Chiefs QB - Alex Smith
Postgame Press Conference Transcript
November 24, 2013
Was this kind of a "Yeah-But" game?
"I mean, you'd like to say that and not that you don't take positives from games, but right now it wasn't enough. We didn't do enough as a team to get it done, so it stings. It's all for not."
You did open it up today on offense though.
"Yeah, we got some things moving there; you know the first two drives, it didn't look like we had something there (and) from there on out, it felt like we moved it pretty consistently and made some plays in the red zone, when we needed to. But like I said, we just didn't make enough of them in the end."
Did you think you had won the game at the end?
"I mean, like I said, I think yeah, when we scored, we certainly put the pressure back on them. We knew in that situation, there was a minute and 20 something on there, and they had been good on offense all day and obviously Philip (Rivers) was playing well. So, you knew there was a chance for sure, nothing is guaranteed, but you sure do put the pressure back on them."
On Donnie Avery's performance:
"He played great today. He competes every week, works hard in practice. I don't think anybody was surprised to see what he did out there. He probably should have had another one. He had the PI, and if I would have thrown a better ball there it would have been a touchdown. I thought he played great today. He played fast. The play on the first touchdown was a great route."
On the interception:
"Yeah, I just missed the throw trying to drive it in there on third down. I felt like the window was there and it was, but the ball just caught up on me. That's what happens when you put yourself in 3rd-and-longs sometimes. It was definitely a difference maker in the game; seven points, we hand the ball to them deep in our end, and it was a tough position to put our defense in. You look up there at the scoreboard in the end, and it could have been the difference."
On their multiple third-down conversions.
"(It started with that) first one to Donnie (Avery), so yeah, I thought at times we did some good things on third down. I don't know what the overall stats were, but like I said, it wasn't enough. Certainly, the pick was the one that sticks out."
Do you think the loss of Tamba Hali and Justin Houston put pressure on the offense?
"Not necessarily, but obviously them being out, you recognize it. They're not just the players they are, but the leaders on the team, so anytime you see that on the field, you certainly recognize it. You kind of form your own ground, I guess, you're still trying to stay focused on what you have to do. You don't have time out there to worry about things that are outside of your control. Realizing every time they scored, we had to answer. That was really our mindset on offense."
Is there anything different about losing this game and now being 9-2, than losing when you were 9-0?
"I don't think so. Certainly after any loss, you have two choices. You look at it and it's tough. You are critical of yourself and you get better from it and you get ready for the next game or you can sit and sulk and not move past it. I kind of feel like that is it. You know 9-2, there's a lot of season left and a lot can happen. We have to get back to, 'Let's just go 1-0 this week.' We can't be looking at anything beyond that. Let's have a good day tomorrow. Coming in is going to be tough, it's always tough after a loss, but we have to be critical and make improvements and then we move on."
What does the offense need to get better at for next week?
"Consistency is always the big thing. We've done a decent job over the season so far, protecting the football, but certainly that sticks out today with the pick. (We need to work on) consistently having some production and then when we get down to the red zone, coming out with sevens. Those are the areas of focus."
Why did you call the timeout when Dexter McCluster had the catch and got to the five?
"With the clock rolling, it was to let us settle down. The timeout came from the sidelines. I think it was to make sure we were in the right play. You have to be careful there to rush, because you could waste a down. Those downs are so vital; you never know if you're going to score on the next play. I think it was just making sure we were in the right situation to settle down and make sure we had the right personnel on the field and the right play called. And, I think it was worth it. It obviously came with the touchdown on the next play."
