Chiefs camp quotes: Patrick Mahomes on going 19-0, Andy Reid on COVID tests
Analytics, finishing with a 19-0 record, playing in front of fans and COVID-19 tests.
The Chiefs players and coaches were asked questions that covered a number of topics, including those listed above, this past weekend.
Here are excerpts of what was said by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, safety Tyrann Mathieu, coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, per a release from the team. The questions and answers have been lightly edited for clarity.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes
Question: Can you credibly convince that if you guys are hitting on all cylinders, why you all can’t finish the job that the Patriots did in 2007 to go 19-0?
Mahomes: “In theory, you feel like you can. Every single year, you feel like you can win every single game. I think it comes down to how you deal with adversity throughout games and throughout the season. I think that’s the biggest thing of trying to go 19-0 and trying to do those special things and be the first team to ever go undefeated for 19 games and win all that. It’s more than just play calling and players. It’s about a team and the culture that you have — how every single week, every single day, every single opportunity — you accept that challenge. I feel like that’s where it gets lost at. Our goal is to take it one game at a time, one day at a time, and one play at a time. We’re going to try to do that every single day and hopefully put ourselves in a chance to win every single opportunity that we get.”
Question: You kind of use training camp as a laboratory to test out a bunch of new things and I want to know more about that. Is it something that you talk about with coach (Andy) Reid beforehand or does he give you free reign to try things out and see how it goes?
Mahomes: “It’s not necessarily free reign to try everything that I want but we do discuss things. We try things. If I do something one way, coach (Mike) Kafka, coach (Eric) Bieniemy, and coach Reid ask me why I did that or if I want to try it this way and do different things. I think it’s just more of a focus on me trying what is out there and going for the shot play maybe when it’s a little contested. If we have success with it, then we can take it to the season and if we don’t, we can learn from it and move on to the next progression.”
Question: What goes through your mind when you think about what this offense has been able to do, what you’ve been able to do and your mindset on a fourth-and-3 or a fourth-and-4?
Mahomes: “I want to go for it every time no matter what the situation there is. But, no, it’s a thing where we trust the coaching staff. We have a great coaching staff, a great analytics department, we have everything to know when and where we should go for it and coach Reid has a feel for the game, which I think is the biggest thing. He has a feel for the situation, how the offense, defense, and special teams are all playing and he usually puts us in the right position where if we’re going for it, then if it doesn’t work out, the defense can come out and get a stop or if it does work out, we can continue to move forward and have success.”
Question: Everyone knows Travis Kelce from his reality dating show and drinking beer on the sideline of a basketball game, but you’re his teammate and you’ve seen the football side of him. Can you tell me a story or two that illustrates how serious he is about football and how important this is to him?
Mahomes: “I think his understanding of coverages and how he runs routes is special. I think that’s the best thing about his game. Obviously, he’s physically gifted and he’s a mismatch for guys on the field — linebackers, corners, whoever it is. The way that he’s able to run routes versus coverages and adjust his routes to be right in the right spot at the right time is special. It’s something that helps me out a ton. I think you’ve seen in the playoff game last year where he ran an out route and kind of brought it back in, I threw it to him and its stuff that not everybody understands. I think it’s just him thinking like a quarterback and understanding the whole concept of the play by getting other people open and getting himself open when he needs to get open.”
Question: What exactly does Demarcus Robinson bring to this offense? How much did you guys talk this offseason, and did you have to convince him to come back to Kansas City at all?
Mahomes: “I think like you said, it’s a group friendship and the receiving room, the quarterbacks, the whole offense. So, it wasn’t that I tried to convince him to stay. He made that decision because he wanted to be a part of this and a part of this team. I think it was more of me wanting him to do what was best for him and his family. I think he thought what was best for him was being here with us, being a part of this culture, being a part of this team and this community. Like you said, he’s a guy who could be a No. 1 receiver in several different places. He understands his role in this offense. When he gets in, you see he makes plays when his opportunity is called. It’s nice to have a guy who is on the same page as me. You see all those scrambles, all those different things, he’s always on the same page as I am. He is someone who works extremely hard, he blocks for other guys, he’s someone who is a special player in that room that I am glad is on our team.”
Question: What is it like to have those conversations with Andy Reid every day and what do you guys get into? How does he let you grow and evolve not just on the field but off the field as well? Today would’ve been the birthday of Kobe Bryant. What did you learn from him about competition and from Michael Jordan’s The Last Dance?
Mahomes: “With coach Reid and this whole coaching staff in general, I think that it’s just a lot of good people that love this sport and they love coaching football and being a part of the culture. They also love to really bring out the best person that they can bring out in the player that they have. With coach Reid, as far as trying to figure out the best way to run a play or the best way to be a part of the community, he’s going to give you his best advice, and from stuff that he’s learned. I think when you have someone that you trust that is going to do that for not only the betterment of themselves, but the betterment of the people that they’re talking to, then you can trust that their words mean more and that they are in the best interest of you. With Kobe and it being his birthday, obviously the player on the court — the mentality that he had, the ‘Mamba Mentality,’ the attacking every single rep, treating practice like it’s game day, treating film sessions like they’re game days — but also you saw after his career, the way he treated his family and the way he brought up everyone around him. I think that’s just the mentality that you have to have in every single thing that you do; that you’re going to attack every single opportunity you have to be a person and a player with the greatest amount of effort to be the best that you can.”
Question: Yesterday you got a chance to have the fans and we know you guys feed off of that. Since you guys have been so isolated, was there kind of a ‘woah’ moment when you saw them? Seeing some of the fans take their mask off, did that bother you being as it’s so ingrained in what you’re doing?
Mahomes: “For the first part, with having the fans there, I think it kind of gave another energy. Just being out there and the fans cheering, getting to see them, the passion that they have in Chiefs Kingdom is unmatched. It was awesome to be out there and be a part of that, it really got me going as you could see me getting hyped up. Chris Jones ran out there hyping up the crowd. Another part was that I think there was only 2,000 people there and it was loud. I was pleasantly surprised by that. Hopefully when we get the stadium even more full, it’ll keep being loud and you’ll get that Arrowhead Stadium feel. For the most part, when I looked up, I saw people with masks on. Obviously, there were some people who didn’t have masks on, I think people saw on some videos and stuff like that. It’s a learning process. It’s something that security will really emphasize that you have to have the mask on if you’re not eating or drinking. Put the mask on not only for yourself, but the people around you so everyone feels safe when they come into Arrowhead Stadium. I think this was what that practice was for. Next week whenever we have people at the stadium, we’re going to get those protocols, get them used to that stuff so that we can have people there and have the support of Chiefs Kingdom.”
Coach Andy Reid
Question: You have a tight relationship with your former assistants, and two nights ago, Washington head coach Ron Rivera announced that he has cancer. What was your reaction when you heard the news, and have you had an opportunity to offer him words of encouragement?
Reid: “Well, I did. Ron lost a brother to cancer, so this is something he dealt with. He watched his brother with it, he understands the importance of getting it taken care of and he’ll attack it. He’s a linebacker and once a linebacker, always a linebacker. So, he’s got that grit and toughness and he’ll need that as he goes forward. But he’s in the right frame of mind. He’s a positive guy and he’s staying positive with this. But at the same time, he knows he has to bear down on it, and that’s what he’ll do.”
Question: With all the differences in this year does this feel like camp to you?
Reid: “Initially, it didn’t because we were here, and it was just an unusual situation. But after today, I think if you asked the guys if it felt like camp, they would probably tell you yes. All that other stuff kind of wore off about a week ago and the guys were in the grind of it, and no more of a grind than they had today. I was proud of them for battling through it.”
Question: Is there an aspect of Darrel Williams built-in relationship with Clyde Edwards-Helaire that could make them an effective one-two punch?
Reid: “I joke to the Michigan guys and the LSU guys, we’ve got a whole lot of both, and LSU, from the Badger (Tyrann Mathieu) to the two running backs, we’ve got a good amount of players from there. But it’s great football tradition that they’re bringing in, and they’re like family. If you play at LSU, there’s a certain fraternity and pride that goes with that that you become a part of. So, yes, Darrel helps him out. They’ve got a good relationship and they push each other at the same time, which might be the most important thing.”
Question: There was a wave of positive COVID tests from one of the NFL testing centers today. Do you have any input on which testing centers you use, and is there a protocol if something like that were to happen?
Reid: “You’re always in direct communication with the league on positive tests and there’s a protocol that’s set up. So, we just follow that. Rick Burkholder, we have full trust in doing that, along with Dr. (Mike) Monaco. Rick’s been on endless calls with the league. Things happen, so I think we all know that. This isn’t the perfect situation, but everybody’s working through it. If it ends up that it shuts down practice, you shut it down, you make sure you get it taken care of and then you ramp it back up and get going again. Like I said, it’s a unique year. We’re all aware of it and we trust the protocol. We understand that there are going to be some mistakes potentially with the testing — these people are busting their tails for us at all the different units that are reading these tests and giving us the outcome to it, and sometimes these things happen. But that’s what it is, and we roll.”
Question: What are your impressions from Demarcus Robinson’s camp?
Reid: “That receiver corps is a close group. They challenge each other, but they’re very good friends on top of that. I’m a big fan of Demarcus Robinson. I’ve said that before. Demarcus could be a starter anywhere in the National Football League and that’s the way we look at him. So, he’s in the rotation and they go. We try to keep ourselves in a position where potentially we can throw fastballs at you with a rotation, and we’re lucky right now to have the guys to be able to do that. So, that’s how we go. But I think everybody’s got the utmost respect for D-Rob. He knows every position, he knows it from every personnel group, and the quarterback, most of all, has trust in him, which becomes probably the most important thing.”
Question: When it comes to you and Patrick Mahomes, how do you teach a player that wants to grow each and every day with an endless capacity for learning more about football? And how fortunate are you to have experienced veterans in backup positions?
Reid: “We’ll need all the backups, you know that, how the season goes. It’s a long season and everybody plays. If you can rotate guys, it keeps everybody fresh and it keeps the speed of the game up, which is great. Brett (Veach) has done a great job with that, bringing people in and creating this competition, which if you’re going to be a good football team, you have to have that, and we’re blessed to have that. Then, with Pat, he’s always wanted to learn and then he also has ideas. I try to keep the communication line open with him and he does the same thing from his end, along with the other quarterbacks. That’s a healthy room right there where it’s just a good learning center for those guys. There’s experience, there’s youth in there, there’s college coming into the league and things that they’ve run before either at the college level or potentially with other teams. Then, the coaches are good. Again, we try to keep open communication all the way along and I’ve tried to do that with Patrick the best I can.”
Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy
Question: What’s the value of a practice like today in the stadium since you guys don’t have preseason games? And is Travis Kelce the player you thought he would become at this point in his career, or does anything about his career surprise you?
Bieniemy: “First of all, it was good having an opportunity to get out there today. Had a few fans there, the organization has done a great job of making sure they’re doing it the right way, giving the fans an opportunity to participate. They brought some energy, I know the guys felt it. They were vibing off that energy, and it’s just good to be back in the Kingdom. As far as Kelce goes, we’ve been here all together seven or eight seasons now and I’ll just say this, just watching the growth and the process that Travis has taken on since Day 1 until now, every year he has taken the necessary steps to help himself to improve as a player, to help him improve as a professional on and off the field, but also just growing as a leader—making sure he’s challenging himself, but also challenging others to be at their best when their best is required. So, it’s been fun. It’s been fun watching that growth process take place.”
Question: In the battle for the RB2 position, is it a strategy to go with someone who offers something different than Clyde Edwards-Helaire, or is it someone you’re looking for where maybe it’s hard to see any difference in what Clyde can do?
Bieniemy: “At the end of the day, you just want the best guys available. One thing Deland (McCullough) does a great job of is preparing all those guys to be the starter because, unfortunately, injuries do happen and we’re going to need all of those guys. But with a veteran like Darrel Williams, he’s done a hell of a job. He’s smart, he can run it, he does a great job of picking up the blitz, and he’s also good in the pass game as far as catching passes out on the perimeter. So, the thing is that we want to continue to grow with that position. Darwin (Thompson) has done a lot of great things this camp, DeAndre (Washington) is competing his tail off, Elijah (McGuire)—so it’s been good. But also, we want all of those guys to understand the importance of playing special teams as well because when it’s all said and done, all of us have to have a role that’s going to help us to be at our best. And regardless of whatever hat you’re wearing, you have to wear it with authority, understanding that I have to go out there and perform when called upon.”
Safety Tyrann Mathieu
Question: What would your message to fans be given this first trial run and how it may look during the season?
Mathieu: “I would probably just say that obviously not to have expectations as if it was anything like last season. I think it’s going be an adjustment for all of us involved, including the fans. I think they’re so important to the game and especially here in Kansas City, they’re like that extra element that we feed off, so I think it’s a good deal that we are going to have some fans in some kind of capacity but also I truly believe the Chiefs and NFL would take the right steps to help those people stay safe.”
Question: Did you have any thoughts about Travis Kelce as a player before you became teammates and have your thoughts changed at all after practicing against him and seeing him play after play?
Mathieu: “Yeah I’ve always admired Travis from afar. I’ve always been a safety inside kind of cover guy so he was always one of those guys that I didn’t necessarily study him in detail because we didn’t necessarily play against the Chiefs a lot before I got here but he’s always been one of those fascinating players. Players you can find a mismatch with any kind of defensive scheme. I think me coming here and practicing against him, he works just as hard as me. Obviously, I got a lot of respect for that. He’s always out there, you see a guy like that practicing through injuries, practicing through when times are not going well for him so he’s a great talent. He seems really in sync with the offensive system, the scheme, the quarterbacks. Even when Matt Moore gets in there, he’s kind of like everyone’s on the same field that Kelce’s on so I think that says a lot abouthis work ethic and the time that he put in with the people around him.”
Question: What did it mean to see Juan Thornhill out there with the ones?
Mathieu: “It’s a blessing to obviously see a guy come back from an injury like that. Not many people can truly overcome it mentally. I think for him he’s in a good space, he has a lot of good people around him. I think he’s confident in himself and his abilities, so I think that’s going to actually help him once he gets on the field. In my opinion, I think he looks smooth. I’ve been through two ACL’s so I know there’s going to be some growing pains within there, but to say he’s eight months since post op, he looks pretty good. He looks like a natural defensive back.”
