Tag: Andy Reid

Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides update on RT Mitchell Schwartz

Schwartz has been on injured reserve since Week 11.

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Kansas City Chiefs starting RT Mitchell Schwartz has been on injured reserve since Week 11 and dealing with a back injury since Week 7. After a Week 15 game that saw QB Patrick Mahomes battered for three sacks and 11 hits or knockdowns, fans want to know if Schwartz is any closer to making his return.

When Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke to the media on Monday, he’d have you believe that Schwartz is doing better.

“Yeah, he’s actually feeling a little bit better,” Reid said.  “Not all the way back, but he is feeling a little bit better and we’ll just see I mean, we will take it day by day. He’s a great communicator so we know he wants to play but just want to make sure you know that he’s ok and I kind of leave that up to the docs and Rick (Burkholder) on that and then obviously Mitch.”

What Reid doesn’t know is if Schwartz will be healthy enough to return from injured reserve and play come the postseason.

“I don’t know that,” Reid said. “We’re just kind of taking it day by day, week by week literally, and so we’re just seeing how he does here. Hopefully, it calms down by then or whenever and he can get himself back out there. I mean, that’s what we’d like, but we’ll see how that all goes.”

Right now, it sounds like the team is remaining optimistic that Schwartz could eventually return from this mysterious back injury that has caused problems for the better part of the season. However, Reid doesn’t seem to have an expectation that Schwartz will return at any point during the regular season or the postseason.

At this point, it’d probably be safe for fans to expect that they won’t be seeing Schwartz until next season, if at all. Remember, the salary cap reduction in 2021 could make Schwartz a cap casualty. The absolute worst-case scenario would be that we’ve seen Schwartz play his last snap in a Chiefs uniform.

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Chiefs’ Andy Reid evaluates offensive line performance after Week 15 victory

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid shares his thoughts on the offensive line after Sunday’s win over the New Orleans Saints.

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The Kansas City Chiefs are on a strong winning streak heading into the postseason with a great chance at officially clinching the conference’s top overall seed. As the offense continues to click, there are still some concerns regarding the offensive line.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has had to deal with injuries along the line all season with various fill-in players. The team was faced with a tough opponent this past Sunday in the New Orleans Saints, who sports one of the top front four defensive lines in the league. During the postgame press conference, Reid expressed support for the Chiefs’ big men who gave up three sacks to the Saints in the victory.

“We scored points against a good defensive front. You are talking about one of the best defensive fronts, if not the best statistically,” said Reid. “I thought we ran the ball efficiently, especially in the second half. We threw the ball well, with the exception of a couple of blitzes that they had. They got us at the end, but we were clean for the most part.”

The Chiefs had a familiar face inserted into the starting lineup on Sunday, with Stefen Wisniewski getting his first start since 2019. Andrew Wylie played his first professional game at tackle with Wisniewski inserted into the lineup.

“Yeah, you know what I thought that – I think they did a pretty nice job for the most part,” Reid said. “I talked to both of them after the game, and they’ll tell you there’s a couple they’d like to have back yeah, absolutely. But I mean, asking them to do what they did and Wiz (Stefen Wisniewski) is coming off an injury so it’s really his first time in pads when you think about it, I mean since game one or week one and for him to step in and do a respectable job I thought was good, and then (Andrew) Wylie, too. I mean, that’s not easy when you’re out on that edge. That’s a little different deal out there so, but I thought he handled it well. Like I said, there are couple of snaps they’d like to have back, but I think overall they did a pretty good job and when they had to bear down that fourth quarter that they did that so worked out ok.”

Starting LT Eric Fisher missed the first two practices of the week with a back injury for Kansas City. Even though he started in Week 15, he had his troubles throughout the game. Reid commented on a brief exchange that occured between his starting offensive tackle and Mahomes following a sack.

“Yeah, so Fish, he missed a couple practices this week, so he kind of pushed himself through with his back,” said Reid. “And you know his hamstring tightened up. He had these things happen during the game. He didn’t say anything; he kind of just rolls with it, and then after the game, you find this out. So, I think those things were affecting him a little bit. He had a couple good pass rushers on him, and they got him a couple times, and so you know Pat – listen, he lets you know, his is encouragement and butt chewing all at once. So, linemen are used to that; they can take it, they were wearing big boy pants so they can handle it, and that’s also part of the leadership part of it, and Fish is good about it. He just kept bearing down; he didn’t complain, he just keeps rolling, that’s what he does and so very dependable that way on being there.”

The offensive line in Kansas City is still a work in progress as they struggle with injuries. They’ll want to put this game behind them from a pass protection perspective, but there exists optimism that they’re trending in the right direction with two games left in the regular season. A healthy starting line will be a key component for the explosive offense to maintain its stability throughout the playoffs.

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Chiefs’ Andy Reid evaluates offensive line performance after Week 15 victory

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid shares his thoughts on the offensive line after Sunday’s win over the New Orleans Saints.

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The Kansas City Chiefs are on a strong winning streak heading into the postseason with a great chance at officially clinching the conference’s top overall seed. As the offense continues to click, there are still some concerns regarding the offensive line.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has had to deal with injuries along the line all season with various fill-in players. The team was faced with a tough opponent this past Sunday in the New Orleans Saints, who sports one of the top front four defensive lines in the league. During the postgame press conference, Reid expressed support for the Chiefs’ big men who gave up three sacks to the Saints in the victory.

“We scored points against a good defensive front. You are talking about one of the best defensive fronts, if not the best statistically,” said Reid. “I thought we ran the ball efficiently, especially in the second half. We threw the ball well, with the exception of a couple of blitzes that they had. They got us at the end, but we were clean for the most part.”

The Chiefs had a familiar face inserted into the starting lineup on Sunday, with Stefen Wisniewski getting his first start since 2019. Andrew Wylie played his first professional game at tackle with Wisniewski inserted into the lineup.

“Yeah, you know what I thought that – I think they did a pretty nice job for the most part,” Reid said. “I talked to both of them after the game, and they’ll tell you there’s a couple they’d like to have back yeah, absolutely. But I mean, asking them to do what they did and Wiz (Stefen Wisniewski) is coming off an injury so it’s really his first time in pads when you think about it, I mean since game one or week one and for him to step in and do a respectable job I thought was good, and then (Andrew) Wylie, too. I mean, that’s not easy when you’re out on that edge. That’s a little different deal out there so, but I thought he handled it well. Like I said, there are couple of snaps they’d like to have back, but I think overall they did a pretty good job and when they had to bear down that fourth quarter that they did that so worked out ok.”

Starting LT Eric Fisher missed the first two practices of the week with a back injury for Kansas City. Even though he started in Week 15, he had his troubles throughout the game. Reid commented on a brief exchange that occured between his starting offensive tackle and Mahomes following a sack.

“Yeah, so Fish, he missed a couple practices this week, so he kind of pushed himself through with his back,” said Reid. “And you know his hamstring tightened up. He had these things happen during the game. He didn’t say anything; he kind of just rolls with it, and then after the game, you find this out. So, I think those things were affecting him a little bit. He had a couple good pass rushers on him, and they got him a couple times, and so you know Pat – listen, he lets you know, his is encouragement and butt chewing all at once. So, linemen are used to that; they can take it, they were wearing big boy pants so they can handle it, and that’s also part of the leadership part of it, and Fish is good about it. He just kept bearing down; he didn’t complain, he just keeps rolling, that’s what he does and so very dependable that way on being there.”

The offensive line in Kansas City is still a work in progress as they struggle with injuries. They’ll want to put this game behind them from a pass protection perspective, but there exists optimism that they’re trending in the right direction with two games left in the regular season. A healthy starting line will be a key component for the explosive offense to maintain its stability throughout the playoffs.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates following Week 15 vs. Saints

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid said X-rays on RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire were negative.

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The Kansas City Chiefs suffered a few injuries during the Week 15 win over New Orleans Saints.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid gave his usual injury update ahead of his postgame press conference. He had information on two injuries suffered during the course of the game, starting off with RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

The rookie left the game in the fourth quarter with a leg/hip injury. Even though the injury looked pretty ugly, there was some good news about his injury after the game.

“So, as far as injuries go, Clyde (Edwards-Helaire) got twisted up into the splits,” Reid said. “Right now, the X-rays are negative, but we’ll just evaluate him as we go.”

Reid didn’t have the specifics on Edwards-Helaire’s injury, but typically when imaging is done and comes back negative, it’s a good sign. Reid elaborated a bit on what happened to the rookie running back and what will come next.

“Well, he got stretched,” Reid said. “I think you kind of saw that, where he did the splits. His leg is sore, both legs are kind of sore. He’s going in evaluation right now, he already got the X-rays done and those were negative.”

So long as evaluation doesn’t turn up anything serious, it’s entirely possible that Edwards-Helaire escaped without major injury. We’ll likely know more tomorrow once the team is back home, but this is a good start.

Reid also confirmed that LB Emmanuel Smith, who was called up from the practice squad this week as a standard elevation, suffered a hamstring tweak.

“Emmanuel Smith tweaked his hamstring,” Reid said.

In a physical game like the one that the Chiefs were just in, to come out of it with just two injuries to report is a blessing. Obviously, we’ll find out on Wednesday if there are any additional injuries. For now, things look good for Kansas City.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates following Week 15 vs. Saints

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid said X-rays on RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire were negative.

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The Kansas City Chiefs suffered a few injuries during the Week 15 win over New Orleans Saints.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid gave his usual injury update ahead of his postgame press conference. He had information on two injuries suffered during the course of the game, starting off with RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

The rookie left the game in the fourth quarter with a leg/hip injury. Even though the injury looked pretty ugly, there was some good news about his injury after the game.

“So, as far as injuries go, Clyde (Edwards-Helaire) got twisted up into the splits,” Reid said. “Right now, the X-rays are negative, but we’ll just evaluate him as we go.”

Reid didn’t have the specifics on Edwards-Helaire’s injury, but typically when imaging is done and comes back negative, it’s a good sign. Reid elaborated a bit on what happened to the rookie running back and what will come next.

“Well, he got stretched,” Reid said. “I think you kind of saw that, where he did the splits. His leg is sore, both legs are kind of sore. He’s going in evaluation right now, he already got the X-rays done and those were negative.”

So long as evaluation doesn’t turn up anything serious, it’s entirely possible that Edwards-Helaire escaped without major injury. We’ll likely know more tomorrow once the team is back home, but this is a good start.

Reid also confirmed that LB Emmanuel Smith, who was called up from the practice squad this week as a standard elevation, suffered a hamstring tweak.

“Emmanuel Smith tweaked his hamstring,” Reid said.

In a physical game like the one that the Chiefs were just in, to come out of it with just two injuries to report is a blessing. Obviously, we’ll find out on Wednesday if there are any additional injuries. For now, things look good for Kansas City.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid on Le’Veon Bell’s progress in Kansas City: ‘He’s been tremendous’

Andy Reid gave an update on Le’Veon Bell’s progress with the Chiefs on Wednesday.

It has been seven weeks since Le’Veon Bell first suited up to play a game for the Kansas City Chiefs. Since that first game, he’s recorded 41 carries for 162 yards and one touchdown, adding 11 receptions on 13 targets for 76 yards.

It has been an adjustment for Bell in Kansas City, he’s no longer the bell-cow running back that he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers or even the New York Jets. He’s sharing the backfield with rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire and veteran RB Darrel Williams. Bell has persevered in his new situation and he’s progressing in the Chiefs’ system nicely. He seemingly has earned a new fan — Chiefs coach Andy Reid.

“I love that kid,” Reid said of Bell. “It’s a weird situation because he’s a heck of a football player … and he’s highly intelligent, but you have to actually get in there and get to know your offensive linemen, get to know the run schemes. Because they’re a little bit different than maybe what he’s been doing.”

Bell is still learning the nuances in the Kansas City run game, but he’s making strides on a weekly basis. In Week 14, Bell averaged over 10 yards per attempt on limited carries. Had the game gone differently, it’s possible the Chiefs would have seen an even greater helping of Bell running the ball.

“I thought last week, boy, he had a couple of very sweet runs, and just how things worked out, it didn’t work out where he had enough carries,” Reid said. “That’s not because we’re disappointed in him at all. I mean, he’s been tremendous.”

Bell is carving out an important role on the offense and so long as he stays diligent, he’ll have more opportunities to make an impact. What he’s accomplished so far has Reid wishing the team could have landed him back when he was a free agent ahead of the 2019 season.

“I wish we would’ve had him earlier, but I’m glad we have him now,” Reid said. “He’s top-notch, and I’m a big fan of his.”

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid willing to shoulder blame for offensive miscues

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid opened up about being more than willing to accept blame for miscues while speaking with the media.

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Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is already being pegged as a future Hall of Famer. He’s one of the best offensive minds in the league and is willing to take chances to keep his team motivated. Reid has a history of being protective of his players in regards to criticism. On Wednesday, he opened up about his willingness to accept blame for miscues while speaking with the media.

”Well, I think we all need to do that,” said Reid. ”That’s part of it. That’s something that most people don’t do. I think you better look in the mirror before you criticize others. So, it starts with me and I’ve got to make sure that I do that—sincerely do that, not just say it. I’ve tried to always be that way, and I expect the guys to do the same, the best they possibly can. Start with yourself and be honest with it, and let’s not worry about everybody else and take care of ourselves that way.”

The Chiefs continue to be an elite offensive team in the NFL, topping almost all the passing categories. Reid’s work, along with coordinator Eric Bienemy, is universally praised. Internally, however, things can be frustrating as the team strives for perfection.

Reid pulled back the curtain regarding trying to get all his skill players the ball. As it turns out, it’s tough to get everyone touches in an offense with so many different playmakers.

“Because these guys want to play, you want to get them the ball,” Reid explained. “That’s what you want to do the best you can. I’ve always said there’s one ball and try to spread it around the best we can, but we’re blessed to have them, and you’re going to need all of these guys somewhere. They’re all going to have their time in the spotlight and it’s just how it works. It’s a crazy thing on how it goes, but that’s how it works. So, just the fact that they can keep pushing and they stay selfless that way I think is important. That becomes important in a situation like this as a team.”

The Chiefs are loaded with offensive stars, all able to play more significant roles when it’s needed—a good problem to have, but also another frustration for coach Reid and his staff.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid confident in rookie OT Yasir Durant following Week 14

If Yasir Durant needs to start at right tackle in Week 15, he has the full confidence of Chiefs HC Andy Reid.

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After about 60% of the offensive snaps against the Miami Dolphins in Week 14, the Kansas City Chiefs found themselves without current starting RT Mike Remmers. The nine-year veteran Remmers left the game with a back injury, opening up an opportunity for undrafted free agent Yasir Durant to see some of his first meaningful snaps of the 2020 season.

Durant joined the Chiefs in 2020 as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Missouri. He was one of the few undrafted players to make the 53-man roster in Kansas City. To this point, he had played limited snaps at guard and tackle but played 24 snaps in relief of Remmers on Sunday. He allowed one sack on the day, but Chiefs HC Andy Reid came away impressed by what he saw from the rookie.

“I would tell you that he did some good things,” Reid told reporters on Monday. “I mean he’s young, so there are some things that he can do that he needs to work on. He’s a great kid and again, his heart is in the right place. He’s somebody that wants to do well. It’s just a matter of experience I think there.”

Durant has now played a total of 38 offensive snaps in his career, but in Week 15 he could be in line for more. The status of Remmers is currently unclear and Reid wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Durant starting in Week 15. He doesn’t exactly know what will happen yet, but he did express confidence in the rookies’ ability, especially with more practice repetitions and time to prepare.

“Yeah, well he’s a smart kid,” Reid said. “I’m not telling you that he’s not going to be in there. The one unique thing about it is that he plays guard and tackle for you and can do both at a good level. I think he’s got great upside. I mean the one thing none of us know— he hasn’t had to do it for an extended period of time. So a week is a week more than what he would have had and that’s a plus. One game is one more game ahead than what he’s had before that we all watch and see how things go with him, yeah.”

There’s still further evaluation to be done with Durant, even from this past game. Reid still needs to meet with Andy Heck, to go over the minutiae of Week 14. That’ll play a part in the Chiefs’ decision when it comes to what happens at the right tackle position in Week 15 and perhaps beyond.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates following Week 14 vs. Dolphins

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid had two injury updates for reporters following the game.

The Kansas City Chiefs seem to have escaped their Week 14 win over the Miami Dolphins with limited injuries.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid gave his usual injury update ahead of his postgame press conference. He had information on two injuries suffered during the course of the game, starting off with RT Mike Remmers.

“Mike Remmers didn’t finish,” Reid said. “He hurt his back and then came out.”

Reid didn’t have much more of an update than that for Remmers’ injury. He was ruled questionable to return with a back injury late in the game. Hopefully, it’s something minor and they were just being cautious with it. The player that Remmers is filling in for, Mitchell Schwartz, is currently on injured reserve with a back injury.

Kansas City was down to their third right tackle in this game, technically their fourth when you consider that rookie OT Lucas Niang opted out of the season. Yasir Durant filled in admirably, but also looked like an undrafted rookie at times. He surrendered a key sack on a third down in the fourth quarter which kept the game within distance for Miami.

Next up, Charvarius Ward had left the game due to the NFL’s concussion protocols. It seems like an NFL spotter was the reason for him being pulled from the game.

“Then, Charvarius Ward was cleared for his head,” Reid said. “He was checked for that and he was OK.”

Ward was in the concussion protocol according to the Chiefs’ official Twitter account and he passed it with flying colors. He didn’t appear to return to the game, probably because the secondary was in a bit of a groove late in the game there.

“Other than that, I’m glad to get the win and get out of here,” Reid said.

I think fans can empathize with the coach on that one. Thankfully, both injuries seem to be minor. As always, check back on Monday and Wednesday for potential updates on these two players and any new injuries that might pop up later.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury update following Wednesday practice

Three players didn’t practice for the Kansas City Chiefs during Wednesday’s practice.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided his usual injury updates following practice on Wednesday. While the team didn’t have any injuries to report following the Week 13 game against the Denver Broncos, there appears to be at least one injury that popped up following the game. The team is also still dealing with a sickness in their locker room, with two players sitting out of practice. Reid did clarify that this illness is not related to COVID-19.

“As far as the injuries go, we had a couple of guys that were sick, non-COVID-related,” Reid said. “Yasir Durant and then Tyreek Hill, both were sick.”

Hill, of course, is the big one to keep an eye on here. It’s worth noting that Clyde Edwards-Helaire had a stomach virus that essentially caused him to miss two practices and knocked him out of the Week 13 game against Denver. Durant served as the Chiefs’ swing tackle in Week 13, so his status should be monitored too. Reid didn’t seem too concerned by the status of either player so early in the week.

As far as the sole injury impacting practice, the Chiefs could be without one of their starting linebackers this week.

“Then Damien Wilson had hurt his knee, so he didn’t practice either,” Reid concluded.

Wilson is one of the Chiefs’ starters in their base defense and in several sub-packages. If he’s unable to practice and play this week, it could open up an opportunity for Willie Gay Jr. to get more repetitions than he usually would. He has been working behind Wilson on the depth chart since back in training camp.

Besides those three players, Reid said everyone else was out at practice today. Overall, this team is very healthy heading into the final quarter of the season, you really couldn’t ask for a better situation.

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