Kansas City Chiefs coaches and players discuss their upcoming game against the New England Patriots.
On facing the Patriots...
"When you play the Patriots, you're always going to get their best shot. That's how we're looking at it and we have looked at it throughout the weeks here."
- Chiefs head coach Andy Reid
"I mean Cam (Newton), he's a heck of a quarterback, he's a heck of an athlete. Going against these guys, they're very fundamentally sound, so it's definitely going to be a good game on our end."
- Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill
"They have a good defense. Obviously, they've won football games and defense is a big part of that. And you know, I think as an O-Line, we're just trying to prepare with the same mentality. Making sure we're studying, making sure we're watching the film, what they're doing, and just practicing the right way. We practice with a game-like tempo, and I think that's been paying off for us and to keep that going, it's a challenge, but it's what we're up for and Coach (Andy) Reid doesn't accept anything but it so you know we're excited for another challenge this week and the challenges will just continue. We got a big bullseye on our back coming off the Super Bowl win, and we started this thing right, we just got people going."
- Chiefs tackle Eric Fisher
"They do a heck of a job on the offensive side. They've got a great coordinator who has been doing it a long time and done it a bunch of different ways, and they've got good players—Cam being in a role there that he has fully accepted and I think he's enjoying, so he's doing a great job. So, we anticipate them being able to run the ball, but don't be fooled because Cam can throw the ball, too, very well and they mix it up and have the flexibility to do so. Then defensively, likewise, they're always very well-coached, their scheme is as sound as can be and they do quite a few things out of it."
- Chiefs head coach Andy Reid
"I mean, luckily for us, we've played them a good amount of times. That's when you see all the different types of stuff that they presented us and offenses like us. You know there's going to be un-scouted stuff, but there's going to be stuff that he's going to throw out there. I mean, that's why he's one of the best coaches of all time, and we have to make sure that we are able to make adjustments quickly and find ways to not have negative plays and have positive ones."
- Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes
On Cam Newton...
"Cam can do anything. Cam, he's been the passer, he's been the runner, he's been the whole deal. You have to prepare for everything. Yeah they have the run game that's tremendous. You also have a guy that can throw the football. I've played against Cam enough and seen him enough to know how explosive he is doing both."
- Chiefs head coach Andy Reid
"I wish I could do some of the things that he does as far as how physical he is and the way he's able to make plays happen. He's a great football player. Like you said, I watched when he was at Auburn. I guess he went to Blinn College, which is down there kind of close to East Texas. He played against like TJC (Tyler Junior College) and some of those junior colleges. I saw his highlights then when I was back in high school in those days. He's a great football player and he's in a great spot now and he's playing really good football. I think it's going to be a great challenge to go up against his team, knowing that they're going to be able to really move the football. Hopefully our defense is going to come out there and play like they did this last week."
- Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes
On the difference between this year's Cam Newton led Patriots and Patriots teams of the past...
"Well, some of the things are the same but they're mixing it up and I think what you see is, they play the strength of the players. So that's what they're doing and it's a tribute to them for coaching that way. That's what I see. Listen, you're following the greatest ever with a guy who is a great player too, so it's a unique situation and they're making it, just with different strengths. They're doing a nice job with it."
- Chiefs head coach Andy Reid
On Stephon Gilmore...
"I think all the quarterbacks know he's really, really good. That would be the main thing. He's big, he's physical and he's fast. Being with Coach Belichick, you can really tell that he really understands route concepts, he really understands alignments, what routes guys can run from certain alignments, and I think that's just made him better and better each year. It's a great challenge for us, that entire defense is every single time we play them. He's a guy that you have to know where he's out on the field, and you have to know that he's going to be a physical guy that's going to really contest every single play that you go his way."
- Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes
