Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik
On if he expects to have the same starting offensive line against Kansas City as they had with Miami
"Yeah, we will see what happens as we go through the week. There is always moving pieces with who is healthy as we keep going through practice and who is not. I thought [T] Tytus [Howard] did a heck of a job with what was a tough situation last week, asking him to bump inside. I thought he played a heck of a game on the inside. He had one or two things here and there that is just a little different when you go from tackle to guard, how fast it is on the inside, how quick things happen. He adjusted within like six snaps, and he was rolling. He played really well which was really cool to see, credit to him."
On what went into that move and why they didn't move T Tytus Howard earlier in the season
"Like I said, there is a lot of moving pieces all the time. We have guys that are kind of fluctuating up and down and at the end of the day our goal is to put the best five out there every given week. What that is or how we feel that may be different. He was playing good at tackle, going from tackle to guard that is a massive jump. He was willing to do it. I can't say enough how much credit I give Tytus for being willing to go to right tackle to left guard. Not only are you sliding in but you are switching sides, that is a massive move. For him to be able to do that and play the way he did was awesome."
On if they will get the run game going more against Kansas City than they did with Miami
"What you will learn in the run game always is that you are always one game away, one play away. In the run game one explosive could create a big difference. We didn't get that obviously in this last game. We went into the game with a plan to throw the ball more than run it. We were trying to throw it to open up the run game and we were never able to stay on the field long enough to really get the run game going which made it hard when we were doing it. We had opportunities out there, really in both phases that we just didn't make the plays on. It was just cool enough to see everyone do enough to win the game, which is what this time of year is about."
On how they will contain Chiefs DT Chris Jones
"A lot of people have tried a lot of different things. Not just this season but really all of last season on tape to see different approaches that people have taken. Honestly, none of them have worked. He is that good. It would be the same for us. At the end of the day for us, we have some schematic things we are going to try to do to help us out and make sure we are aware of where '95' [Chiefs DT Chris Jones] is all the time, and we are taking care of '95' all the time. Even then, they did a great job of moving him around, putting him in different spots, he lines all over the front, sometimes not even at the line of scrimmage. He is everywhere and if they find a way to isolate him one on one, eventually they are going to isolate him one on one whether it is the run or pass game. For us, at the end of the day it is just how much are we going to strain and how much are we going to finish which is going to be the message all the way through the rest of the season."
On how different Kanas City is compared to other teams with pre and post snap movements
"It is really team and scheme dependent. 'Spags' [Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnulo] you can tell puts a lot of time in the pre and post snap movement and how they what to handle that and help confuse the quarterback and mix it up with some of the pressures they have, some of the coverages they have. I think they are really tied together and in tune with what they are doing and that is one thing that jumps out when you watch them, they are a darn good defense, they are also extremely well coached. They don't get freebies. They are on their technique, they are on their responsibilities and that includes what they do shell wise, how they disguise things. They show middle field close, rock and roll all the way and invert it into middle field closed. They got everything. Which is great for us, it is a great challenge. It is great preparation as we keep going through the rest of the season. There are other teams we play well with what you see is what you get. We have kind of had both sides, so it is just another rep for us to go and try to attack."
On the value of bye week and if it gave them time to figure out why the offense was struggling
"We kind of hit it last week, most of it was deep diving into us. It started as some other stuff with some other opponents but really what it became was a deep dive into us and honing into what we are good at and what we need to continue to do every week. Which I think we had a lot of confidence built in the bye week and leading into this last week and what we wanted to do and how we wanted to attack. The plays were out there for us, and we didn't quite make them a lot of the times when we were trying to stay on the field. I don't know what that is, was it rust, I am sure. But I know if we continue to do that, these are things that we have proven that we have done really well and we are all really confident if we keep getting ops. We are going to make those plays and at the end of the day, make more than we miss. That really is what the bye week was for us. It was what did we do really well and how do we hone in on this and just continue to execute those things."
On what they do really well
"I can't give all the secrets away but I would say explosives would be the number one thing. If you keep it fairly generic, our quarterback is really good at throwing explosives. We have got really good skills, we have a really good running back, we have a great tight end, and we have guys that can stretch the field if they need to and can also catch the ball underneath and run for it. I think, if you can take out last week, I don't know if we had an explosive, maybe we had one and still we are ranked sixth in the NFL going into last week. We are somewhere in the top three and we have been there pretty much in the entirety of last year and a half. That will probably be the number one thing that jumps out. At any time, we want the players can make explosive fun plays happen."
On if the production from WR Tank Dell's punt returns increases the need to get him the ball more on offense
"Yeah, it is always fun to see a guy with the ball in his hands making plays. I would say before he even had a punt return happen, we gave him a jets sweep pretty early in the game and he made three, four guys miss. I don't know if we had an explosive, I think that was actually our only explosive of the entire day was that run on the jets sweep which was all him just making a play. I think anytime you see someone doing that with the ball in their hands, you can tell that get their juices going in the game and it is exciting going forward."
On if having T Blake Fisher at right tackle restricts his playbook or gives him more options
"I would say it is the same, with or without him there at this point in the year. I probably would feel differently with a rookie early on in the season and what they can handle and the defenses they are going against, especially this defense. They present a lot. They are really good, one of the best defenses we play so you really have to be on your responsibilities, your eyes and handling on the pressures and protections. At this point in the season, this late, we all should be to the point where we can handle that, and Blake Fisher has shown that he has done a really good job in that area."
On thoughts on CB Derek Stingley Jr. performance during practice
"He is a vacuum, if the ball is in his radius he is catching it. I kind of mess with [WR] Nico [Collins] [Ryans] and 'Sting' [CB Derek Stingley Jr.] and ask them if we can throw a post, can we get him for a play and can we throw him out there because his skills are that good. In hindsight we all kind of knew he was competitive in training camp this last off season. Then you think back on it how both of them are playing, when Nico and 'Sting' were lined across from each other in training camp, that was a battle. I think that has carried over into the season and as they continue to get their legs under them and get going, Nico has made some really huge plays for us, he has consistently gotten open. Stingley has been massive, every time I look up I feel like he is making a play on a big time receiver. I think that goes back to what DeMeco always says, iron sharpening iron, and the rapport they have built within the locker room and how much 'Sting' inspires us. Offensively, what he does for us. Anytime he makes a play, the juice he hits the field with it has been really cool to see. That is even outside of the fact that he has got phenomenal cover skills. Every time the ball goes up in 2024, they are already grabbing their helmets, I am looking at my call sheet and getting ready to roll. It has just been really fun to see."
Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke
On if CB Derek Stingley Jr.'s performance on Sunday is something he has become accustomed to seeing him do
"No. I never take for granted everything these guys do. And it's been cool to see Sting – always special talent, but just to see the level of play kind of start to really rise up to that and match up consistently play in, play out, he's becoming a very, very special player for us. And obviously, I think an elite level corner in this league. But I never take any of that for granted. I'm in awe of everything these guys do around here. So, I don't take what these guys do for granted. He makes it look easy, but it's not."
On how much CB Kamari Lassiter soaks up CB Derek Stingley Jr.'s play style
"I think so. I think all those guys. I think – we're probably going to start talking about [DE] Will [Anderson Jr.] and [DE] Danielle [Hunter] and all the kind of matchups in the room, or like the partnerships in the rooms, I think those guys start to feed off each other and see how they play and the challenges and all those things. So, I think Kamari seeing Sting really elevate his game to where it's become and Kamari wanting to get to that level too. I think there's always that sort of back and forth for sure."
On how much CB Derek Stingley Jr.'s ball skills remind him of CB Xavien Howard's ball skills
"Honestly, pretty similar, very similar. X was – it's just all those plays. I feel like it's like Sting's trademark, signature, that sort of over the top catch he makes. And actually, we played New England, I'm going to say '17 in Miami, when I was in Miami and X had a couple similar like that. Like [WR Brandin] Cooks is hitting over the top and he just tracked over the top and makes those plays. So, there's a lot of those elements I see, for sure, similarities."
On the vision he saw for the defensive line this offseason when they brought in new pieces
"I think, again, the D-line is the start of this front, or this defense and how we play up front. And I think, number one – and I think part of this conversation – like the depth and so bringing multiple people in that we felt comfortable being able to play our style. And finding guys like [DT] Mario [Edwards Jr.] and [DT] Tim Settle and [DT Folorunso Fatukasi] Foley, some of those guys, the inside. And I think that was the first thing – and I 'm appreciative, again, of obviously having [Head Coach] DeMeco [Ryans] be a defensive guy and [Executive Vice President and General Manager] Nick [Caserio] and his staff, that's a commitment. To put a lot of resources into that room and to commit to not a lot of teams play eight and nine guys like we play up front. So, that's a, I wouldn't say it's a burden, but it's a factor in how you're building the rest of your roster. So, to be appreciative of an organization that's committed to doing that and to understand the vision of how we want to play and we need, again, we want to play fast and aggressive and penetration, the way we play, you can't do that if you're playing those same four guys the whole game. So, to me, it started with just building depth there and bringing in pieces that we felt could play the style and contribute. And so, then it's evaluation of looking for the guys that you feel can do that, can elevate their game in our system. It's just looking for, again, just the athletic traits or the play style that translates that you think – we felt that there were guys that we brought in that would have a jump in production and have a jump in sort of their level of play based on our front."
On the challenges in facing the off-script things Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes does and the personnel he throws to
"I mean, he's the best. He's the best in the business in a lot of categories. But I think he's difficult – we've played a lot of mobile quarterbacks and guys that escape and make off-schedule plays. I think he's probably the most – the least predictable of where he's going with it, or where he's getting out. Some guys, you know kind of where their favorite to escape to or like to flush, or they don't want to go away from the throwing hand, or they want to step up, or – he'll do it all. And he steps up, then drops back, then spins and goes and gets out. So, that's the first piece is I think he's a lot more unpredictable in where he's escaping to and how you're trying to corral him. And then it just starts with [Chiefs TE Travis] Kelce, the connection those guys have. I mean, he's just – Kelce, he's unbelievable. Sitting down in zones, getting open, understanding leverage and then the connection those guys have of just – you can see it sometimes. They don't even have to look at each other. He just knows, 'I'm always going to break this way. I'm going to put the ball out there.' So, whenever you're playing a team like this, or an offense like this that has those capabilities, it's a two-headed monster. Our front's got to be good and try to corral him and rush him and keep him where we want to keep him. And then our backend has to plaster and understand you're in zone coverage, they're not just going to run to you in your zone. They're going to sit down. They're going to move. They're going to break off your leverage, all those things. So, it's going to be a full team effort to try to stop this."
On what he remembers about Chiefs WR Hollywood Brown and what makes him dangerous
"Obviously, the speed, it's another speed element. And they brought [Chiefs WR Xavier] Worthy in who, obviously, has some speed as well. So, now you're adding another guy that can stretch the field. I mean, Hollywood, that's been his calling card for a long time. So, I think if he plays, it's just another sort of top-end guy that we have to account for."
On if having LB Christian Harris back will help them defend a mobile quarterback in Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
"Obviously, whenever you have more speed on the field and more explosive athletes and playmakers, it helps close some of those windows or go match up people or get sticky or pull the quarterback up, however you kind of utilize all those pieces. So, for sure, Christian's a good – it was great to have him back last week. He played really well for us and having his speed on the field will help to defend some of that, hopefully."
On the growth he has seen from S Calen Bullock this season
"Honestly, you guys would probably laugh at us, I know [Head Coach] DeMeco [Ryans] mentioned it, one of the things we've tasked him on was tackling, just his angles and some of the – we know what he is as a backend player and his ball skills speak for themselves and stuff. But you can't be one-dimensional as a player in this league, as a safety in this league. And so, one of the things we tasked him with is being a better tackler, or just an eraser. If things break out, you can't let runs turn into bigger plays, or whatnot. And so, I think he did a really good job last week, or really the last few weeks of taking some of that to heart. And I think his tackling's been better. He's becoming more of a multi-dimensional player for us. So, everyone sees the big plays and the ball skills and all that. But I think he's just becoming a more complete player for us, which just, again, helps how you deploy him, helps how you can disguise some things. He's doing a really good job of just growing in his role and becoming a complete player."
On how beneficial it has been to have S Jimmie Ward take over the nickel position with S Jalen Pitre out due to injury
"Obviously, we miss [S] Jalen [Pitre] and what he brings. But I would say probably a luxury that maybe not a lot of teams have to have a guy like Jimmie who can still be an elite level nickel in this league. Being able to kind of plug in some of those roles for us. So, for sure, very fortunate that Jimmie's been able to kind of fill some of those gaps for us."
Special Teams Coordinator Frank Ross
This is why you do it right here. We're going up against the best. Let's start with the Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub. He's been really the best return game coordinator since he's had Devin Hester, so they're featured return in both kick and punt is so different and dynamic and he tailors his game to his returners. He's using three different kick returners after losing Mecole Hardman. Now they Nikko Remigio from Fresno State. This guy coming out a year ago and just got his opportunity and shot out of a cannon. Credit to coach Toub. They do things the right way and it shows up. They have showed up in the biggest moments. Blocking a field goal to end the Denver game and those types of things. We're going into Arrowhead and it's going to be different and it's going to be loud. We need to play really good field position football to shorten our field and give the Chiefs long field position.
On how many weeks of preparation went into the execution of the fake punt
"Yeah, fakes don't happen just specifically for one week at a time. You do practice and some stuff carries over. You do practice those variations or tweaks relative to who you're playing against of each fake, but yeah you used the word yourself like execution. That was a really good moment, but to every single little detail on that was, that's as good as we've ever executed a play. I think it shocked Dare [Ogunbowale] at how much space he had in the NFL like that doesn't happen. He was running with the ball [gestures to show loose carry] and I said 'keep that ball tight.' That's a good thing and mattered in a big moment and if we ever get the chance to do something like that again, you want that type of execution."
On what went into the decision to call the fake punt
"Just opportunity, look, down, distance, whatever we had scouted previously on how they play certain defenses if you want to call it that, or punt return looks. Midfield, or fourth and short, or possession, or time to gain that type of thing. Every coach has a different punt return, or people call it defensive stay or punt safe, or whatever they may call it or we may call it. We look at those things and decide whether that's a green light or not."
On the emotional roller coaster of that play
"You want that to be like an ultimate high and then there is kind of a screeching halt there for a second. My stomach dropped out a little bit when I saw the ball on the ground, but none the less watching the way guys try to jump on the ball. I mean Dylan Horton was fighting until he stood up in a wrestling match there and the official was trying to break it up. Guys are bought in and it's a good place to be right now."
On if there is an advantage having Tommy going into this week
"Yeah, I just want him to play sound solid football. Extract whatever information he is wanting to give us and things like that. It's not rocket science. There is not something that he is going to tell us that's going to change the whole game. Toub knows that. We need good punts with good hang and good direction, and we need to tackle better. We were really disappointed that he flushed the biggest punt of the afternoon against Miami and we ended up with only a 42 yard net because we had leverage and bad tackling. You can't do that when you're going against really good teams like Miami and Kansas City. We've got to make sure that when we hit a nice consistent football, we've got a great webbing and net and we're playing off each other with our hair on fire to sure that tackle up."
On if there is something special about playing in Arrowhead Stadium
"That's as real as football gets. There are a handful of teams in our league like Pittsburgh, Philly, Cleveland, KC, Dallas like those teams are a little bit different with their fanbase and their atmosphere when they're rolling and I'd say that they're at the top. We get to go play football in December with the chance to get to 10 wins. That's a big deal."
On if it's back to the drawing board to create a fake now that he has already showed it
"Yeah, I think that playbooks are always playbooks. That's a good question, but every week we'll determine what we need. I'm a gameplan person, so I don't roll out the same thing every single week across the board. I move players per matchup for everything. Whatever we need to win this down, this punt, this kick return this week. That's how we operate."
On the wind in Arrowhead stadium and how that can affect special teams
"Yeah, accurate question. I think we'll definitely use that as much to our advantage in prep and pregame as much as we can. Familiarity – you can't pay or ask for experience, well Tommy [Townsend] has it, so nobody else on our unit has that but he does so we'll hopefully use that to our advantage. Him knowing what type of punts we can hit when and where. Types of kicks we can hit when and where. I've said this before, but we ask our players questions all the time in the feedback loop to help us coach better. That will be good information for us."
On what it means to see how his special teams has played over the last two years
"I believe that it doesn't matter if you are where your feet are. Doesn't matter if you're 0-10, or 10-0 at that point in time. To me football and the joy of it comes from Wednesday and Thursday when nobody is out there and it's just us grinding out there at practice. That's awesome. You live for the big moment on Sunday at noon, but the daily job doesn't change no matter where you're at. if you've got the right type of people, you can grind through whatever the circumstance may be. It doesn't really matter. We're so blessed to coach and play football for a living. When you get to reaping some rewards there is always going to be something a little sweeter at the end, but to me Kansas City this week is all that matters and I'm excited for just that."
