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What We Learned From Thursday's Media Availability

The Chiefs spoke with the media following their final preseason game on Thursday

HEAD COACH ANDY REID

Opening Statement:"Alright, as far as injuries go, I think we did pretty good in this game. Dadi [Nicolas] has a strained neck. He'll have an MRI tomorrow and [Brian] Parker has a shoulder strain, and he'll be checked out again tomorrow. So, all-in-all, it was a good win, good opportunity to see the young guys play. They got extended time and it gives [John] Dorsey an opportunity to go and evaluate these guys and put the team together."

What did you see from Tyler Bray?"I think he was 10-of-17 – around that. I thought he did some good things – started off a little slow, but he worked through it and did some good things."

What did you see from Aaron Murray?"Aaron [Murray] had those couple picks there. You'd like to have those back, but again, he did some good things too. But, obviously, you can't turn the ball over."

Do you have a message to those guys on the sidelines when things aren't going their way?"Well, he'd been out for a little bit (Tyler Bray). So, back in the speed of the game, I think got to him a little bit right at the beginning. He settled down, worked his way through it. I thought he did a good job."

Is it fair to say that one of those quarterbacks has got to go?"We'll see. I can't tell you that right now – got to see what [John] Dorsey wants to do with it."

Can you talk about how Darrin Reaves and Knile Davis ran tonight?"I thought they ran hard, and I thought they were both very productive, especially down the stretch."

What are your thoughts on injuries being pretty clean this preseason?"I mean, I feel like I have to knock on wood if I say anything. I think it's just this year, it's one of those things. Every year is different. We've been lucky where we've caught a few breaks there."

Is there a lot of growth that you've seen from Tyler Bray from April to now?"I'll tell you when things weren't going his way, he came back strong. I think that's big for a quarterback. He didn't let that get to him at all, and I'd say that's maturity. I think that's the area that he needed to improve the most in when he got here. He was the youngest guy in the draft at the time and comes up, and we've seen him grow up here over the last three years or so."

Is one of the reasons you stuck with Tyler Bray for so long is because of his arm strength?"He's got a big arm. You won't find too many guys with stronger arms – there's more to it than that. I think that's what got him in the door. He's taken advantage of that opportunity by putting together some good plays."

After a month or so of camp and then four preseason games, is it a difficult decision to sort through those three young quarterbacks?"I think they've all got their positives, they've all got things they need to work on. I think they can play in this league given time to mature so it makes it rather tough. We're going to have some tough decisions period, a couple different positions, that'll definitely be one as we go."

How much has the talent level changed since you got here?"Again, I think Dorsey has [John] done a real nice job bringing in competition and talent. You're right, we're going to have to let some guys go that are going to make other clubs, and that's a tribute to Dorsey and his staff."

When you sit down with John [Dorsey] and you're talking about quarterbacks, are you set? You need three. "I just tell him we'll keep them home"

So are you set on three? "No, not necessarily. We'll go through and keep the best guys, and we really haven't gotten into any of that yet. Teams go with two, teams go with three, we just have to see where it works out at other positions."

Defense had a couple of fourth down stops there at the end, what does it show you or how encouraging is it to you that those guys were playing through it? "They got a lot of snaps, that was a big thing tonight. Always worry about that, they haven't played that much up until this point and now really we're asking them to play four quarters and special teams along with their positions. They were able to suck it up there down the stretch, made some big plays during the last four downs. They score under two minute before you hit that two minute warning, they're right in the mix, they did a good job out there.'

Nick Williams, he had a couple of plays, a couple of sacks, what'd he show you tonight?

"He had a couple of real nice rushes. I thought he did a real good job, change of direction back there. You saw early that quarterback was slithery. He was tough to bring down. He was able to get himself nice and low and change directions, that's tough for a big guy to do."

What do you think made the biggest difference in the last two preseason games? "Probably the focus of the guys. They've gone and worked the fundamentals of the front seven. These are prideful guys. You discover a weakness there and then they're going to try to turn that into a strength. That's what they've done."

RB DARRIN REAVES

Comments on what he takes from the other running backs on the team:"Those are guys that I admire for what they did and their journeys through the NFL.  Seeing them come out and be successful last year, gave me fuel to my fire.  I learned from them.  We have a great group of guys.  We have some great guys in that room. I can't speak enough about that room."

Can you tell me how your touchdown run developed?"Our line did a great job.  There were multiple holes there.  I just ended up taking it outside.  The tackle had a great block on the end.  Once again, I was just the lucky guy to have the ball in my hands.  The offensive line did a great job."

Is it a relief that the preseason is over or does it add pressure?"It is not so much as a relief as it is like taking a step back and now it is time to go to work.  Right now, the goal is always to have better team growth.  We have our eyes on the prize.  Every day we are focused on that, our goal."

CB KEIVARAE RUSSELL

Comments on his performance in the preseason and what he has heard from his coaches:"You just have to keep working.  Everything changes from college to the NFL.  The hash marks are different.  The numbers are a little wider.  Everything is just a little different.  When I make my mistakes in practice, which I still am, they tell me to keep my head up and keep working.  Eventually I am going to get it and eventually I am going to be a big-time player in this league.  It is going to take time.  You don't just jump into it and say, 'yeah, I'm a Pro Bowl player now.'  It takes time to be considered a great player.  That is what they keep telling me.  To keep my head down and keep working, to work on your craft daily.  The game is not about just talent anymore.  Everybody is talented in this league but not everybody is skilled.  They keep telling me to work my skill because the talent is already there."

Do you feel like tonight you showed what you had been showing in practice?"I think I did a little better today.  From my perspective and the coach's perspective, I'm still young. There are plays where I think, 'That is not going to look good on film.' There are still plays where I am still playing like a young guy.  I have to keep developing.  The reps out there today really helped out."

How did you feel about the defense only giving up 206 yards?"That was amazing.  That was our twos.  To see the twos be able to do that, we already know what our ones can do.  Everybody knows what (Dontari) Poe, Marcus Peters, Eric Berry, and Derrick Johnson can do. Everybody in the league knows that.  To hold them to seven points and 200 yards of offense, that shows that we have backups that can go out there and play against the best.  It is not just the ones. There is not much of a drop off."

C MITCH MORSE

Comments on offensive line depth:"It was apparent today. The guys really went out there and proved themselves. It is going to be a tough decision.  I'm glad it's not my decision.  I have a feeling that even if some of these guys are let go, they are going to get picked up, by just the way they play. I think they made training camp competitive. It is going to be sad.  It always is this time of year. We are going to get some guys back and we are going to lose some but time marches on. Those guys played real well.  I feel like, if they are let go, I have had the time of my life, playing with them these last three months."

When do you turn the page on the preseason and get into regular season mode?"Immediately after this.  It is exciting.  We are going to get back Sunday and get practice in.  Let's get ready to rock and get focused on the Chargers and bring home a win for Kansas City.  It will be rocking man.  I'm looking forward to it."

Are you anxious to get the bad taste out of your mouth from last year's playoff loss and get the new season started?"Absolutely, it was such a good run last year and we felt like we had so much more in the tank.  We are ready to prove ourselves this year and go all the way.  That's the ultimate goal and anything less is unsatisfactory."

 

QB TYLER BRAY

How do you think tonight's final preseason game went?"I think it went well. The first couple drives didn't go so well, and I was a little off throwing the ball but the blocking was great and the receivers got open, I just missed them."

Do you think it went well enough to solidify a spot on the roster?"I won't know until I get the call."

What are you going to do the next couple of days? "I'll hang out with family. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't. You can't let it stress you out too much."

LB DERRICK JOHNSON We're in the regular season now. How does it feel getting to the real deal?"Even beyond Sunday being game day, there's a week of preparation we need to get ready for. It's here, it's real, we're going to prepare but we're going to have a lot of fun too."

How does it feel knowing some talented players will be leaving the team soon? "It happens. This is the league. If it's not with us, they'll go and join another team and we'll be happy for them -- whether it's with us or with another team. That's the nature of the business: you can only have 53 guys on a roster."* *

DB ERIC MURRAY

What keeps you motivated and confident on defense? "Getting the reps in practice and playing behind the guys we have in the locker room. They've all gone through the same things I have and they're still here playing."
*What advice have you received from veterans out here? *"I see how calm and loose some of them are. I can be tense at times, so it helps seeing their level of calmness out there."

WR DE'ANTHONY THOMAS

With an absence last year, do you feel like you have something to prove this year?*"Not at all. It's 2016, it's a new year with new goals and I'm going to go out and have fun." *

LB DEZMAN MOSES

Does finishing the preseason take off any pressure or get you excited for the regular season? "I'm a little of both. I missed the last two weeks so I had a bit of a work week getting back in the groove. I was excited to get back out there and get some snaps in and some opportunities."
* *What do you think of the defense as a whole after the preseason? "It just goes to show the character of the defense. We didn't have a lot of the starters out there tonight but we stood up, played tough, and that's what you saw across the board."

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