1. Reid was impressed with rookie running back Kareem Hunt on Saturday night. Hunt rushed for 40 yards on eight carries and caught three passes for 23 yards, spending quite a bit of time with the first team offense.
"It was good to get him in – we wanted to do that going in," Reid said. "He got some work in with the ones, and I thought the best thing was to see him, and to allow him to see, the speed of the game and the endurance that it takes to play at that level. I thought he handled himself really well. He kind of tweaked his ankle right there at the end, and it ended up being where he wanted to go back in, but he had enough reps, so I was good with where he was at. I just think overall, for him to have the confidence - if he's going to help us this year - to get in there against that group in Cincinnati and for our players to see him work with that first group - I thought it was important."
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Reid continued to talk about Hunt and his development as a pass protector.
"I would tell you probably the last seven or eight days here it kind of clicked for him in that area," Reid said. "I really felt like he was getting the hang of it. EB (Running Backs Coach Eric Bieniemy) would probably agree with that, that he felt pretty comfortable with him in that area. That's always the hardest thing. Carrying the ball – you have a pretty good idea of what he can do for the most part - but that protection when it's a bang-bang play and you can't repeat the play and teach him, it's for real. That was good to see him execute there.
2. Reid provided an update on safety Eric Berry, who has missed both preseason games with a heel injury.
"(Berry) will probably get a little work in this week, at least in practice," Reid said. "We'll just have to see how he feels. We're being a little conservative with him in that area. I think we know what he can do, but at the same time, I want to make sure that he's comfortable going into our first game against New England. We'll see how he feels. He's a determined guy, so I might have to out the clamps on him a little bit because he's full throttle when he's out there."
*Reid also provided an update on defensive tackle Chris Jones, who was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform List last week, and linebacker Tamba Hali, who is dealing with a knee injury. *
"We'll see. We were able to work Chris in a little bit last week in practice, and we'll increase that," Reid said. "I think he came out of last week feeling pretty good. Sore, but just from playing, not because of the injury. We'll just see how he does. With Tamba, we'll just see how things work out this week."
3. Reid discussed how rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes has done in his transition to the NFL so far. Mahomes completed 10 of 14 passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday.
*"You're really not sure (how they'll develop) until they get here," Reid said. "You hear about the work ethic and all of that, but it's just different at this level. I keep referring to the (quarterback) room, and it's important that they're in a good room to learn. Then it's a matter of their effort, and that's kind of the unknown. I've been very pleased with that part of it. He's a relentless worker. He wants to be the best. All of those intangible things that you kind of heard about but you really didn't know until you have him here, he's kind of answered that part and done well. It's important that he stays on top of it – every day is a new experience for him. He hasn't been through this before. To have an Alex Smith in the room, I just think for a young guy, you can't ask for more than that. To see how you handle yourself as a professional and how you go about working and not being afraid to ask questions. Overall, I've been very pleased with his work ethic and how he's gone about it professionally." *
Reid went on to discuss how Mahomes did last night in particular.
*"He did OK, there were a couple little hiccups in there, but for the most part I thought he did well," Reid said. "In particular, he did well getting in and out of the huddle and seeing things there. There were a few hiccups, but nothing major. I think that motor was going pretty fast when he first got in the game. He was excited to be in there with that first group and that early in the game. I think he kind of settled down after that and handled himself pretty well." *
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4. Reid also discussed the play of his defense as a whole, which held Cincinnati to under 260 yards and just four field goals on the night, and defensive back Phillip Gaines in particular.
"There's a couple things that we need to work on, but overall, I thought we did a pretty nice job there. It was great to get (Phillip) Gaines back in there and get him a lot of playing time," Reid said. "He got a lot of work in against good players and I think that will just add to his confidence down the road here. He came out feeling pretty good and he kept on battling which was beautiful to watch. I appreciated that."
5. Reid talked about tight end Demetrius Harris, who caught two touchdowns on Saturday, and his development now in his fourth year in the NFL.
"He's had a good camp. He came in and he's put on a little bit of weight – he's been kind of our primary run blocker and second tight end. He added just a little bit of weight – some good weight – and he's worked a ton on catching the football in tight areas," Reid said. "I'm looking forward to how he plays this season. He's come a long way, I mean he was a basketball player in college, but he grew up in a football family. His dad was a professional football player, so he knows the game and understands it, but in terms of actually getting out there and doing it, he's gotten better every year. It's a tribute to him."
