Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke with reporters on Monday before the Christmas Day showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He revealed the immediate plans to accommodate the rapid turnaround between games.
“Yeah. I mean, that’s part of what you have to do,” said Reid. “The coaches did a good job of spending some time before our game on Saturday looking at them, so we had a little bit of a jump start when we came back here to take a peek at him.”
After Saturday’s victory over the Houston Texans, the Chiefs travel to face the postseason-bound Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day.
“His (Mike Tomlin) teams are tough,” said Reid. “They’re well-coached, and they’re going to play hard every snap. They’re going to give you an honest down every snap, so you’ve got to come in ready to go.”
The Steeler’s defense showcases an intense pass rush led by Pro Bowler T.J. Watt and again puts the spotlight on the Chiefs’ offensive line, according to Reid, in their protection of Patrick Mahomes.
“Yeah, I tell you, similar to the other groups. I mean, they do a nice job of rushing the passer, all of them,” said Reid. “So it’s not just the outside guys; it’s those inside guys, too. The offensive line’s got another big challenge. I thought they fared pretty good last week. Did a nice job for the most part. They have to do it again. But that’s all part of this. They know that they take that responsibility seriously and prepare themselves the right way.”
Reid didn’t commit to a starting offensive line plan for Wednesday but did confirm that D.J. Humphries is still not practicing due to his hamstring injury.