Tag: Andy Reid

Watching tape with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce

In this video exclusive, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce watches his own game tape with Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar.

In this video exclusive, six-time Pro Bowl and three-time All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs watches his own game tape with Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar. Travis and Doug get into the plays, schemes, and concepts that make Kansas City’s passing game one of the NFL’s toughest to defend.

Travis also reveals that head coach Andy Reid is back in the team facility after last week’s illness, and is on a mission after the team’s 1-2 start — the first time the team has been under .500 in Reid’s time there.

Travis also talks about his new “365 Days of Travis” campaign with LG and the OLEO television. Check out the video below:

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid released from hospital, expected to rejoin team soon

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid has been released from the hospital. The expectation is that he’ll rejoin the team later today.

The Kansas City Chiefs shared a positive update on HC Andy Reid on Monday.

Reid felt ill after the team’s loss to the Chargers on Sunday and was admitted to the hospital out of an abundance of caution. The team shared an update last night that Reid was doing well, resting and was considered in stable condition.

Speaking to the media ahead of typical Monday availability, Chiefs EVP of Communications, Ted Crews, informed reporters that Reid had been released from the hospital and was expected back with the team today.

“Coach Reid has been released,” Crews told reporters on Monday. “He is in great spirits. Doing well. You guys know him almost as good as me and he’s chomping at the bit. He’ll probably be here later today, later in the morning, to be back at work.”

The 63-year-old head coach is expected to resume his full slate of coaching responsibilities when he returns to action, which is a positive sign for his health moving forward.

Developing…

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Chiefs TE Jody Fortson shares Andy Reid’s postgame message to the team

#Chiefs TE Jody Fortson’s first touchdown grab was bittersweet, but Andy Reid’s postgame message motivated him and the rest of the team. | from @TheJohnDillon

Silver linings are hard to come by when the Kansas City Chiefs drop an important game within the division, but the emergence of tight end Jody Fortson against Los Angeles was a positive part of the disappointing matchup. After sneaking free on the goal line, Patrick Mahomes found him on a quick pass that highlighted Fortson’s ability to elevate and grab a contested ball for his first career touchdown.

A training camp favorite two years running, and one of the coaching staff’s developmental darlings on offense, Fortson is taking big strides toward being a consistent presence in the NFL’s most impressive offense. In comments to the media following the Chiefs’ loss to the Chargers, Fortson explained the bittersweet feelings of catching the biggest pass of his career, while remaining disappointed in the final outcome. He provided insight into Andy Reid’s message to the team, which happened prior to the coach falling ill and heading to the hospital.

“We’ve just got to eliminate the turnovers,” Fortson told reporters, “Coach Reid said it best, ‘We’ve got to have more respect for the football.’ Turning it over’s not going to win us any games. We’ve just got to continue putting our head down and work hard and just battle back next week. I have no doubt that we’ll be on the right page.”

On the touchdown reception that could change the trajectory of his whole career, Fortson was pleased to have made an impact but placed the success of the team as a whole above any individual contribution he made.

“I’m definitely grateful to get the first one out of the way,” Fortson explained. “[It helped] get the pressure off, I’ve got to score, get all that off my back. So now, it’s simply just playing football, be the best teammate I can be. Unfortunately, we came up short in this one. I would much rather have the win than the touchdown, but we just have to build on it and come back next week strong.”

He continued, deflecting all praise for the big play to his quarterback, who had a rough go against the Chargers.

“Pat [Patrick Mahomes] just made a great throw,” He said. “He just put it where nobody else could get it but me. He just put it up there and allowed me to fully reach out and show my athletic ability to climb the ladder and go get the ball. So really, much respect to 15. He does that day in and day out. I was just happy I was in the place to catch the ball and make a play”

Kansas City needs whatever help it can get on either side of the ball, and Fortson seems to be carving out a legitimate role for himself in the offense, even if only in limited snaps so far. He seems motivated to help the Chiefs get out of their two-game losing streak. With more time to develop and time to learn the ins and outs of the offense, Fortson could find himself as a crucial player for the Chiefs down the stretch.

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Chiefs provide update on HC Andy Reid’s condition

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid is doing well, resting and in stable condition per an update from the team.

The Kansas City Chiefs have provided an update on HC Andy Reid’s condition.

Reid felt ill at the conclusion of the Chiefs’ Week 3 loss to the Chargers. He addressed the team after the game, but then alerted the team medical staff that he wasn’t feeling well. Reports indicated that Reid left the stadium via ambulance and was transported to the hospital.

According to the latest update from the team, Reid was evaluated by team medical staff in the Chiefs’ locker room. After that evaluation, they decided to transport Reid to the University of Kansas Health System for further evaluation as a precaution.

Per the team’s update, Reid is doing well, resting and is considered to be in stable condition.

Right now, it’s unclear if Reid is still in the hospital as the update from the team was a bit ambiguous in that regard. It’s also not clear what his status for the upcoming Week 4 game against his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, will be given this health scare. The good news is that Reid is being monitored by professionals and seems to be in good health. Hopefully, he’ll be back in the saddle soon, helping the team get back on the right track.

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5 quick takes from Chargers’ victory over Chiefs in Week 3

Highlighting everything notable in the Los Angeles Chargers’ victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Like we all expected, it was a shootout between the Chargers and Chiefs through all four quarters that came down to the wire to determine the outcome.

Ultimately, it was quarterback Justin Herbert’s touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Williams in the final minute to seal the deal.

Here are five quick takeaways from Los Angeles’ nail-biting victory in Week 3:

Time to pay Mike Williams

Williams has officially overtaken as the Chargers’ WR1. The 26-yard old flashed dominance in the first two games, and carried that momentum into a crucial division matchup. Targeted nine times, Williams finished with seven receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns, including the back-shoulder catch in the end zone to put the game to bed. Not only is he the best receiver for Los Angeles, but he’s arguably one of the most productive players at his position in the NFL. It might be time to strongly consider extending him now.

Improved red-zone offense

Like I said leading into the game, the best defense is offense against the Chiefs. On five red zone trips, the Chargers found the end zone four times. The other still resulted in a field goal. Had they not gotten dinged for an illegal shift called on Jared Cook which pushed them back while they were on the Chiefs’ one-yard line, it’s likely they would have been a perfect 5-of-5. Great play-calling by Joe Lombardi and excellent execution on the field.

Pass defense came to play

The heart and soul of Brandon Staley’s defensive philosophy revolves around slowing down the pass, particularly the explosive plays. Aside from a couple of hiccups, the pass rush and pass coverage both gelled to prevent Patrick Mahomes from being much of a factor. According to ESPN’s Ed Werner, Mahomes finished 1-of-14 (7%) for six yards and two interceptions when under duress, worst completion percentage under duress in his career. It marked his first career multi-INT game against a division opponent.

Run defense…not so much

The Chargers did what they needed to against the pass, but the run defense was an issue for the third straight week. Aside from one of the very few positive plays, with that being Tevaughn Campbell’s forced fumble on Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the Chiefs ran the ball 30 times for 186 yards (6.2 yards per carry). Like last weekend, the defensive line failed to generate consistent push up front which led to big holes, and often, the second and third lines of defense weren’t always around to make plays. I will be writing an article later this week that highlights a few defensive tackle prospects Los Angeles could target in the early rounds of the 2022 NFL draft.

Brandon Staley is truly extraordinary

I would like to finish this out by saluting Staley, who may have earned the game ball. For a team that would take the conservative route in the past, his philosophy of being aggressive has paid off. Tied 24-24 with 1:42 remaining, the Chargers had the ball with an opportunity to win the game. Facing a 4th-and-9 at the Chiefs’ 35 as a 52-yard field goal would have still given Los Angeles the lead, Staley decided to go for it. Herbert’s pass intended for Jalen Guyton was incomplete, but a flag was thrown on DeAndre Baker for pass interference. His gutsy fourth-down call paid off, which led to the winning touchdown three plays later. With Staley on the Los Angeles sideline and Herbert behind center, the Chargers are serious contenders.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid dealing with illness after loss to Chargers

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid was checked out by medical personnel and left the stadium in an ambulance after the team’s loss to the #Chargers per report.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid is dealing with some sort of illness after Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

After the game, Chiefs executive vice president of communications, Ted Crews, announced that Coach Reid would not be giving his typical postgame press conference due to an illness. Reid was being evaluated by the team’s medical personnel out of an abundance of caution.

“After the game, Coach Reid is feeling ill and we’re checking him out right now out of precaution,” Crews told media members. “Everything now looks fine, but he’s getting checked out.”

Chiefs assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Dave Toub handled the postgame media availability, filling in for Reid. Toub did say that Reid delivered a message to the team in person after the game.

“Yes, it was the same message,” Toub said. “Just, he wasn’t feeling well after that. He did talk to the team. It was a good talk. Pretty much I reiterated exactly what he said. The turnovers, you’ve got to overcome the turnovers, you’ve got to quit the turnovers. It’s not about effort, our guys are playing hard. That’s not it at all. We’ve just got to clean it up, we’ve got to clean up our football and that’s where he left it.”

Patrick Mahomes reiterated what Toub said, saying that Reid spoke to the team following the game.

“He came in a talked to us,” Mahomes said. “He seemed fine, so that’s all I really know.”

It doesn’t appear that players were aware of Reid’s illness as Clyde Edwards-Helaire only found out when reporters asked him about it.

According to reports from NFL Network’s James Palmer, Reid left the stadium in an ambulance. This seems to be a precaution taken for the 63-year-old head coach, but a concerning one nonetheless.

Toub said there were no signs during the game that Reid wasn’t feeling well or that he wasn’t himself, adding that he believed he would be fine.

We’ll keep you updated as we find out more.

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3 adjustments the Chargers must make vs. Chiefs

Highlighting three areas the Chargers must be better in against the Chiefs.

The Chargers are just two days away from taking on the Chiefs in a heated division battle.

After suffering their first loss of the season last Sunday against the Cowboys, Los Angeles has adjustments to be made in order to avoid going 1-2 and falling to last place in the AFC West.

With that being said, here’s a look at three things that L.A. must clean up heading into the Week 3 matchup against Kansas City.

Execute in the red zone

Against the Chiefs, the best defense is offense. The Chargers have done a fine job of getting the ball up and down the field, averaging 416 yards per game. However, Los Angeles is only averaging 18.5 points per game, which ranks No. 27 in the NFL. The issue stems from the inability to score when they’re in the red zone, only converting three times on 10 trips.

Whether it is running the football or getting tight end Donald Parham involved more, the red zone play-calling and execution must be crisp. With an opponent like Kansas City, L.A. can not afford to leave points off the scoreboard altogether or trade field goals for touchdowns or else the Chiefs’ high-powered offense will leave them in the dust.

Eliminate penalties

The Chargers have committed the fifth-most penalties (18), with the majority of them coming last Sunday against the Cowboys (12). While of a couple of them were controversial calls, Los Angeles also had a handful of them that were all technical and mental.

It is going to be extremely difficult for L.A. to beat the Chiefs if they can’t play a clean game through all four quarters, which means the team must stay composed on all three phases.

Stay disciplined against the run

The Chiefs have arguably the most explosive offense in the league and while they are going to look to beat the Chargers through the air, they know they can exploit Los Angeles on the ground after surrendering 126 and 198 yards in the first two games, respectively.

With Justin Jones out for the second-straight week, Linval Joseph, Jerry Tillery and Christian Covington all need to really step it up against a new and improved Kansas City offensive line.

Those guys must gain initial leverage and be stronger at the point of attack to prevent holes from being opened up, and defenders at the second and third levels must diagnose quickly and rally to the football to avoid missed tackles.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates ahead of Wednesday practice

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided some injury updates ahead of practice on Wednesday, revealing some new minor injuries suffered in the Week 2 loss to the #Ravens.

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to have their first practice of the week ahead of their Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Andy Reid didn’t have any injury updates after the game on Sunday night or on Monday, but there were what he described as minor injuries. During his update ahead of Wednesday’s practice, Reid was able to get into some specifics regarding those minor injuries.

“Clyde (Edwards-Helaire) has a little bit of sickness,” Reid told reporters on Monday. “Blake Bell’s ankle, he’s got a slight ankle sprain, but he’s going to do some stuff. Hitch (Anthony Hitchens) is also going to do some stuff, he had a little bit of surgery — minor surgery — we’re just letting him heal up there and do some stuff. Chris Jones hurt his wrist and (Derrick) Nnadi with a hip flexor strain.”

The good news about those minor injuries is that Reid said all of the players would at least attempt to go in practice today.

“All of these guys are going to give you something,” Reid said. “They’re going to go out there and go through and work.”

Reid didn’t seem all that concerned with the minor surgery that Hitchens had, saying it was a removal of fatty tissue. He dismissed it almost completely when asked a follow-up question.

“There’s nothing there,” Reid said.

Hopefully, the Chiefs can get everyone back in working order ahead of their Week 3 game against the Chargers. They’ll need everyone healthy and prepared to play if they’re to play their best possible game.

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Why the Michael Vick-Eagles offense might be the perfect fit for Justin Fields

Bears HC Matt Nagy should take a page out of the Michael Vick-Eagles offense when developing game plan for QB Justin Fields.

Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields could be making his first start of his NFL career this week thanks to an injury to starter Andy Dalton. The veteran suffered a bone bruise against the Cincinnati Bengals, and while his status is still up in the air, it would be surprising to say the least to see him out on the field when the Bears visit the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Fields continues to receive high praise from his teammates, both offensive and defensive players alike. But one comment from a former All-Pro caught my eye in regards to Fields’ potential and what the Bears offense might look like.

Offensive tackle Jason Peters met the media on Tuesday and, naturally, the questions shifted to his thoughts on Fields. Peters, an 18-year veteran, has seen a lot in his years in the NFL and believes Fields possesses on-field qualities of one of his former quarterbacks, Michael Vick.

“For guys like Justin and Mike, they’re always going to try and make a play. And most of the time they do,” Peters said to the media. “What makes them similar is when they get outside the pocket, it’s a run-pass situation. If the defenders don’t come up, they’re going to run it and then they can dump it off. Those kind of guys are scary so they’re definitely similar in arm strength and mobility.”

At first blush, it may seem like an unfair comparison. Vick was more regarded as a run-first, pass-second quarterback for much of his career and Fields seems to do more with his arm. But think back to when Peters played with Vick when both were members of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Vick, after being released from prison for dog-fighting crimes, wasn’t the same player as the guy who lit up the football field with the Atlanta Falcons. He became more of a pocket quarterback who could run, specifically in 2010 when he took over the starting job and led the Eagles to the division title. That’s who Peters sees when playing with Fields.

During that season, Vick had career bests in passing yards (3,021), passing touchdowns (21), completion percentage (62.6), quarterback rating (100.2) QBR 65), all while still rushing for 676 yards with 9 touchdowns in just 12 games. His deep ball was exceptional and he was electric no matter where he was on the football field.

Bears head coach Matt Nagy actually had a front-row seat to that show as an Eagles coaches assistant during the 2010 season. If he hasn’t already, it would behoove him to take inspiration from that season and develop a game plan for Fields, much like Vick had from Andy Reid.

It wouldn’t be apples to apples since Fields is still just a rookie and Vick was an accomplished, albeit disgraced, veteran after his time in prison. But Vick’s later years resemble what Fields can already do. As Peters said, the mobility and arm strength are there, but the accuracy might be as well.

Vick was able to smoothly fire passes to receivers like Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson with ease and pinpoint accuracy, all while standing tall in the pocket. When he was flushed, he took off and picked up yards with his legs. He even worked shuffle passes in the mix while moving the pocket. The result? A top-five offense in nearly every category that year. 

Fields has the potential to do all those same things and more. With speedsters like Darnell Mooney and Marquise Goodwin, along with a true WR1 in Allen Robinson and a workhorse back in David Montgomery, there’s quite a bit to work with on this Bears offense. Nagy just has to look back to his past (further than Kansas City) and bring those concepts and plays back for Fields. Spread the defense with the threat of his legs, design more rollouts, and push the ball downfield with his arm strength to take advantage of open spaces.

Perhaps Nagy already has this in mind, in some capacity at least. But seeing how his teammates already recognize the potential in him, with Peters saying he reminds him of Vick, this seems like a no-brainer.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid addresses defensive struggles after loss to Ravens

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid seems to think many of the struggles on defense have to do with mindset and that they can be fixed with a little elbow grease. | from @TheJohnDillon

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Their one-point loss on Sunday at the hands of Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens has the Kansas City Chiefs doing some introspection, especially about their defense. Officially the worst team in red zone defense, and arguably the worst tackling team in the league through two weeks, Kansas City has hit a tough patch of defensive play early in the season.

Without a doubt, this is not where the team thought they’d be after their sterling preseason performances. Back-to-back Super Bowl appearances had the Chiefs looking forward to being one of a handful of teams to compete for three straight championships, but without marked improvement on defense, they’ll be lucky to get out of the first rounds of the playoffs.

Andy Reid is acutely aware of how bad the loss in Baltimore looked, assuring reporters that he and his staff have a handle on the situation in his press conference on Monday. Speaking of the team’s struggles defending inside the 20-yard line, Reid said defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has spent countless hours trying to find solutions, and that answers were likely to come when the defense does the basic things right consistently.

“Yeah, so listen. Spags [Steve Spagnuolo] spent a lot of time in the offseason with that. We worked it a ton in camp, and we haven’t had the results here,” Reid explained, “We’ll keep pounding that out until we get it right. It’s one of those things, everything gets magnified when you’re in the red zone, whether it’s good or bad.

“Even if you’re not tackling in the field, and it doesn’t happen in the red zone, you’re not giving up blocks up the field, then it’s going to get magnified in the red zone. Everything’s a little bit faster and all your strengths and weaknesses get magnified. So, you’ve got to make sure that you kind of get these fundamentals down and take care of it.”

Asked how hard it is to fix the tackling issues mid-season, Reid told reporters that he thinks there is some kind of mental block holding Chiefs defenders back.

“I thought we got better with it the second half,” He said of the defense’s inability to tackle. “Some of that’s a mindset, not being so cautious, rallying to the ball, narrowing space for runners, again when you’re being blocked, shedding and then wrapping up. Those are all important things, but some of it’s a mindset that you have to take care of, so that’s where we go with it”

The worst offender of the defense’s tackling issues is veteran safety Dan Sorenson, who leads the league in missed tackles two games into the season. Reid explained the decision to keep Sorenson on the field instead of third-year safety Juan Thornhill, saying they both have a similar skillset but that Sorenson had a better training camp.

“Juan (Thornhill) and Dan (Sorensen), they do certain things the same and a couple things different,” Reid said, “It all kind of equals out and Dan really had the better camp and so on. Maybe a little bit more consistency there, but we love Juan and where he’s getting himself back to where he was his rookie year. I don’t want to take anything way from the effort that he’s put forward to do that. They all get a chance to play. I think we’ll take it step by step here and can’t have enough of those guys that can play.”

Thornhill only played a handful of snaps against the Ravens, but he could see an increased workload given Sorenson’s struggles. While there aren’t any magic-wand solutions on the horizon for Kansas City, Reid seemed confident in the team’s ability to get back to playing winning football. With a Week 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers in store for their second game at home, the Chiefs are sure to feel they have something to prove after their embarrassing loss in Baltimore.

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