Coach Andy Reid gives update on Travis Kelce’s health after Chiefs vs Detroit Lions brawl

Big Red’s Breakdown: Chiefs Win, Offensive Line Stepped Up, and the Rashee Rice Question

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid met with the media to dissect the team’s strong performance, a win at GEHA Field at Arrowhead, highlighting standout efforts from the offensive line to the defensive adjustments made by Steve Spagnuolo.

Here are the key takeaways from Coach Reid’s post-game commentary:

Offensive Success: Spreading the Ball and Hollywood’s Impact

Reid praised the offensive execution, particularly the efforts of Patrick Mahomes in distributing the ball and the effectiveness of the game plan put together by Matt Nagy and Joe Bleymaier.

Mahomes and Kelce Connection: Reid was pleased to see “Patrick and Kelce hook up for a few nice catches.”
“Hollywood” Brown: He highlighted the performance of Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, noting his versatility and the challenge of balancing playing time with the team’s deep receiving corps. “Hollywood’s a good player… we just got a lot of guys.”
The Game Plan: Reid credited the offensive coaching staff, including Andy Heck, for an “unbelievable game plan” that the players “bought into.”

The O-Line’s Depth: Jaylen Watson Steps Up

The absence of Josh Holcomb due to a personal matter opened the door for Jaylen Watson to step in, and Reid was quick to praise his performance.

Watson’s Versatility: Reid noted Watson’s value stems from his ability to play multiple positions: both sides at tackle and both sides at guard. This versatility is a “tribute to Andy Heck and the way he rotates all of his guys.”
Handling the Challenge: When asked about Watson’s film performance, Reid said he was “just solid” and “handled” the tough ask of going against an All-Pro player 50% of the time. He attributed Watson’s success to his aggressive, fast practice habits during the week.
Holcomb’s Return: Regarding Holcomb, Reid offered no timeline, sticking to his earlier comment that it’s a personal issue and is simply about taking “care of business.”

Defensive & Special Teams Standouts

Reid reserved high praise for the defensive adjustments and a key special teams performance.

Spagnuolo’s Adjustments: “I love the transition that Spags made there,” Reid stated. After a shaky start on a couple of drives, Spagnuolo adjusted, and the players “tightened up the back end and… some of those gaps inside.”
Derrick Nnadi and the Explosive Offense: Facing an “explosive offensive group” that has “scored a ton of points,” the defense rose to the “big challenge.”
Leo Balden’s Big Plays: Reid gave a shout-out to Leo Balden, who he felt “played really well,” piling up tackles and snagging plays that could have been “even bigger” gains for the opposition. He also gave Brendan Daly credit for his work with the linebackers.
Harrison Butker: After an early missed extra point in a previous game, Reid was pleased to see Butker get a late-game field goal and “drill that sub again,” reinforcing his status as “one of the best clutch kickers in the National Football League.”

Rashee Rice’s Return and the Receiving Room Chemistry

With Rashee Rice set to return this week, the coach addressed the ramp-up for the young receiver.

Conditioning: Reid confirmed that while the team couldn’t work with Rice during his time off, “I know he’s been working like crazy… I know he’s in good shape.”
Getting on the Same Page: The focus now will be on getting him “back in the swing” and ensuring he gets “with Patrick and kind of getting on the same page.”
WR Group Unity: Reid echoed comments about the receivers’ unity, saying the group “felt whole” with Rice back in the building. He cited their strong friendship and their consistent work on route combinations as key to their success. He singled out Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Guju) as a “uniter” for the group.

The Run Game Balance

Addressing the run game, which was under the 100-yard collective mark, Reid emphasized the complexities of the Chiefs’ offensive scheme.

Running Backs: He felt Peyton Hendershot (Pop) and Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Kareem) both ran hard and accurately with their reads.
RPO Factor: Reid pointed out that in the RPO (Run-Pass Option) game, “you’re calling runs, but some of them turn into passes.” This naturally lowers the rushing totals while increasing completions.
Patrick Mahomes’ Rushing: Mahomes added 30 yards rushing, which Reid accepts as part of the equation. He stressed the importance of Mahomes sliding and getting down to limit the big hits, which the quarterback did “with the exception of one.”