Tag: praise

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes praises RB Isiah Pacheco’s consistency

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes praised Isiah Pacheco’s consistency during comments to the media earlier this week.

Patrick Mahomes has relied on his teammates more than ever before through four weeks of the regular season, and the Kansas City Chiefs are still waiting on the reigning MVP to get back into form ahead of their next matchup against the Minnesota Vikings this weekend.

Though Mahomes’ recent hiccups have frustrated fans, the accomplished signal-caller has used his shortcomings as an opportunity to praise the less-heralded members of Kansas City’s roster. In comments to the media on Wednesday, Mahomes went out of his way to laud running back Isiah Pacheco for his efforts last week in the Chiefs’ win against the New York Jets.

“If I’ve ever seen a young guy be consistent, it’s that [RB Isiah Pacheco] guy,” Mahomes continued. “I mean you have to calm him down because he wants to go as hard as he can every single play, and that’s what the great ones do. I don’t know if y’all saw but he scored a touchdown.

“I don’t know if his feet ever landed in the endzone, he like jumped all the way. That’s his energy every single day. Just as much in the locker room, the meeting room, and on the practice field and game days, so I don’t think we have to worry about him being consistent.”

Although Sunday night’s three-point win was something of a letdown for the defending Super Bowl champions, the team can rest easy knowing that they can rely on multiple facets of its roster instead of exclusively looking to Mahomes to win them games.

Chiefs QB Shane Buechele praises rookie WR Rashee Rice

Shane Buechele praised rookie receiver Rashee Rice in his comments to the media after the #Chiefs’ win against the #Cardinals on Saturday.

After an up-and-down Week 1 of the preseason, the Kansas City Chiefs got back on track on Saturday with a 38-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

All Chiefs quarterbacks had a great game, including 25-year-old Shane Buechele. Now entering his third season, Buechele seems to be comfortable in his role as the team’s No. 3 passer.

During Saturday’s game, Buechele succeeded partly thanks to the help of rookie receiver Rashee Rice, a player who Buechele looked to six times in the first half of the game.

“Just having him here has been great,” Buechele said of Rice after the game. “Helping him learn this offense because it’s tough on a rookie. I’ve kind of taken him under my wing and am trying to get him up to speed in this offense.”

Rice finished the day as the Chiefs’ most productive receiver, earning eight receptions for 96 yards. Not all was great, though – Rice had a drop for the second week in a row, and fumbled the ball on a 25-yard catch. Luckily, the ball bounced right back into Rice’s hands.

The best thing about the preseason is that Rice can get those mistakes out of the way and learn before the real games begin. And despite those early mistakes, Buechele is confident that Rice can brush those off and become a quality contributor in the NFL.

“He can be a really good player, he shows that,” Buechele said. “He’s just got to start a little bit quicker, and he knows that, too. He’s a great player. That was fun having that drive and going back-to-back to him.”

Chiefs guard Trey Smith praises rookie Keondre Coburn

#Chiefs guard Trey Smith praised rookie defensive tackle Keondre Coburn after Wednesday’s practice session. | from: @EdEastonJr

The battle in the trenches during training camp pushes both the offensive and defensive lines to be better. The Kansas City Chiefs have fortified both sides of their lines making competition intense as each player looks to prove their superiority.

Guard Trey Smith has garnered a reputation for being aggressive in his blocking and quickly gained respect from his teammates for his efforts to protect Patrick Mahomes. The third-year player spoke with reporters on Wednesday following indoor practice to praise rookie defensive lineman Keondre Coburn’s work ethic in camp.

“Yeah, I’ve gone against Keondre (Coburn) a couple of times. I love Keondre,” Smith explained. “[He is] amazing. He’s a great dude, fun to be around, extremely hard worker. We only disagree about Tennessee and Texas. Which one’s going to be the real ‘UT’? So we talked about that every day. But [I] love playing with him.”

The teammates have formed a bond through their college rivalry as Smith reminded reporters Tennessee is the “real” orange.

“I mean, he’s just doing a good job, man. Just doing whatever they ask of him.” said Smith, “A lot of is a big effort guy really gotta utilize his hands as being vital when he rushes.”

The Chiefs haven’t announced who will be starting and how long their stints will be for this Sunday, but the work is still getting done in camp by the team’s impact players.

Eric Kendricks praises Brandon Staley’s football acumen: ‘He knows ball, he loves ball’

Eric Kendricks seems to be impressed by Brandon Staley’s football acumen.

Chargers head coach Brandon Staley has made quite the impression on veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks, who spoke to the media on Tuesday about his confidence in the direction of the team.

Asked about how playing for Staley compares to his experience with other coaches, Kendricks seemed giddy to heap praise on the Bolts’ skipper.

He knows ball, he loves ball. I think that’s the main thing. I step into the locker room, the coaches love ball, the players love ball, equipment loves ball, trainers love ball. That’s what it’s all about. It’s from the whole building. When you walk into an environment and you’re surrounded by that, it makes it easier for you to get along with the program.

Though he has yet to play a game under Staley’s watchful eye, the seeds of success seem to have been planted during the Chargers’ offseason program where Kendricks has gotten acclimated to life in Los Angeles.

The relationship between Staley and veterans like Kendricks will be key to the Chargers’ success in 2023 as the team looks to compete in the stacked AFC against the best teams that the NFL has to offer.

Why Bill Belichick thinks Seahawks QB Russell Wilson is underrated

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick lavished Russell Wilson with praise ahead of Week 2’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick lavished Russell Wilson with praise on Thursday ahead of the Week 2 matchup (?) against the Seattle Seahawks.

“Honestly, I think he’s in a way underrated by the media or the fans, I don’t know. But I don’t really see anybody better than this player,” Belichick said. “This guy is a tremendous player.”

Belichick went into specifics, commending Wilson’s play on the field in all aspects of the game and his ability to lead his team, even in the clutch.

“He can do everything,” he said. “He’s got obviously great leadership, playmaking skills. He plays very well in the most critical situations in the game. His decision-making, running, passing.”

Wilson has also never missed a game in his eight years in the NFL, and Belichick also made a note of this while complimenting his statistics, which are impressive, to say the least.

“His passing numbers are extraordinary,” Belichick said. “You can put him up against anybody since he’s been in the league – literally anybody, in almost any category, His winning percentage is impressive. He’s there for every game – never missed a game. He’s got a great ability to do the right thing at the right time. He has tremendous vision and sees the field extremely well.”

Lastly, the Patriots coach highlighted something that fans and analysts alike have known about Wilson for years, that he is perhaps the best deep passer in the league.

“I don’t think there’s a better deep-ball passer in the league, in terms of decision-making and accuracy,” Belichick noted. “He attacks literally every inch of the field.”

The Patriots may not be as intimidating as they were in years past with Tom Brady gone, but they claimed victory in Week 1 and Belichick is still heralded as a master of his craft. If there is a game, Seattle should not take New England lightly, especially now that their home-field advantage has been nullified.

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DK Metcalf praised by teammates and coaches ahead of 2020 season

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf received praise from QB Russell Wilson and OC Brian Schottenheimer ahead of the 2020 season.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf continues to receive praise from his teammates and coaches as he heads into his sophomore season in the NFL.

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has already given Metcalf the green light to critique and mentor some of his fellow players on offense and stated that he has earned the right to do so after his stellar rookie season.

”He’s earned the right to speak up more,” Schottenheimer told the Associated Press. ”Our guys on offense respect him and he’s earned that right to call guys out, and try to bring them along. And if the tempo is maybe down in practice he’s earned that right. We need his voice in that regard. That’s how much I respect him as a football player, and as a worker.”

Schottenheimer went on to commend Metcalf’s work ethic, stating that he takes something away from every single shortcoming and uses it to improve his game to be the best player he can possibly be.

”He’s obviously tremendously talented, but I mean this guy is an unbelievable worker,” Schottenheimer said. “He wants to be great. I mean he wants to be one of the best of all time. He doesn’t win every matchup. But when he doesn’t win the matchup, he takes it personally and he doesn’t shy away, he wants to jump back up there.”

Metcalf was often overlooked prior to his rookie season, but soon quelled doubts about his route-running. He now has expectations on him to make a second-year jump as one of the key cogs in the Seahawks offense in 2020. Time will tell if he will answer the call, but it will certainly be exciting to watch.

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Seahawks tight end Jacob Hollister valued for his football instincts

Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer praised tight end Jacob Hollister and his play after Will Dissly’s injury.

Seattle Seahawks tight end Jacob Hollister has been a surprising revelation for the team and a key offensive weapon for Russell Wilson this season, recording 25 receptions for 203 receiving yards and three touchdowns since being thrust into action in Week 7.

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said he did not expect Hollister to make such significant contributions to the team so quickly.

“I really liked Jake as a player when I first saw him and he had a great spring,” Schottenheimer said after practice on Thursday. “But, when you’re running around in t-shirts and shorts, it’s a little different than when you’re out there with pads on and you’re playing real football.”

When star tight end Will Dissly suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns, the Seahawks’ unit at the position was thoroughly depleted. Ed Dickson being placed on injured reserve only reinforced that narrative. However, Hollister eventually embraced his role as the next man up and began to develop chemistry with Wilson. This led to a notable game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in which he recorded four catches for 37 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime.

“I think Tampa’s kind of where things swung for him – a couple big plays, big touchdowns, you get noticed a little bit more,” Schottenheimer said. “What you guys see on the little glimpses in practice, we see it all the time. Just very reliable, always in the right spot, great football instincts. Not good, great football instincts.”

Hollister will continue to be counted on as a major cog in the Seahawks offense throughout the final four games of the 2019 season. Seattle will undoubtedly need more production from him with the injuries at the tight end position.

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Teammates, coaches excited for Shaquem Griffin’s bigger role in defense

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin was praised by his teammates and coaches ahead of Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin got the green light in the team’s 27-24 victory against the San Francisco 49ers. He only played 14 defensive snaps, but defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. had a great deal of praise and saw major potential in him going forward.

“When the opportunities arise, that you have to really step up,” Norton told reporters Wednesday. “Griff really, he’s always shown his ability. If you watch his college tape, that’s what he did mainly, was a guy coming off the edge, having a lot of spark, doing a lot of spins. Lot of juice. So, we’re excited about where he can go with this.”

Veteran Seahawk and fellow linebacker Bobby Wagner appreciates Griffin’s ability to get to the quarterback.

“When we watched him practice, it was amazing,” Wagner said Wednesday. “His get-off, his turn, the way he was getting to the quarterback. Then, after that, when you don’t get to the quarterback, the quarterback throws the ball [away]. If you guys watch the film, him coming out of his stack and trying to make a play 10 yards downfield. You notice his energy, you notice his effort, and I feel like he’s been growing and growing.”

With Jadeveon Clowney being a game-time decision for Sunday and the rest of the Seahawks pass rush struggling, Griffin could see significant time against the Eagles. Clowney himself raved about Griffin as well.

“He does everything. I don’t ever put it past him that he can’t do anything now,” Clowney said. “He showed me so much. When he’s over there, I don’t even worry. He’s going to take care of his own. Even with one hand, he still goes out there and does his thing. I’m a big supporter and a big fan of his since I’ve been here.”

Fans may soon see if Griffin can be a significant contributor in a crucial game against Philadelphia.

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