HEAD COACH ANDY REID
Opening Statement:"Today, Eric Berry, we gave him a day off. That's just all part of this recovery thing. Then Tim Wright was sick. Those are really the only new ones for you. Dillon Gordon didn't practice, Daniel Sorensen didn't practice, Sammy Watkins didn't practice, Leon McQuay, Dorian O'Daniel, Keith Reaser and Charcandrick West, they're all making progress. Everybody's heading in the right direction, but that's what we've got. As far as the game goes, I'll give the quarterbacks each a quarter and then it kind of follows that way with the ones and the twos and the threes. There are some fours that will fall in that fourth quarter and we'll keep it at that."
Q:What is Sorensen's injury?
REID:"Dan hurt his knee. He's being evaluated. We're just going to see exactly where that thing is going."
Q:When you watch Patrick Mahomes playing this week, are you looking at him with a different eye than you looked at him last year in the preseason because he's your starting quarterback? What do you expect from him?
REID:"I was curious to see him play last year and he did a nice job. It is a different role for him, but I expect him to just go play. Go do his thing. Working with the ones there's a little bit more to it than if you're a backup and know you're not playing, but that's expected."
Q:Are there situations or scenarios that you're hoping to come across in that first quarter just because you can't really simulate them out here?
REID:"We have a few games, so I'm just expecting the guys to go out and play. When you're only going the first quarter, talking about a couple of series possibly, maybe three if you work it out alright. Just go play and see how you do."
Q:Are you still looking to bring Spencer Ware back slowly with the knee?
REID:"We'll see. I'm going to get with Rick (Burkholder) and kind of go over that list. I haven't done that. I'm just trying to get through today's work. We'll take a look at all of those guys that are banged up or have had surgeries and evaluate them."
Q:I saw Demarcus Robinson back there working on punt return.
REID:"He did a little bit of that last year for us. (Dave) Toub's got like 10 guys back there every day at the beginning of practice, you guys see that, so he's one of them. He's got some ability there and he's real good after the catch. He's good as a receiver after the catch, that's one of his strengths and as a punt returner he's going to go full speed ahead on that. Dave does a good job of that. These guys had 199 straight catches going without a drop with the punts, on that last one to break that 200 bounced off some plastic. My point is they've done a great job with catching them back there and going."
Q:You have a lot of new guys on defense, particularly in that first and second group. What would you like to see in the first game?
REID:"You're looking for assignment football. You're looking when the juices get going how you handle that. You're in the stadium with the fans there. We've had a great turnout here, but it's a little different with the lights on and it's game time. It's one more evaluation period that you have a chance to see these guys in."
Q:Speaking of that evaluation period. You've already had a year of the one cut down day. With that experience, how do you go about evaluating guys into this game and through the preseason games?
REID:"The one great thing is that you get all of them before you have to do anything. This is the first one and you always see guys they jockey. The positions where you've got great competition it's hard to tell in the first game, but the more they get playing time you get a better evaluation of them. If you're just playing a quarter it's tough to see."
Q:Has Harrison Butker been everything you want through camp since you haven't had him through a camp yet?
REID:"Yeah. He's done well. He had a rough day yesterday. I gave him the business on that. We were doing a two minute drill and came down and he missed one there. But other than that he's done very well. It's hard coming back when expectations are high. Now it's a little different deal. You have to calm the storm and make sure you stay with your fundamentals and techniques. He does pretty good with that. He's had a good camp. Yesterday I gave him the business though."
Q:Is Dustin Colquitt still giving you what you want?
REID:"Yeah, I'll tell you what, he's booming it right now. He's an amazing guy. He's not getting any younger and that ball is still flying off of his foot."
Q:Are you intrigued to see how the new kickoff rules playout in a real game?
REID:"Yeah I am. We try to go as fast as you can here but it's obviously not live on special teams. I'll be curious to see how we do there and how things work out. It's kind of a new avenue."
QUARTERBACK PATRICK MAHOMES
Q: How excited are you for this preseason game to face someone other than your own teammates?
MAHOMES:"I'm glad we get to face someone else finally. It's awesome to get out there and get into game mode. It's preseason, but at the same time as a competitor you want to win. We are going to go out there and try to win a football game."
Q:What are you looking to get out of that first quarter of work?
MAHOMES:"Like I've said all camp, I just want to go out there and be efficient, hopefully get a couple of drives and a couple of touchdowns. If it's a few drives that end with running touchdowns or throwing touchdowns, whatever, I just want to move the ball and be efficient."
Q:Did you get what you were looking to get out of the first part of training camp?
MAHOMES:"I did. I got a lot of good work and built a lot of good chemistry with those receivers. I think that's a huge deal. We are all on the same page on every coverage it seems like. As we go into the season that kind of stuff is going to be vital."
Q:All the retweeting of the kids getting their haircut like you, is this a trend? Are you encouraging this?
MAHOMES:"I don't know if I am encouraging it, but if they do it I'll show them a little respect and give them the retweet. It's pretty cool to see kids getting their hair cut like mine. You grow up and try to get haircuts like other people, so for kids to do that to you is an awesome thing. I'm not going to change my hair anytime soon. Eventually when you get to a certain age it might be too much, but as of right now I am good with the hair. I have had this haircut since my freshman year of college. After the freshman football season, we got the cut kind of as a joke with my friends and then I started letting it grow out and this is where it is now."
Q:Did you have a hair idol as a kid?
MAHOMES:"I don't think I had a hair idol. When I got the cut I showed some guys in the league that kind of already had this haircut so I modeled it after them to start off, and then I tried to make it my own thing as I've gone on. I think the main one was Kenny Stills. He was at Oklahoma and had the blonde in his hair with the mohawk. It wasn't the same type of hair as mine but it's where I started off with and just tried to make it my own thing."
Q:What has to happen Thursday night for you to be satisfied with your performance?
MAHOMES:"First off, being able to get in and out of the huddle clean. Being able to make the right protection calls and then go down and hopefully score a touchdown, that would make me a little bit happier. At the same time, you want to be efficient and try to limit mistakes and have a lot of positive plays."
Q:Let's say you have two series that you don't score, are you in Andy Reid's ear saying you could do a little bit more?
MAHOMES:"I don't know. I mean yes, kind of. I know he's going to keep it where he can try to let everyone play and try to get everyone their reps. If I don't score I might say something to him."
Q:How much different does it feel to go out into the first preseason game as the starting quarterback?
MAHOMES:"You just want to see where you're at and get against another team and see exactly how the progress has come along throughout camp and since last year. Last year I didn't know what to expect. This year I have a small sample size of what to expect going out there."
Q: Is there some kind of excitement to be able to play against Deshaun Watson even though it is just preseason?
MAHOMES:"Yeah, especially playing against another really good quarterback. Deshaun had great success when he played last year. So to get to go play out there and compete against those guys is what you want to do as a competitor. I am excited to watch how he has bounced back and I expect him to go out there and play well, too."
Q: What have you seen from the defense so far and what could be different about last year?
MAHOMES:"I know they are trying out a lot of different stuff, a lot of new stuff. They are putting guys in the right position to make plays and they are making the plays. That is the biggest thing. I am excited for them playing against another offense to see how those guys react and how they go at those guys. They are going to attack them and they are going to try to make plays and I am excited for it."
Q: Since you can't have a big impact on the outcome of the game, how much will Thursday be for presence and different things like that?
MAHOMES:"We are going to try to win. That is the first thing Coach Reid said when we were game planning for this week is he doesn't like losing. I know as a quarterback group we are going to try to go out there and win the game. We are going to do whatever it takes. I am going to try to encourage those guys and help those guys on the sideline. We have a lot of competitors so hopefully we can win the football game."
Q: Are you going to judge yourself on little things like presence in the huddle and stuff at the line of scrimmage?
MAHOMES:"Not necessarily. I am just going to go out there and try to play the game the way it is supposed to be played. I am going to go out there and move the ball down the field and hopefully get touchdown drives."
Q: Are you eager to face someone else with what Tyreek Hill has been able to do this offseason?
MAHOMES:"Yeah, I think we have been improved pretty much everywhere on the offensive side of the ball with the receivers and how they have worked and the tight ends and how they've worked. Everybody has really tried to take that game to the next level. For me to have those guys and those weapons, I am excited to get out there and put it in their hands and see what they can do and how they make plays."
Q: How will it be to get experience with Eric Bieniemy relaying plays to you?
MAHOMES:"It is kind of like building that chemistry with the receivers with the play calling and in the huddle and getting in and out of the huddle and how I like it called in and how he calls it in. You want to be on the same page throughout the whole game. You can try to do it in scrimmage-type situations but until you get into that first preseason game you don't so I am excited to start building that chemistry with him and having that ready for the regular season."
Q: How much did you know about Damien Williams and what have you seen from him in camp so far?
MAHOMES:"I knew a little bit just from scouting the Dolphins play. Whenever we watched them play teams that we played. I had a few buddies who had played on the Dolphins so I had heard the name Damien Williams. I knew he could catch the ball out of the backfield but just seeing the complete back he is. He has run the ball really well this camp and he is a big threat out of the backfield to catch it. I think the undervalued part is how he blocks. It is good to have a running back that will block for you even if a big guy comes through there. I am excited to have him on the team."
