and kind of self-inflicted things, so we’ve got to take care of that.”
On the missed opportunities for points
“We still had opportunities. You don’t want that, [QB] Pat [Mahomes] doesn’t want that, I don’t want it. That’s not what you want, but there were other opportunities as we went, so we’ve got to make sure that we take care of that business.”
On the last sequence
“He was able to get out of containment there and [the] receiver worked to get himself open. [He] had a couple of guys right around him there. The quarterback made a play, [and] the receiver made a play.”
On the downfield passes
“We thought we had some opportunities down the field, didn’t work out. I mean percentages, you’re going to take a few, lose a few of those, but we felt like it [would] come back and help us, and it did later on in the game.”
On the blocked extra point
“They did a good job splitting us right there, and we’ve been pretty good in that area. They got us on that one.”
On T Josh Simmons’ return
“I thought he did a good job for being off as long as he was and then going against who he went against. He did a pretty good job there.”
On the game
“When you’re playing good teams, whether it’s myself making a call or the players playing, you’ve got to do the right things, put the guys in the right position and guys have got to make plays when given an opportunity, both sides of the ball, special teams, we’re all in it together.”
CHIEFS QUARTRERBACK PATRICK MAHOMES
On what didn’t work today
“Just having an opportunity at the end of the game and not coming through. Getting the ball back with four minutes and all you need is a field goal is a spot that we’ve been in a lot, and we’ve been able to do that. Obviously the first play trying to get a completion to ‘Trav’ (Chiefs TE Travis Kelce), but probably should just hang in there and I think [Chiefs WR] Hollywood [Brown] opened up down the field, so just being better in that scenario. There are things here and there, but I think that’s the biggest one. That’s what you want. You want to get that opportunity at the end of the game, and I didn’t come through.”
On playing close games this season
“Not making the plays, not making the throws at the right time. Like I said, I had [Chiefs WR] Hollywood [Brown] probably on that play, and that’s the drive starter. Once you get a drive started like that, you kind of get the momentum on your side. I’m staying true to my progressions, and trust the [offensive] line that’s going to go block, and get the guy a chance on the field, and let him go down there and make a play.”
On moving forward
“Obviously it’s going to be tough to get back in the division race, but at the end of the day, the goal is to get into the playoffs and try to make a run at it. All you can focus on is next week. We have to learn from this one as much as possible knowing that we’re going to get a great opponent coming into [GEHA Field at] Arrowhead [Stadium] this next week. We’re kind of at that point where we have to find a way just to win football games, and we have to keep moving forward. That’s what this league is all about.”
On the message to the team
“It sucks, don’t get me wrong. You have to feel that, but you have to be able to kind of use that energy to push it into the next week and into the rest of the season. All you can focus on is the next game. You get another opportunity to go out there and prove yourself. Obviously we’ve been losing these close games recently, but we’ve played some good football in spurts. It’s just about being more consistent. Until we go out there and do it, all you can do is keep saying you have to keep practicing, and getting better and better, and push yourself to go out there and do it on gameday.”
On the deep passes
“The first one, I just have to make the throw. There’s no other way around it. The play was designed for ’Trav’ (Chiefs TE Travis Kelce). I think ‘Trav’ was wide open, but you have these alerts on your plays and how the safety was sitting with [Chiefs WR] Xavier [Worthy]’s speed, I knew that he was going to have a chance down the field. I just have
to give him a chance, kind of like I did [Chiefs WR] Tyquan [Thornton] later in the game. I just have to give guys chances. Missed that one, missed Tyquan on the sideline. You learn from it at the same time, but against a good defense like that, you’re not going to have these opportunities all game long, and so when they’re there, you have to hit them. I would say it’s a great job by Xavier getting open and getting himself there. I have to give him a chance to make a play downfield.”
On keeping their heads up
“It hasn’t always been just championships. We’ve dealt with adversity, and guys have learned and gotten better from it. Obviously this is something that we haven’t dealt with so early in the season, but at the same time, I know the guys in that locker room and know how they’re going to respond. All we can do is stick together, and push ourselves to be even better and try to do what we can to win this next week.”
On the message to the team
“I think [Chiefs Head] Coach [Andy] Reid says it when he kind of talks to us at the end of games and stuff like that. It’s always about the next week. Like I said, you have to feel it. It sucks losing this football game when you think you have a chance to win it, and you don’t do that and kind of get yourself behind. But at the end of the day, all you have to do is find a way to get in. We have a lot of games ahead of us, and we’re going to do our best to put ourselves in position to go out there and play our best football each and every week.”
On the team
“I think we’re really talented. We have a lot of great players. It’s just about being more consistent. I think it starts with me. There are times where I’m firing, and I’m throwing the ball, and we’re moving the ball down the field at ease, but at the same time, there are times where we go into spurts where I misthrow like I did, or a protection call or whatever it is. It’s about being more consistent. That’s what this league is, and we haven’t been consistent enough to win football games. But it starts with me.”
On his interception
“I was rolling out to the right. You can’t do it, but I’ll have to look at the film. I thought I had [Chiefs RB] Elijah [Mitchell] coming down the sideline, and I was going to give him a chance and I just didn’t throw it high enough at the end of the day. I got [No.] 29 [Broncos CB Ja’Quan McMillian] to go to me because he was guarding them. I didn’t throw it high enough, and he jumped up and made a good play. I’ve made that throw before, but at the same time with the type of football game we’re in, don’t put the ball in harm’s way. Take the three points and move on to the next possession.”
On the end of the game
“Just being in that situation before, once you get that first down—it’s cliché—but you do get the momentum of a drive and get the defense on their heels. The fact that I didn’t take that shot down on the first play and then the second play, we weren’t able to get much going. Then the third play, they kind of have where they can kind of lean forward, and blitz and do stuff like that. Just knowing the situation, I’ve been in that situation before.
So finding a way to get a completion, get that first down, put us in the driver’s seat and then push the envelope, but at the same time, I didn’t find it there and they came up with a good blitz in that third down. I didn’t give myself much of a chance.”
On TE Travis Kelce setting the Chiefs’ career touchdowns record
“He deserves it, the work that he puts in every single day. Obviously people watch the gameplay, and the game days, and playing on the field and stuff like that, but he’s a leader. He’s someone that comes to work every single day, and puts the time in and so it just speaks to the person that he is that he’s able to go out there and break that record. That was a great play and a big moment in the game, and that’s when he usually makes his big plays.”
On the offensive line
“I thought they did a great job. That’s a good defensive line at all five positions. They have guys that come in and thought they did a great job. [Chiefs OL Mike] Caliendo hopping in there at one point and holding his own as well. It’ll be good for them going forward, but at the same time, I have to utilize that, make those throws down the field whenever they do give me that time, but being more consistent for myself. I thought they played a good football game today.”