The Kansas City Chiefs held their weekly team press conference on Wednesday, offering critical updates ahead of their Week 14 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Head Coach Andy Reid, Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and key defensive players like Trent McDuffie and Charles Omenihu spoke this week providing their respective insights into the team’s preparations.
The press conference addressed injuries, player personnel, and the potential challenges posed by their divisional rivals in LA. Here are the key takeaways from their first team presser of the week.
Kansas City Chiefs Players Injury and Status Updates
Andy Reid addressed the media first and began with the news that the Chiefs have promoted Kicker Matthew Wright from their Practice Squad to a spot on the active roster. The team has also placed Kicker Spencer Shrader on injury reserve, sidelining him for at least the next four games. Reid also clarified that Harrison Butker remains on track for his expected return. “He’s doing good,” Reid noted, said, “We’ll just see how it goes in the next week or two.”
Reid moved on and discussed Running Back Isiah Pacheco’s limited workload in his return from injury against the Raiders. Pacheco played 26 snaps against the Raiders and logged seven carries. “I wanted to get him into the mix,” Reid said. “He came out healthy, feeling good, and had no setbacks.” Reid also mentioned their day-by-day approach to evaluating D.J. Humphries’ potential start at left tackle against the Chargers.
Another key injury storyline involves Defensive Lineman Charles Omenihu, who also played in his first game back since recovering from his ACL injury. “I feel good,” Omenihu said, letting everyone know that his main focus is returning to as close to top form as he can with the limited time he has to get there. “It’s a mental thing,” he said, adding that at this point his ailments are all but gone, and it’s more of a mental hurdle he is working through overcoming.
Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Challenges and Adjustments
When Patrick Mahomes got to the podium, the first thing he addressed was the left tackle position and the revolving door it’s been especially in their most recent game. “I’ve played with all those guys before,” Mahomes said. “I just go about my process and stay within the scheme.” Despite the different moves being made, Mahomes remains confident in whoever is protecting him, because he has complete faith in this coaching staff and his teammate’s abilities.
Mahomes also clarified his frustration during the fourth quarter of the Raiders game, where he took a sack that took away their chance of getting into the end zone. He attributed his emotional display toward the team’s inefficiency in the red zone rather than any specific player. On the day the Chiefs had gone 1-for-5 in the red zone.
Mahomes also praised the potential of playing alongside their newest offensive addition D.J. Humphries, saying, “I’ve been very impressed. The physical gifts are there, and I’m excited for him to get more work.” Reid has already mentioned that it is unclear who will be their starting left tackle as of today, but there are not without options so this will be something to keep an eye on moving forward because, in terms of their offensive challenges, this is at the very top of the list.
Defensive Communication and Secondary Challenges
Trent McDuffie spoke next, and he focused on the Chiefs’ secondary issues from the past weeks. Pointing to their issues coming from their communication with one another. “A lot of the times, it’s situational,” McDuffie said. “Communication on the backend could be better.” He emphasized the Chiefs’ cornerback room needs to regain their confidence and joy and improve on their ability to attack the ball which are all things they have been working on heavily this week.
McDuffie elaborated further on their struggles when it comes to dual defensive calls, explaining that in-game adjustments have sometimes led to breakdowns. “During the week, we practice them all the time,” he said. “But for some reason, things happen where communication is just a little late.”
McDuffie also mentioned that the cornerback room’s number one focus is on disrupting routes early. “Winning at the line of scrimmage is big,” McDuffie said. “It’s something Spags [defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo] harped on this week.”
Final Thoughts
Now as the Chiefs enter Week 14 of the NFL season they know what area they need to improve on to reach where they ultimately want to end up. However, their focus as of now, is beating the Chargers and going 1-0 once again this week. With injuries and personnel changes still affecting them heading into this week. Andy Reid continues to put a heavy emphasis on just taking everything one day at a time.
The Chiefs are starting to get guys back, and even with their struggles, they believe they have the answers in-house to address them as they look to have a strong finish to the regular season.
