TRANSCRIPTS: Los Angeles Rams - Kansas City Chiefs Postgame Quotes - Mon., Nov. 19, 2018
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Please note, due to print deadlines, this email contains partial transcripts
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay – Rams-Chiefs Postgame Availability – Nov. 19, 2018
(Opening statement)
“I want to start out just recognizing the first responders. How instrumental they’ve been in helping keep our community together through some real adversity. It was great to have those guys here tonight. What a great football game tonight in terms of just the competitive nature of the game, the guys responding back and forth, all three phases, special teams, offense, defense. You have much respect for (Chiefs Head Coach) Coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs. You see why they’re one of the best teams in football. But I thought our guys did an outstanding job together tonight. Just sticking together, staying connected, not letting the circumstances dictate the way that we responded and finding a way to get a big win. It will certainly make our bye a little bit more enjoyable and then we’ll come back ready to go for the last stretch of the season.”
(On the flow of the game and the back and forth nature of the game)
“Yes, it was one of the most competitive games I’ve been a part of since I’ve been coaching in this league. You talk about back and forth and a lot of points, but a lot of it was a representation. A couple defensive touchdowns for us, they had a defensive touchdown. I thought it was really just a competitive game with a lot of high caliber football in all three phases. You see why they’re a 9-1 team coming into this game. Coach Reid’s done such a great job and I have so much respect, look up to him, the way that he leads, the consistency in which he operates. It was a great job just by both teams being able to deliver a great product tonight.”
(On QB Jared Goff’s performance)
“He was awesome. I thought especially on the last drive. I think it was a six-play drive, they were mixing in some two man (coverage) and then going into a little bit of an invert and he was just finding the right completions, guys were separating. But it’s one of those deals where the offensive line was doing a great job protecting, especially against some elite rushers up front and guys creating separation and he’s got to put it on the money. I thought the one play to (WR Brandin) Cooks on the right sideline when they were in a two man, he hits him on an out route. You look at when you he lets that thing go before (Chiefs CB Orlando) Scandrick could flip his eyes around and then Brandin runs after the catch. We hit (TE) Tyler Higbee, (TE) Gerald Everett makes a play and then he finishes it off with a touchdown. It was a great job. They dropped the safety down in, he put it up and down and then Gerald ends up just right down the sideline, not stepping out of bounds and so many guys made plays today. But I thought Jared’s poise and confidence and ability to respond after it wasn’t always pretty, especially in some instances, is why you love him and why he’s such a great quarterback because of that even-keel demeanor and disposition and that poise that we always talk about.”
(On OLB Samson Ebukam and if there was any indication he would have a game like this)
“I think he just does all the little things the right way. He was a big part a couple weeks ago, or it seems like a couple weeks ago, last week getting the (Seahawks Q
Russell Wilson flush with his rush, coming off the edge and then (DT) Aaron’s (Donald) pursuit and completion on the fourth down. (Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Coach) Joe Barry and (Assistant Linebackers) Chris Shula have done such a great job with him. He’s getting better and better and you know he takes coaching the right way and he’s talented. To be able to come away with two touchdowns today by our defense and by (OL Samson (Ebukam). You look at Aaron Donald’s contributions, two sacks, two forced fumbles. He’s an incredible player and really just our team as a whole. So happy for (C Marcus Peters, (C Lamarcus Joyner to be able to get interceptions. I could go on and on, it was a great game today.”
Rams QB Jared Goff – Rams-Chiefs Postgame – Nov. 19, 2018
(On his dad being a firefighter and how that played into his emotions towards the tragedies)
"He did work as a firefighter for 20 years, I think, recently, up to 20 years. Yeah, it definitely made the process of the fires more understandable to me, I guess is the best way to put it. I could ask him questions and he kind of knew a lot about it. Knew what was really going on and when it was really bad and when it wasn't. So, that helps. But, it definitely puts it in perspective for me, how much those guys put their lives on the line and how thankful we are for them."
(On scoring the most total points in Monday Night Football history and playing another high-powered offense)
"Yeah, it was a crazy game, crazy game. It seemed like at the end, whoever had the ball last was going to win – that's what it felt like. Ultimately, our defense had two turnovers there at the end that proved to be the winning turnovers. It was back-and-forth the whole game. There were times where we felt like we had all the momentum, we thought we were going to put the knife in and finish it and then there were times where it was the other way around where we were like, 'All right, we need to kind of claw back into this.’ It was a fun one."
(On if he's getting accustomed to the team being efficient on all three phases of the ball)
"Yeah, you look at (OL Samson (Ebukam) too, just making those defensive plays and what he was able to do – scoring 14 points for us by himself. (P) Johnny (Hekker) was incredible tonight. That last punt there, another thing that kind of gave us the win. We were in a spot to finish the game there at the end, after (C Marcus (Peters) got the interception and unfortunately, didn't get the first down, didn't keep the clock moving. We were sick about that. We were like, 'Man, we just gave them the ball back with a minute to go with a timeout.' Like, what are we doing? But again, our defense stepped up, Johnny stepped up, it was big."
(On him being unfazed after the Chiefs scored off the fumble and they had to get back on the field to score as well)
"Like I said, I thought we were one drive away from kind of putting it away and getting enough of a lead and they would make plays and get back in it. They were in the lead in the fourth quarter and we're like, 'All right, time to respond on our side,' and we did. We made plays."
Rams RB Todd Gurley II – Rams-Chiefs Postgame Availability – Nov. 19, 2018
(On the emotions behind the game with the emphasis on ‘LA Together’ and the emotions along with showing support to everyone affected by the tragedies going on in Southern California)
“It was just cool, man. Obviously, last-minute game and everybody coming out to support. Had families here, had the responders. So, it was just a great overall crowd. It was good for the city tonight.”
(On how significant it was to beat the Chiefs)
“It was a good win. Much needed win, for sure.”
(On making it through the last two weeks and then pulling off a win)
“It’s cool. Got the home game. Like I said, last-minute game, came out here, got the win.”
Rams WR Robert Woods – Rams-Chiefs Postgame Availability – Nov. 19, 2018
(On prevailing on that last drive with no timeouts)
“Just driving the ball. We knew it was going to be similar to this. Just try to come out and execute and move the ball. I think we did that continuously. I think it came down to just being a ball player. I think Jared saw that look. Saw that it was double coverage inside and one-on-one with Gerald Everett outside, gave him a beautiful ball, and a playmaker toe tapping the sideline and finished the game.”
(On what the talk was before the offense took the field at the end of the game and inside the huddle)
“Be ourselves, work, just move the ball down the field, play our game and I think it was exactly that. We were calm, not pressed, not pressed about the time we knew we had enough time. Just patient, working, and taking what they give us and they gave us the home run.”
(On some of the big plays that came up on the defensive side of the ball)
“We were talking about it. It’s crazy we had five takeaways just to see they still put up 51 points. But it’s a high-powered offense. We tried to eliminate the big plays but we know they have some talented players. At the end of the day we sealed them off with a victory.”
Rams WR Brandin Cooks – Rams-Chiefs Postgame Availability – November 19, 2018
(On how he enjoys his bye week)
“Go home, eat some thanksgiving with my wife and my mom and my brothers and everybody. Then recover and don’t forget that we’re back at it the next week.”
(On if he appreciated the offensive talent in this game after playing on some great offenses in the past)
“This is a great one. It just goes to show, first of all, the guy that Jared Goff is. A lot of people have a lot of things to say about him but this guy’s playing at the highest level, making unbelievable plays, seeing things that most people don’t see. So you got a special quarterback in him and Coach McVay, come on now, the guy is a genius. On the edge of insanity-like genius. I think they’re talking about Coach McVay for sure.”
(On if the plan was to put the ball in Goff’s hands today)
“The plan was just to continue to be us. Whatever the defense was going to give us, we were going to try and take advantage of.”
Rams OLB Dante Fowler Jr. – Rams-Chiefs Postgame Availability – Nov. 19, 2018
(On the challenge with facing an offense with that many weapons)
“Like you said, just a lot of weapons. The receivers, they can get open really quick. They’re very fast. A whole bunch of track stars on their team and stuff like that. But we were able to hold them down and get stop them and get to the quarterback. I feel like that was a big thing. AD (DT Aaron Donald) got two sack-fumbles and we got two touchdowns on defense. Those things matter the most. I feel like that was one of the key parts of the game.”
(On if he felt that Patrick Mahomes was ever rattled)
“Yeah I’d say towards the end like the last five minutes of the game I felt like he was a little rattled. When you’re in situations like that, him being, I’ll say a rookie, in his first year in situations like that it’s kind of hard. We put the pressure on him and we did a good job.”
(On if he thinks there is a chance they will see the Chiefs again)
“We’ll see. The AFC, that’s a good division over there. They have to go through some teams just like we have to go through some teams. Hopefully we get to see them again.”
Rams CB Marcus Peters – Rams-Chiefs Postgame Availability – Nov. 19, 2018
(On his thoughts about the back and forth game)
“Exciting game, man. We’ve got two high-powered offenses like that doing some stuff like what both these teams are doing. You go out there and you just try and execute and get a stop.”
(On what it was like playing against his old team)
“I love it, man. The best thing about this is that I got to see my teammates and I got to see my old coaches and stuff. I miss those guys. Really, honestly, I miss those guys. When you’re a part of an organization like that and you go in and you’re a part of the locker room, you understand how it feels to be around some people, but you still have love for them. I wish those guys nothing but success.”
(On the interception at the end)
“Like I said, just trusting the process. You’re going to have ups and downs in a game and you just keep trusting the process. I say it’s all about team. We go out there together and we get this team win, can’t do nothing about it.”
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid – Rams-Chiefs Postgame – Nov. 19, 2018
(Opening remarks)
“Really, (Chiefs WR) Sammy (Watkins) was the only injury we have to talk about. Sammy tried to go, did some good things early, tightened up on him a little bit. He was there for us though all the way through the game in case we needed him in an emergency situation. We didn’t take any steps back, which is a positive thing with him. I appreciated our fans for being here and supporting us. It’s a tough loss, right? It was a heck of a game. But they were there, man, they were there as they are every week, and we appreciate them. (Head Coach) Sean (McVay), the job that he did with his football team, I thought he did a great job preparing this team. He’s doing a great job for the city of Los Angeles, which is important to me from being a fellow Angelino, so I do appreciate and all of the things that he’s doing for the city in a lot of different ways. With our football team, we can learn from this. It’s a great experience, two heavyweights going against each other. You obviously can’t give up 21 points when you’re in a game like this, and we did that on turnovers. You’ve got to take care of the football. On the other hand, we also created some turnovers and points there. But, too many penalties, a lot of penalties in the first quarter. I don’t know about those, but they called them, and so we were going backwards when we needed to go forward and you don’t want to put yourself in a hole like that. We had too many penalties. 13 penalties overall and I think eight of them were in the first quarter, so we’ve got to do a better job of that. We’ve got a bye week coming up. We’re going to heal up here and get ourselves ready to go down the stretch around here.”
(On if there is room for the offense to improve, apart from limiting turnovers)
“Sure, absolutely. You go back in a game like this – heck, I wish I would have called some different plays. We can all do better on both sides of the ball and special teams. We can learn from this in a lot of different ways. We’ve got to look at it individually even though we talk team and that helps us become a better team when we do that and be real with ourselves.”
(On what went wrong for his defense on the Rams’ game-winning drive)
“Yeah, well we had an opportunity to end the game right there with an interception. It slipped through our hands there a little bit. We were in a position though to end the thing. I don’t know if they punched it out or not - I didn’t have a great view of it - but you have opportunities. In these games, in comes down to that. It was back-and-forth. And then, I could have called some better plays down the stretch, bottom line. We all look at it that way, every guy on this team will do that. That’s the way these guys are wired and that’s’ what’s going to make us a great football team down the stretch.”
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes – Rams-Chiefs Postgame – Nov. 19, 2018
(On any particular mistakes he felt he made tonight)
“Yeah, I mean - little things. Every single game you leave plays out there you think you can get. But yeah, I mean you said it - the turnovers just changed the game. I think I gave them 21 points, pretty much, through turnovers. It’s kind of just like at the New England game, you can’t give good teams points turning the ball over…”
(On what he saw on the two final interceptions late in the fourth quarter)
“The first play - it was actually the play that we had ran with where (Chiefs WR) Tyreek (Hill) scored the first time. They covered him well and Chris (Conley) settled right down the middle of the field. I feel like I didn't shoot it to him, and I got hit and the ball came out funny and (C Marcus (Peters) made a great play on it. But I mean I thought if I could just - if I could give him a full throw I could get it to him. I’ve just got to learn from that, knowing that you’re almost in field goal range, you can’t take that chance sometimes.”
(On what it was like to see his former teammate Marcus Peters pick him off at the end)
“He's a great player. He’s made a lot of plays in his short career that he's had so far. He’s a great guy, he loves the game of football. So, I’m not happy he picked me off but I’m happy that he’s still having success.”
(On if he thought there was a team out there that could outscore them)
“Yeah, I mean I believe our offense is - can be the best in the league, I feel like we've kind of proved that for awhile this season, but I mean - there’s a lot of great offenses. I know the Saints, I know the Rams, also have really good offenses - and with the Chargers - and there’s a lot of teams that are playing well right now and so I always will take my team over everybody just because I know what we’re capable of.”
(On what will be the discussion amongst his teammates going in to the bye week)
“It sucks right now, I mean it’s plain and simple. You wanted to go win that game going into the bye week against a good team like that, a playoff team. But at the same time we still control our own destiny. We can go out there and win football games after the bye week. It’s kind of like that reset, get your body right and come back with that mentality that we’re gonna win and we can still get home field advantage hopefully.”
(On how much this game reminded him of the Big 12 matchup against Oklahoma)
“Yeah, someone asked me that earlier. It didn’t really, for the most part. I mean if I don’t give them the 21 points the score isn’t as high probably either way. So just little mistakes that I made is just stuff you can’t do. I thought our defense stepped up well at a lot of points in the game, getting turnovers and getting us right back in the game.”
(On what mistake stings the most)
“Yeah, the pick that I threw where he returned it is probably the biggest one just because the guy was open and I feel like I was a little early so I kind of babied it instead of just ripping the ball like I’ve been doing the whole game and it got deflected and it made a great play on a scored touchdown but it kind of up to be where it was like a 10 or nine point lead at that point and it’s hard to come back that late in the game and we were - luckily the defense gave us a turnover of their own, but it’s hard to come back from stuff like that.”
(On playing in such a high-stakes game)
“Yeah I mean it’s always fun to play against really good teams and that’s a really good team with the Rams and so you got to - you get to go out there and just have fun, play with a lot of guys and a lot of guys were making plays today and so it’s always - every week’s fun for me and getting to go out there with my teammates.”
(On what he learned today)
“Yeah, I mean it’s the same as when we played New England. I mean it’s just - you can’t make mistakes against great teams and when you play these games you know, these are the games you’re going to play hopefully in the playoffs and so you want to make sure that you limit your mistakes and that still at the same time be aggressive and still score points.”
(On if he didn’t fully realize the talent of DT Aaron Donald until he faced him on the field)
“Yeah, I mean he’s pretty good on film too - I mean he’s a good player. It’s hard to say that because you watch him on film he dominates on film, but at the same time when you get out there in the game, with the speed and strength that he plays at I mean - it’s unreal and he’s also a smart player. On those strip-sacks he could of easily just sacked me, but he came around and got it out of my hand and the got the momentum kind of in their favor.”
(On if he thinks he did a good job keeping his emotions in check having played in such a big game tonight)
“Yeah, I thought I did. I feel like after the first - we didn’t get going on the first drive because of penalties but after that I feel like we were rolling I mean other than the turnovers, I mean I feel like we were offensively moving the ball well down the field the whole entire game. So, it’s just stuff you got to learn from, I mean turnovers happen in this league and you have to find ways to pull out wins against teams like this.”
Chiefs WR Chris Conley – Rams-Chiefs Postgame – Nov. 19, 2018
(On things the team can take from this as far as confidence if they play the Rams again)
“I mean the fact that we were in this game with three scoring turnovers. We gave them 21 points off turnovers and they are a good team they took advantage of them. If we can eliminate those penalties and the turnovers, this game is a different game. If we can score off those drives, it’s a different game. It all comes down to being disciplined and executing, we have to do that.”
(On QB Patrick Mahomes battling back after his mistakes)
“Patrick (Mahomes) is a gamer. Regardless of what happened out there tonight, he was ready to go out there to make plays to win the game and we admire that about him. We are behind him and he is our quarterback and we know he will bounce back from this and he will be better.”
Chiefs LB Justin Houston – Rams-Chiefs Postgame – Nov. 19, 2018
(On what the team showed tonight)
“I think we showed a lot of heart. We took several punches. Everybody’s got a gameplan until you get hit in the mouth. We got hit in the mouth several times, but for us to keep fighting as a whole, I think that shows what type of team we are and how much heart we have.”
(On what he takes from this)
“We’re going to get in the film room. We’re going to see what we messed up on, see what we need to correct and we build from there.”
(On what it’s like defensively going back and forth in a game like tonight)
“You keep fighting. You play the whole 60 minutes. That’s what you play the game of football for and that’s what we had to do tonight. We were in a lot of tough situations, but real champs don’t fold, I don’t think we folded tonight. This is the closest game we’re going get to a playoff atmosphere. It showed where we’re at and it showed what we need to work on. So we’re going to get in the film room and build from there.”
Chiefs LB Dee Ford – Rams-Chiefs Postgame – Nov. 19, 2018
(On what’s it like being a defensive player in a game with so many points scored)
“You really don’t think about it. You are just playing the next play. Every drive, every play counts so you’re not thinking about the flow of the game. We kind of expected that.”
(On how much DL Allen Bailey first defensive touchdown energize the team)
“ A lot. Big plays, we need those and that’s what we hang our hat on is pressuring the quarterback to turn the ball over. DT Justin (Hamilton) made an amazing play and DB Allen (Bailey) was able to take it in for the score. It was exactly what we needed.”
(On coming up with a few more big plays on defense)
“Basically. I think the defense scored at least three or four times tonight. So we just have to score a couple more times on defense.”
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay – Rams-Chiefs Postgame Availability – Nov. 19, 2018
(Opening statement)
“I want to start out just recognizing the first responders. How instrumental they’ve been in helping keep our community together through some real adversity. It was great to have those guys here tonight. What a great football game tonight in terms of just the competitive nature of the game, the guys responding back and forth, all three phases, special teams, offense, defense. You have much respect for (Chiefs Head Coach) Coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs. You see why they’re one of the best teams in football. But I thought our guys did an outstanding job together tonight. Just sticking together, staying connected, not letting the circumstances dictate the way that we responded and finding a way to get a big win. It will certainly make our bye a little bit more enjoyable and then we’ll come back ready to go for the last stretch of the season.”
(On the flow of the game and the back and forth nature of the game)
“Yes, it was one of the most competitive games I’ve been a part of since I’ve been coaching in this league. You talk about back and forth and a lot of points, but a lot of it was a representation. A couple defensive touchdowns for us, they had a defensive touchdown. I thought it was really just a competitive game with a lot of high caliber football in all three phases. You see why they’re a 9-1 team coming into this game. Coach Reid’s done such a great job and I have so much respect, look up to him, the way that he leads, the consistency in which he operates. It was a great job just by both teams being able to deliver a great product tonight.”
(On QB Jared Goff’s performance)
“He was awesome. I thought especially on the last drive. I think it was a six-play drive, they were mixing in some two man (coverage) and then going into a little bit of an invert and he was just finding the right completions, guys were separating. But it’s one of those deals where the offensive line was doing a great job protecting, especially against some elite rushers up front and guys creating separation and he’s got to put it on the money. I thought the one play to (WR Brandin) Cooks on the right sideline when they were in a two man, he hits him on an out route. You look at when you he lets that thing go before (Chiefs CB Orlando) Scandrick could flip his eyes around and then Brandin runs after the catch. We hit (TE) Tyler Higbee, (TE) Gerald Everett makes a play and then he finishes it off with a touchdown. It was a great job. They dropped the safety down in, he put it up and down and then Gerald ends up just right down the sideline, not stepping out of bounds and so many guys made plays today. But I thought Jared’s poise and confidence and ability to respond after it wasn’t always pretty, especially in some instances, is why you love him and why he’s such a great quarterback because of that even-keel demeanor and disposition and that poise that we always talk about.”
(On OLB Samson Ebukam and if there was any indication he would have a game like this)
“I think he just does all the little things the right way. He was a big part a couple weeks ago, or it seems like a couple weeks ago, last week getting the (Seahawks Q
Russell Wilson flush with his rush, coming off the edge and then (DT) Aaron’s (Donald) pursuit and completion on the fourth down. (Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Coach) Joe Barry and (Assistant Linebackers) Chris Shula have done such a great job with him. He’s getting better and better and you know he takes coaching the right way and he’s talented. To be able to come away with two touchdowns today by our defense and by (OL Samson (Ebukam). You look at Aaron Donald’s contributions, two sacks, two forced fumbles. He’s an incredible player and really just our team as a whole. So happy for (C Marcus Peters, (C Lamarcus Joyner to be able to get interceptions. I could go on and on, it was a great game today.”Rams QB Jared Goff – Rams-Chiefs Postgame – Nov. 19, 2018
(On his dad being a firefighter and how that played into his emotions towards the tragedies)
"He did work as a firefighter for 20 years, I think, recently, up to 20 years. Yeah, it definitely made the process of the fires more understandable to me, I guess is the best way to put it. I could ask him questions and he kind of knew a lot about it. Knew what was really going on and when it was really bad and when it wasn't. So, that helps. But, it definitely puts it in perspective for me, how much those guys put their lives on the line and how thankful we are for them."
(On scoring the most total points in Monday Night Football history and playing another high-powered offense)
"Yeah, it was a crazy game, crazy game. It seemed like at the end, whoever had the ball last was going to win – that's what it felt like. Ultimately, our defense had two turnovers there at the end that proved to be the winning turnovers. It was back-and-forth the whole game. There were times where we felt like we had all the momentum, we thought we were going to put the knife in and finish it and then there were times where it was the other way around where we were like, 'All right, we need to kind of claw back into this.’ It was a fun one."
(On if he's getting accustomed to the team being efficient on all three phases of the ball)
"Yeah, you look at (OL
Samson (Ebukam) too, just making those defensive plays and what he was able to do – scoring 14 points for us by himself. (P) Johnny (Hekker) was incredible tonight. That last punt there, another thing that kind of gave us the win. We were in a spot to finish the game there at the end, after (C Marcus (Peters) got the interception and unfortunately, didn't get the first down, didn't keep the clock moving. We were sick about that. We were like, 'Man, we just gave them the ball back with a minute to go with a timeout.' Like, what are we doing? But again, our defense stepped up, Johnny stepped up, it was big."(On him being unfazed after the Chiefs scored off the fumble and they had to get back on the field to score as well)
"Like I said, I thought we were one drive away from kind of putting it away and getting enough of a lead and they would make plays and get back in it. They were in the lead in the fourth quarter and we're like, 'All right, time to respond on our side,' and we did. We made plays."
Rams RB Todd Gurley II – Rams-Chiefs Postgame Availability – Nov. 19, 2018
(On the emotions behind the game with the emphasis on ‘LA Together’ and the emotions along with showing support to everyone affected by the tragedies going on in Southern California)
“It was just cool, man. Obviously, last-minute game and everybody coming out to support. Had families here, had the responders. So, it was just a great overall crowd. It was good for the city tonight.”
(On how significant it was to beat the Chiefs)
“It was a good win. Much needed win, for sure.”
(On making it through the last two weeks and then pulling off a win)
“It’s cool. Got the home game. Like I said, last-minute game, came out here, got the win.”
Rams WR Robert Woods – Rams-Chiefs Postgame Availability – Nov. 19, 2018
(On prevailing on that last drive with no timeouts)
“Just driving the ball. We knew it was going to be similar to this. Just try to come out and execute and move the ball. I think we did that continuously. I think it came down to just being a ball player. I think Jared saw that look. Saw that it was double coverage inside and one-on-one with Gerald Everett outside, gave him a beautiful ball, and a playmaker toe tapping the sideline and finished the game.”
(On what the talk was before the offense took the field at the end of the game and inside the huddle)
“Be ourselves, work, just move the ball down the field, play our game and I think it was exactly that. We were calm, not pressed, not pressed about the time we knew we had enough time. Just patient, working, and taking what they give us and they gave us the home run.”
(On some of the big plays that came up on the defensive side of the ball)
“We were talking about it. It’s crazy we had five takeaways just to see they still put up 51 points. But it’s a high-powered offense. We tried to eliminate the big plays but we know they have some talented players. At the end of the day we sealed them off with a victory.”
Rams WR Brandin Cooks – Rams-Chiefs Postgame Availability – November 19, 2018
(On how he enjoys his bye week)
“Go home, eat some thanksgiving with my wife and my mom and my brothers and everybody. Then recover and don’t forget that we’re back at it the next week.”
(On if he appreciated the offensive talent in this game after playing on some great offenses in the past)
“This is a great one. It just goes to show, first of all, the guy that Jared Goff is. A lot of people have a lot of things to say about him but this guy’s playing at the highest level, making unbelievable plays, seeing things that most people don’t see. So you got a special quarterback in him and Coach McVay, come on now, the guy is a genius. On the edge of insanity-like genius. I think they’re talking about Coach McVay for sure.”
(On if the plan was to put the ball in Goff’s hands today)
“The plan was just to continue to be us. Whatever the defense was going to give us, we were going to try and take advantage of.”
Rams OLB Dante Fowler Jr. – Rams-Chiefs Postgame Availability – Nov. 19, 2018
(On the challenge with facing an offense with that many weapons)
“Like you said, just a lot of weapons. The receivers, they can get open really quick. They’re very fast. A whole bunch of track stars on their team and stuff like that. But we were able to hold them down and get stop them and get to the quarterback. I feel like that was a big thing. AD (DT Aaron Donald) got two sack-fumbles and we got two touchdowns on defense. Those things matter the most. I feel like that was one of the key parts of the game.”
(On if he felt that Patrick Mahomes was ever rattled)
“Yeah I’d say towards the end like the last five minutes of the game I felt like he was a little rattled. When you’re in situations like that, him being, I’ll say a rookie, in his first year in situations like that it’s kind of hard. We put the pressure on him and we did a good job.”
(On if he thinks there is a chance they will see the Chiefs again)
“We’ll see. The AFC, that’s a good division over there. They have to go through some teams just like we have to go through some teams. Hopefully we get to see them again.”
Rams CB Marcus Peters – Rams-Chiefs Postgame Availability – Nov. 19, 2018
(On his thoughts about the back and forth game)
“Exciting game, man. We’ve got two high-powered offenses like that doing some stuff like what both these teams are doing. You go out there and you just try and execute and get a stop.”
(On what it was like playing against his old team)
“I love it, man. The best thing about this is that I got to see my teammates and I got to see my old coaches and stuff. I miss those guys. Really, honestly, I miss those guys. When you’re a part of an organization like that and you go in and you’re a part of the locker room, you understand how it feels to be around some people, but you still have love for them. I wish those guys nothing but success.”
(On the interception at the end)
“Like I said, just trusting the process. You’re going to have ups and downs in a game and you just keep trusting the process. I say it’s all about team. We go out there together and we get this team win, can’t do nothing about it.”
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid – Rams-Chiefs Postgame – Nov. 19, 2018
(Opening remarks)
“Really, (Chiefs WR) Sammy (Watkins) was the only injury we have to talk about. Sammy tried to go, did some good things early, tightened up on him a little bit. He was there for us though all the way through the game in case we needed him in an emergency situation. We didn’t take any steps back, which is a positive thing with him. I appreciated our fans for being here and supporting us. It’s a tough loss, right? It was a heck of a game. But they were there, man, they were there as they are every week, and we appreciate them. (Head Coach) Sean (McVay), the job that he did with his football team, I thought he did a great job preparing this team. He’s doing a great job for the city of Los Angeles, which is important to me from being a fellow Angelino, so I do appreciate and all of the things that he’s doing for the city in a lot of different ways. With our football team, we can learn from this. It’s a great experience, two heavyweights going against each other. You obviously can’t give up 21 points when you’re in a game like this, and we did that on turnovers. You’ve got to take care of the football. On the other hand, we also created some turnovers and points there. But, too many penalties, a lot of penalties in the first quarter. I don’t know about those, but they called them, and so we were going backwards when we needed to go forward and you don’t want to put yourself in a hole like that. We had too many penalties. 13 penalties overall and I think eight of them were in the first quarter, so we’ve got to do a better job of that. We’ve got a bye week coming up. We’re going to heal up here and get ourselves ready to go down the stretch around here.”
(On if there is room for the offense to improve, apart from limiting turnovers)
“Sure, absolutely. You go back in a game like this – heck, I wish I would have called some different plays. We can all do better on both sides of the ball and special teams. We can learn from this in a lot of different ways. We’ve got to look at it individually even though we talk team and that helps us become a better team when we do that and be real with ourselves.”
(On what went wrong for his defense on the Rams’ game-winning drive)
“Yeah, well we had an opportunity to end the game right there with an interception. It slipped through our hands there a little bit. We were in a position though to end the thing. I don’t know if they punched it out or not - I didn’t have a great view of it - but you have opportunities. In these games, in comes down to that. It was back-and-forth. And then, I could have called some better plays down the stretch, bottom line. We all look at it that way, every guy on this team will do that. That’s the way these guys are wired and that’s’ what’s going to make us a great football team down the stretch.”
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes – Rams-Chiefs Postgame – Nov. 19, 2018
(On any particular mistakes he felt he made tonight)
“Yeah, I mean - little things. Every single game you leave plays out there you think you can get. But yeah, I mean you said it - the turnovers just changed the game. I think I gave them 21 points, pretty much, through turnovers. It’s kind of just like at the New England game, you can’t give good teams points turning the ball over…”
(On what he saw on the two final interceptions late in the fourth quarter)
“The first play - it was actually the play that we had ran with where (Chiefs WR) Tyreek (Hill) scored the first time. They covered him well and Chris (Conley) settled right down the middle of the field. I feel like I didn't shoot it to him, and I got hit and the ball came out funny and (C
Marcus (Peters) made a great play on it. But I mean I thought if I could just - if I could give him a full throw I could get it to him. I’ve just got to learn from that, knowing that you’re almost in field goal range, you can’t take that chance sometimes.”(On what it was like to see his former teammate Marcus Peters pick him off at the end)
“He's a great player. He’s made a lot of plays in his short career that he's had so far. He’s a great guy, he loves the game of football. So, I’m not happy he picked me off but I’m happy that he’s still having success.”
(On if he thought there was a team out there that could outscore them)
“Yeah, I mean I believe our offense is - can be the best in the league, I feel like we've kind of proved that for awhile this season, but I mean - there’s a lot of great offenses. I know the Saints, I know the Rams, also have really good offenses - and with the Chargers - and there’s a lot of teams that are playing well right now and so I always will take my team over everybody just because I know what we’re capable of.”
(On what will be the discussion amongst his teammates going in to the bye week)
“It sucks right now, I mean it’s plain and simple. You wanted to go win that game going into the bye week against a good team like that, a playoff team. But at the same time we still control our own destiny. We can go out there and win football games after the bye week. It’s kind of like that reset, get your body right and come back with that mentality that we’re gonna win and we can still get home field advantage hopefully.”
(On how much this game reminded him of the Big 12 matchup against Oklahoma)
“Yeah, someone asked me that earlier. It didn’t really, for the most part. I mean if I don’t give them the 21 points the score isn’t as high probably either way. So just little mistakes that I made is just stuff you can’t do. I thought our defense stepped up well at a lot of points in the game, getting turnovers and getting us right back in the game.”
(On what mistake stings the most)
“Yeah, the pick that I threw where he returned it is probably the biggest one just because the guy was open and I feel like I was a little early so I kind of babied it instead of just ripping the ball like I’ve been doing the whole game and it got deflected and it made a great play on a scored touchdown but it kind of up to be where it was like a 10 or nine point lead at that point and it’s hard to come back that late in the game and we were - luckily the defense gave us a turnover of their own, but it’s hard to come back from stuff like that.”
(On playing in such a high-stakes game)
“Yeah I mean it’s always fun to play against really good teams and that’s a really good team with the Rams and so you got to - you get to go out there and just have fun, play with a lot of guys and a lot of guys were making plays today and so it’s always - every week’s fun for me and getting to go out there with my teammates.”
(On what he learned today)
“Yeah, I mean it’s the same as when we played New England. I mean it’s just - you can’t make mistakes against great teams and when you play these games you know, these are the games you’re going to play hopefully in the playoffs and so you want to make sure that you limit your mistakes and that still at the same time be aggressive and still score points.”
(On if he didn’t fully realize the talent of DT Aaron Donald until he faced him on the field)
“Yeah, I mean he’s pretty good on film too - I mean he’s a good player. It’s hard to say that because you watch him on film he dominates on film, but at the same time when you get out there in the game, with the speed and strength that he plays at I mean - it’s unreal and he’s also a smart player. On those strip-sacks he could of easily just sacked me, but he came around and got it out of my hand and the got the momentum kind of in their favor.”
(On if he thinks he did a good job keeping his emotions in check having played in such a big game tonight)
“Yeah, I thought I did. I feel like after the first - we didn’t get going on the first drive because of penalties but after that I feel like we were rolling I mean other than the turnovers, I mean I feel like we were offensively moving the ball well down the field the whole entire game. So, it’s just stuff you got to learn from, I mean turnovers happen in this league and you have to find ways to pull out wins against teams like this.”
Chiefs WR Chris Conley – Rams-Chiefs Postgame – Nov. 19, 2018
(On things the team can take from this as far as confidence if they play the Rams again)
“I mean the fact that we were in this game with three scoring turnovers. We gave them 21 points off turnovers and they are a good team they took advantage of them. If we can eliminate those penalties and the turnovers, this game is a different game. If we can score off those drives, it’s a different game. It all comes down to being disciplined and executing, we have to do that.”
(On QB Patrick Mahomes battling back after his mistakes)
“Patrick (Mahomes) is a gamer. Regardless of what happened out there tonight, he was ready to go out there to make plays to win the game and we admire that about him. We are behind him and he is our quarterback and we know he will bounce back from this and he will be better.”
Chiefs LB Justin Houston – Rams-Chiefs Postgame – Nov. 19, 2018
(On what the team showed tonight)
“I think we showed a lot of heart. We took several punches. Everybody’s got a gameplan until you get hit in the mouth. We got hit in the mouth several times, but for us to keep fighting as a whole, I think that shows what type of team we are and how much heart we have.”
(On what he takes from this)
“We’re going to get in the film room. We’re going to see what we messed up on, see what we need to correct and we build from there.”
(On what it’s like defensively going back and forth in a game like tonight)
“You keep fighting. You play the whole 60 minutes. That’s what you play the game of football for and that’s what we had to do tonight. We were in a lot of tough situations, but real champs don’t fold, I don’t think we folded tonight. This is the closest game we’re going get to a playoff atmosphere. It showed where we’re at and it showed what we need to work on. So we’re going to get in the film room and build from there.”
Chiefs LB Dee Ford – Rams-Chiefs Postgame – Nov. 19, 2018
(On what’s it like being a defensive player in a game with so many points scored)
“You really don’t think about it. You are just playing the next play. Every drive, every play counts so you’re not thinking about the flow of the game. We kind of expected that.”
(On how much DL Allen Bailey first defensive touchdown energize the team)
“ A lot. Big plays, we need those and that’s what we hang our hat on is pressuring the quarterback to turn the ball over. DT Justin (Hamilton) made an amazing play and DB Allen (Bailey) was able to take it in for the score. It was exactly what we needed.”
(On coming up with a few more big plays on defense)
“Basically. I think the defense scored at least three or four times tonight. So we just have to score a couple more times on defense.”
| Subject | Author | Views | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Shaky | 151 | November 20, 2018 12:20AM |
