Chiefs turn focus to Broncos after loss in Cincinnati | KCSN Daily 12.7
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There was only one thing on Chiefs HC Andy Reid’s mind on Wednesday and that’s the Denver Broncos. Big Red and company have moved on from their disappointing Week 13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and turned their attention to their upcoming AFC West opponent.
“Yeah, I think the important thing is you learn from every win and loss,” Reid said. “And then you move on to the next game and that’s what these guys have done. I mean they’re tunneled in (on Denver). As coaches, we were deep into it Monday morning and so by the time you all woke up it was lunchtime for us.”
As for the team’s star quarterback, he says it wasn’t difficult for him to move on from the disappointing loss. He knows that turning the page quickly in both wins and losses is necessary to keep the team’s focus on the task at hand.
“In this league, you’ve got to move on or you're going to make one loss turn into two,” Mahomes said. “So you just watch the tape on Monday. You get a sense of what you could do better and what you can take away that you did positive, and then you move on to the next week and that's what we're doing. And we're ready to play a great football team in the Denver Broncos.”
Despite the Broncos’ 3-9 overall record on the season, Reid knows the challenge posed by a desperate AFC West foe. For Denver, it all starts with their Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Russell Wilson.
“Yeah so, I’ve known Russell (Wilson),” Reid said. “(I’ve) competed against him for a long time so he’s a heck of a player. They’re, like I said, they’re like fingertips away and our guys have a chance to look at that on tape which is important to understand, and you have to make sure that you get yourself right technique-wise to play against those receivers and in particular him with his timing and run ability. So, he can still scoot and he’s slippery in the pocket, so you’ve got to make sure you handle all of that the right way.”
Mahomes has started nine games against the Broncos in his career and he’s never lost. The Chiefs have won their last 13 consecutive games against this Denver team. What’s the secret behind that success? According to Mahomes, it all comes down to the emphasis they put into studying and defeating their AFC West opponents.
“Yeah, we just really emphasize playing our division opponents,” Mahomes said. “That's something that we work on all off-season. In order to get where you want to go, you have to win your division most times. And so for us, (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) and the coaches do a great job of giving us great game plans. And then I try to go out there and execute them. We just really emphasize trying to beat our division opponents and the Broncos have been one that's been a great challenge for us every year.”
One On One - Mark Schlereth talks experience and stories from Chiefs vs. Broncos rivalry:
Former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Jeff Allen and defensive lineman Mike DeVito welcome on former Denver Broncos offensive lineman Mark Schlereth to talk about the Chiefs and Broncos rivalry and the current teams, plus tell some of their favorite stories from those games.
Wednesday Injury Report:
Chiefs:
DNP: None.
LP: WR Kadarius Toney (Hamstring) and LB Nick Bolton (Groin).
FP: QB Patrick Mahomes (Foot), S Deon Bush (Elbow), RB Jerick McKinnon (Hamstring), LG Joe Thuney (Ankle), RG Trey Smith (Knee), CB L’Jarius Sneed (Calf), OT Lucas Niang (Knee), CB Jaylen Watson (Hand), CB Joshua Williams (Quad), RB Isiah Pacheco (Shoulder/Quad), and LB Willie Gay Jr. (Groin).
Broncos
DNP: WR Courtland Sutton (Hamstring), LB Dakota Allen (Hamstring), FB Andrew Beck (Hamstring), OL Tom Compton (Illness), K Brandon McManus (Quad), and OG Dalton Risner (Shoulder/Back).
LP: LS Jacob Bobenmoyer (Wrist), OLB Baron Browning (Elbow), DL Jonathan Harris (Knee), S Kareem Jackson (NIR), WR Jerry Jeudy (Ankle), and CB K’Waun Williams (Wrist/Elbow/Knee).
FP: None.
Key:
DNP (Did Not Participate), LP (Limited Participant), FP (Full Participant), NIR (Not Injury Related).
Pro Bowl Games Fan Voting update:
The Chiefs have the fifth-most votes among all NFL teams in the league’s latest tally of fan voting. That’s down from the previous tally, which had them at the third-most total votes. Five players for K.C. are currently leading the AFC field at their respective position as of Dec. 7. Patrick Mahomes, while having the third-most votes among all players, is no longer the AFC’s leader at QB. That spot now belongs to Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa (138,390).
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes: 133,607
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce: 131,378
Chiefs DT Chris Jones: 92,849
Chiefs LB Nick Bolton: 68,472
Chiefs C Creed Humphrey: 54,157
Chiefs RS (Return Specialist) Isiah Pacheco: 58,884
You can vote for players online here. You can also vote on Twitter through Dec. 15. To cast a vote on Twitter, tweet the first and last name of the player, the player’s official Twitter handle, or a hashtag including the player’s first and last name. All three of these methods must include the hashtag #ProBowlVote.
KCSN Update:
KCSN’s BJ Kissel sits down with Brett Kollmann to get his high-level thoughts on the Kansas City Chiefs' loss to the Cincinnati Bengals before turning the page to the Chiefs' upcoming matchup vs. the Denver Broncos and how they can be schematically successful.
Quotable:
“Well, they let me know a few weeks back. We had the announcement last night at my gala, but I mean obviously (it’s) a tremendous honor – not only to be the Walter Payton nominee for the NFL, but for the Chiefs who have the most Walter Payton Man of the Years (Awards). And it's such a prestigious honor for this organization, especially to (give) back to the community that gives us so much. There's so many deserving guys in our team, so for me to have my turn this year is something that I'll hold (on to) for the rest of my life.” - Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes on Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination
“I’ve briefly watched them on film a little bit, playing (against) the guys (the Broncos) last year. They are a very talented front seven (and) defensive front. (I) know a couple of guys that play there having played them last year. (They’re) extremely athletic, they play hard (and) there’s not quit in them. It’s definitely going to be a tremendous challenge up front. Like (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) alluded to earlier – the record says something but the team’s playing extremely hard, and you have to respect that, ultimately. It’s going to be a tremendous challenge up front.” - Trey Smith on what makes Broncos dangerous
Quick Hits:
From Patrick Mahomes: Some convenient timing - on the day he was announced as the team’s nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year - Patrick Mahomes hosted his third annual 15 and The Mahomies Gala. There they handed out over $400K in grants to over 25 charities in the Kansas City area.
From Trey Smith: The Chiefs’ starting right guard shared on Twitter why his “My Cause My Cleats” choice was so important to him and why he wants to help raise awareness for pulmonary embolisms and blood clots.
From KCSN: With your help, KCSN has raised more than $21K for the Soul of KC Holiday Raffle & Toy Drive. Thank you to all who purchased raffle tickets. Be sure to tune in to our YouTube channel at halftime during Sunday’s game against the Broncos to see the live drawing of raffle winners.
Important dates ahead:
Sunday, Dec. 11 at 3:05 p.m. CT - Week 14: Chiefs vs. Broncos - Empower Field at Mile High Stadium - Denver, Colorado
Monday, Dec. 12 - Chiefs playoff tickets on-sale date
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