Chiefs HC Andy Reid had one word to describe his defense's fourth-down stop in the red zone vs. the Raiders
Defense is becoming a core part of the Kansas City Chiefs' identity again and Sunday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders was no exception. Steve Spagnuolo's unit stepped up when the time was needed with five sacks, seven tackles for loss, a pass batted, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery during the Week 8 win. […]
Defense is becoming a core part of the Kansas City Chiefs' identity again and Sunday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders was no exception.
Steve Spagnuolo's unit stepped up when the time was needed with five sacks, seven tackles for loss, a pass batted, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery during the Week 8 win. They dealt with some cornerback injuries during the game and leading up to the game, but it didn't matter in the long run. The guys rallied and they had standout performances from the likes of Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, George Karlaftis, Tershawn Wharton, and Leo Chenal to name a few.
Where they most excelled was situational football. After a Patrick Mahomes pass was tipped and intercepted in KC territory during the third quarter, the Raiders had a short field and a chance to steal momentum and the lead. The defense tightened up, allowing a two-yard gain followed by a no-gain, a tackle for loss, and a five-yard sack of Gardner Minshew on fourth down to force a turnover on downs. After the game, Chiefs HC Andy Reid had just one word to describe the sequence.
"Unbelievable," Reid said.
Elaborating on what made the play so unbelievable, Reid went into the minutiae of it.
"Offensively we put the defense in a bad position, but we held up as a defense," He said. "We came out and put our foot down and did a nice job there. That was important."
As for Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, he felt supported by his defensive teammates in this instance. They came in during a fast-change situation and by getting the stop, he felt they seized the momentum back that allowed the team to close out the game.
"Yeah, it was big time because I think the ball was on like the 3-yard line," Mahomes said. "A couple of times it was on the 1. For them to not just let up — it's easy in that situation to just let them kind of get in the end zone just because it's not really on them. It's on the offense to put them in position, but they stood their ground. They went up there and said that they were going to make them earn it. They're going to make them earn every single yard. The defense made a big-time stop, and we were able to carry that momentum into a win."
The defense overcame the injuries at cornerback and uplifted this team to a win when they needed it most. The best thing about it all is that it's not any one player who makes the whole thing go.
"I think the biggest thing about the defense and about this entire team is whenever your number is called, the guy is going to step up and make the play," Mahomes explained. "That goes for the whole entire team but especially the defense in situations like today."
Chiefs HC Andy Reid, QB Patrick Mahomes share first impressions of new WR DeAndre Hopkins after Week 8
Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid and QB Patrick Mahomes spoke about new WR DeAndre Hopkins’ first game.
