Kansas City Chiefs vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Divisional Round
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid
REID: “I don’t know, it didn’t look like it. But, I thought he did a pretty good job.”
Q: When Mahomes went back in, did it change up anything you wanted to do offensively?
REID: “We basically kept everything the same. We just kept it going with what we were doing before.”
Q: On how it might affect Mahomes next week:
REID: “Yeah, we’ll see. We’ll see. I don’t want to jump to things right now, but let’s just see how it goes
here the next couple (of) days. It’s going to be sore I know, but let’s see where he’s at. He’s had this before and he was able to keep pushing though. (It was) actually against Jacksonville whenever – a couple of years ago – same type of deal. So he pushed through that. The main thing is is that he’s safe – or as safe as you can be on a football field. That’s the important thing.”
Q: Did you expect it to be so close?
REID: “Yeah, when you start doing – you guys do this – when you start doing the studies on this game –
this round right here – these games are one score games normally. So, it’s a high, high percentage and so
you buckle it up for four quarters and you know that it’s going to come to (the end). I will tell you, I thought
(Jaguars Head Coach) Doug’s (Pederson) done a phenomenal job. Their team is better than they were
when they played us before (in Week 10) and the sky’s the limit for them. They’re young and they believe
in what they’re being taught and they play hard. And they’re well coached.”
Q: What stands out most about the drive where the Jaguars cut the lead to three points and then the
Chiefs offense comes out to score with a Marquez Valdes-Scantling touchdown?
REID: “I’m having a hard time placing that drive right now. Yeah so, well that was one of Adam’s (Teicher)
questions about mobility, he (Patrick Mahomes) did a nice job on that having to move around and make
that throw. Yeah, there were so many good plays within the mix there (with) everything that was going
on. I’m blending all the plays, but that’s alright.”
Q: When you first put Mahomes back in the game, there was a third-down play where he scrambled a bit.
Were the instructions from you for him to not do that? Or have you learned that he’s just going to do
what he wants to do?
REID: “Yeah, that kind of told me he was thinking he was ok. I didn’t – no, I didn’t want him to do that,
but I didn’t tell him not to. You can’t tell somebody that. If they can’t do that then they got to get out of
the game.”
Q: How hard is it for Chad Henne to come in at the two-yard line and drive the team down 98 yards for a
touchdown? How vital was that for the team”
REID: “Yeah, phenomenal. The best thing about that, Vahe (Gregorian), was everybody trusted Chad.
That’s the best part. That’s the way he handles himself and the confidence the guys have in him. I thought
they all stepped up – the O-line did a nice job. First of all, Chad did a nice job of getting the ball out on
time. And the O-line did a nice job. The run game – Pacheco had the long run. It was beautiful that they
blitzed on it and he kind of got bumped back and kept going like he does and put together a nice run. Nice drive on the whole thing. But, Chad – the guys love Chad and they play for him, so it was a great deal.”
Q: With Mahomes dealing with an injury, how much of a paramount was it for Mahomes to have Travis
Kelce to rely on?
REID: “Yeah, everybody contributed. Marquez – we had a few plays for Marquez and they did a good job
rolling the coverage that direction. And he didn’t hang his head, he just kept battling and battling and
battling and ends up with a big touchdown for us. But you can say that about JuJu (Smith-Schuster). JuJu
went through the game, comes up with a huge catch on the sideline there. And Pat had a tremendous
amount of trust in him to throw the back shoulder throw.”
Q: Did you get a sense on the sideline that everyone wanted to up their game when Mahomes got injured?
REID: “Yeah, I’d probably tell you yeah. The guys were – they are very protective, particularly the offensive
line in general. And so, they were hooting and hollering about that nobody touches the quarterback.”
Q: Can you talk us through that conversation with Mahomes about going back to get x-rays?
REID: “It would be like me trying to ask you not to ask a question (laughter). No listen, he’s a tough kid.
And so, he wanted to be in there, he wanted to be competing and that’s a tribute to him and his
competitiveness. However, you got to make sure he’s ok – physically ok where he can protect himself.
And if he can’t, then he can’t play, you have to go with the next guy. But he’s a tough nut. And he’s very
– when I tell you he’s competitive, he’s very competitive.”
Q: Who would have been Henne’s backup if he had gone down?
REID: “Yeah, we’ve got a couple (of) guys there that have played quarterback in college. Number one
(Jerick McKinnon) was one of them. It would’ve probably been number one up.”
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Divisional Round
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
think I could have made if I would’ve been in the right foot position but luckily for me I’m not in the right
foot position all the time so I’m able to make some throws like that anyways.”
Q: Did you have a point where you thought you’d hinder the team by being out there?
MAHOMES: “I mean I’m not coming out of a playoff game unless they take me out. I’m just going to play.
I love this sport too much; I love this game. I love playing with my teammates and being able to go out
there and enjoy it together. We prepare all year to be in the playoffs and to play in these games and I’m
glad that I was able to get back in the game and it’s something that I just love competing in this sport and pain is pain and you’re going to have to deal with it either way.”
Q: This is your fifth straight AFC Championship. What does that mean to you?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, it’s a credit to the team I have around me, the coaches I have around me and the
organization in general. We prepare ourselves every year from training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri to be
here but it takes a day by day process and I think the coaches preach that, the players do that and the
organization around us supports us in that mission and so we just try to do whatever we can to be in this
position to get to this AFC Championship, and then now find a way to get to the Super Bowl and that’s
going to take a great week of preparation and practice.”
Q: How much do you feel the injury impacted your game in the second half?
MAHOMES: “There were a couple throws here and there where I tried to plant off that foot and it didn’t
let me plant like I usually do and so a couple throws I didn’t make. I told (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) I want
to still throw it down field and so we were able to make some throws there after the first few drives. I
think he got a little confidence that I can protect myself. So credit to our defense holding us in that game,
especially after the start of that second half when I wasn’t able to get stuff going. They held us in the
game, made some big plays at the end and we were able to score enough points to win.”
Q: Were those moments waiting for the results of your x-rays nervous? Can you talk about those
moments?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I mean pretty nervous moments, man. I just, I always pray whenever stuff like that
comes around. It’s all in God’s hands at the end of the day and I just have to accept whatever it is and turn it into a positive. Luckily for me, He blessed me to keep me injury free as far as breaks or anything like that. So now, how can I prepare my body to be ready to go next week? I’ll start that tonight and that
process will be tough, but I’ll be ready to go.”
Q: Wil you watch the Bills vs Bengals game tomorrow?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, well I’ll be watching the game, for sure. Playoff football is the best time of the year,
man, just to be able to watch that. So I’ll get the treatment and stuff like that but the family’s going to
have to wait for a while because I’ll be getting that stuff done.”
Q: Did they have the game on while you were getting your x-rays?
MAHOMES: “Oh no. They don’t ever show the tv. I’ve been back there, the Divisional round whenever,
the Browns game, when Chad (Henne) was playing, I didn’t get to see like any of that until the last drive.
So they do a good job of not having the tv’s going in there so I have to focus on myself and getting myself better more than focusing on the game.”
Q: Travis Kelce had 14 receptions, 98 yards and two touchdowns. Can you talk about his performance?
MAHOMES: “Yeah man, another guy just steps up. It seems like he (Travis Kelce) gets better and better in
the playoffs as you get further and further in there and you need those types of guys. He did a great job
of making some tough, contested catches and he’s special man. He’s a special player, one-of-a-kind player who’s one of the main reasons that we’ve been able to be in this position so many times.”
Q: When the Jaguars cut the lead to three, can you take me through that next drive that ended with the
touchdown by Marquez Valdes-Scantling?
MAHOMES: “Yeah it was a good drive by everybody. I think everybody had a part in that drive. Everybody
was making plays and that’s what championship teams do. Whenever stuff’s not going their way and the
game gets tight, how are you going to respond? I went down, I kind of jumped and landed on the same
ankle but I had to find a way to get the ball in the endzone and Marquez (Valdes-Scantling) was there, and I needed to make the throw and he stepped up and made a big play there at the end of the game to win it.”
Q: Lots of people thought it would be an easy game for the Chiefs. What was it like to be in a tight game
when some thought it would not be tight and your season was on the line?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, first, I never think any playoff game is going to be easy. Teams are here for a reason
and even if they are surprised in a sense or whatever it is, they’re here for a reason. They have the
confidence that it’s going to be a great game. If you look at Wild Card weekend or really the playoffs in
general these last few years, every game seems like it’s a one score game so we came with the mentality
that were going to have to play till the very end and obviously we had some adversity there with some
injuries and stuff like that but I was proud of how the guys responded and figured out how to get the win.”
Q: How much of your urgency to come back was you wanting to signal to your teammates that you were
ok? How much was wanting to play?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I mean obviously you want to play. You just want to play because you’ve built that
time from St. Joseph (in training camp), you’ve spent this time with your teammates, and built up for this
moment so you don’t want to let guys down or whatever it is. You want to be in the game and be able to
go out there and show off what you’ve worked for, but I don’t think it really was anything for the team
because the team has so much belief in Chad (Henne). He’s done it before, he’s won Divisional games by
coming in and playing so they have so much belief in Chad. And you saw him (have) a 98-yard drive. He
ran the offense the way the offense is supposed to be ran, he threw it to the right guys and guys stepped
up and made plays. That’s what a great team does, it’s not about one guy it’s about the whole team.”
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Divisional Round
Chiefs Players
know, just making a play. 17 (Evan Engram), we know they’ll try to feature him and get him the ball in
different ways. He’s a weapon – not only a tight end but also a receiver. That was just one of those plays
they tried to utilize him on a screen.”
Q: When Patrick Mahomes goes down, does your mentality change as a defense at all?
CLARK: “Of course, the best quarterback in the game just went down, the stadium’s quiet (and) everyone’s
hoping that he’s doing well but at the end of the day, you don’t want to see any player go down. In our
league today, we’ve seen it over the last few weeks, you see players get hurt and that attention to detail
for these players has become a premium. I’m thankful for that – I’m thankful that we’ve taken a step back
and actually focused more on the players health and those type of things rather than the game continuing.
I feel like we did a pretty good job of that today with Pat (Mahomes). With Pat being who Pat is, he’s
tough as hell, man. He gets out there and he finishes the game, there’s no telling what’s going on with
him. Just like when you saw him a few years (ago) against the Broncos. The guy hurts he knee and comes
back and finishes the season strong as ever.”
Q: On Carlos Dunlap’s first playoff win.
CLARK: “Man, 13 years for him to get his first playoff win. 100 sacks in a career, playoff win – (his) first
playoff win. It’s all hats off to my OG Carlos Dunlap, I love seeing it. It’s even better when you love seeing
your people win. I’ve had a lot of success in this league, especially in the playoffs, obviously but when
you’ve got a guy who’s (in) year 13, who I’ve looked up in my career (and) you watch him be able to obtain the success that he’s always wanted in his life. 100 sacks but no playoff wins. (Skip) that, I need them wins over them sacks, I’m going to keep it real with you. I’ve always been that type of guy and it shows – it shows how hard he plays and his leadership skills and stuff like that, so hats off to Carlos for that.”
DE CARLOS DUNLAP
Q: When Patrick Mahomes came up limping, that affected the whole team, right?
DUNLAP: “Yeah, I feel like everybody in the stands, you know, I felt like everyone in there (was affected),
but Pat (Mahomes) is tough as nails. They had to pull him out. Chad (Henne) did what he’s supposed to
do. Chad’s always ready and he never expected that, but you see what he did.”
Q: How critical was that 98-yard drive and how much did that settle everybody down?
DUNLAP: “That was crucial. Had that went any other way that might have forced Pat (Mahomes) to do
different things. It gave Pat time to evaluate and see what he can do and then they made a decision after
that, so you know that’s why you pay guys like Chad (Henne) to be ready for those opportunities. That’s
a good veteran, leadership move what Chad did.”
Q: When you see Patrick Mahomes come back into the game and you know he’s hurting, what mindset
does the defense have then?
DUNLAP: “(Our mindset was) defense lets go put this game away,so we can get him out and get him some rest, get him off his feet. That’s what our mindset was. (It) took a little bit longer than what we wanted but we got the dub today.”
QB CHAD HENNE
Q: Was coming in like riding a bike?
HENNE: “(Laughs) I don’t know if it’s like riding a bike, but you’re always prepared and I think with this
offense, obviously with all our weapons that we have, and staying prepared each and every moment, I
think you just stay ready. And when your number’s called, you just go in there and do what you did in
practice and the meeting rooms and you just take it to the game.”
Q: Did you ask to run the third-and-short play to Kadarius Toney?
HENNE: “(Laughs) Just a quick rollout, right, and hit the flat? It was one of the plays that was in our third-
and-two to four group and it was ranked high for me. But, that’s what’s great about this organization and
(Head) Coach (Andy) Reid and EB (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy) and (Senior Offensive
Assistant/Quarterbacks Coach Matt) Nagy, it’s just when your plays are ranked, they believe in that. They
believe in what you believe in and you feel very comfortable when the play does come in and to execute
it.”
Q: Some of the guys in the locker room said you were making jokes when you went into the game to cut
the tension. How did you break the tension/nervousness of the team in the huddle?
HENNE: “Yeah, I don’t think it was jokes. I think it was just being confident. I think looking the guys in the
eye, exemplifying some of the words in the offense that we do and just really just getting their attention
and knowing that you believe in them as well as them believing in me. So, I just think giving them
confidence that I know what I’m doing and it’s just not a one-man show. There’s a lot of great guys on our offense that really stepped up and helped my job a lot tonight.”
C CREED HUMPHREY
Q: When Patrick Mahomes isn’t as mobile do you have to make any kind of adjustments?
HUMPHREY: “At the end of the day, it really just comes down to executing your block. You’ve got to be
able to block your guy by any means. We don’t really think about it too much in terms of him being able
to be mobile. We don’t want to have him trying to run around all over the pocket, anyways. We need to
set up a pocket for him where he can sit in anyways. That’s just our job; that’s what we’re trying to do
every time.”
Q: Playoff games are tough. What do you think this game came down to?
HUMPHREY: “Just execution and just being able to face adversity and keep getting after it whenever we
see adversity and I think we did a good job of that today. (We) had a few great drives to end the game off,
so it was good to see and (I’m) just proud of the guys, man. I’m really excited for us.”
Q: The defense has been forcing a lot of turnovers lately and that’s pretty big in the playoffs How big is
that?
HUMPHREY: “Yeah, huge and they did a great job tonight. We’ve got a ton of talented players over there
so seeing them play like that (and) getting those turnovers like that (and) things like that – the sacks. It’s
been awesome to see and we feed off that as an offense, so it’s definitely been awesome to see and
they’ve been doing a great job.”
DE GEORGE KARLAFTIS
Q: On his first playoff game.
KARLAFTIS: “It was good to get out there. It was good – obviously great to win the playoff game. Not too
many people have done that, so it was awesome and now we’re on to the next.”
Q: When Patrick Mahomes gets hurt, did you guys get together as a defense and say anything?
KARLAFTIS: “No, we have the upmost confidence in Chad (Henne), we go against him in practice. He’s a
great quarterback, so when you have two quarterbacks that get the job done that gives you a lot of
confidence as a team and especially as a defense.”
Q: Does playing the two possible matchups for next week’s AFC Championship game earlier in the season
help you guys with preparation?
KARLAFTIS: “Yeah, just knowing who the guys are. Cincinnati has two guys out and Buffalo is pretty much
the same – offensively at least. We’ve seen them, we know what it feels like as a game, but it’s not too
big of a factor. Obviously, we’ll have something to go off of like what they like to do against us.”
TE TRAVIS KELCE
Q: Head Coach Andy Reid talked about everyone trusting Chad Henne? What do you see behind the scenes
from him that makes him so trustworthy?
KELCE: “He’s just – you have a veteran mind, a veteran QB, a guy you can bounce things off of. I know I’ve
learned a lot just from talking to Chad (Henne) about things that he likes to see or – it’s just a different
style of quarterback, so you always want to be on the same page with everybody in that room. Chad’s
been nothing but the best quarterback he can be throughout it all. And want I mean by that is every single
day he’s preparing as if he’s the starting quarterback, as if he’s one snap away and sure enough, you saw
that today. To be able to come into a hostile game, backed up on your two-yard line and go 98 yards on
your first drive, that just shows the type of competitor he is and how the guys rallied around him because
of how much leadership he has.”
Q: Knowing how the season ended last year, what is the existing motivation to finish it all this year?
KELCE: “Just have to be appreciative of being in the situation – we get to play football for another week.
I’m not looking past that, I’m not looking down the line, I’m trying to figure out how I can make my team
better, how I can make myself better for my team throughout this week. It’s going to be every single day
attacking what I need to attack and the first couple of things is recovery. And from there, it’s just finding
out the game plan, who we’re playing and how we’re going to attack them. Everybody’s locked in right
now. I think if you looked at that team out there, you saw everybody communicating very well. Coach
teams on all three phases. And when we play like that, we give ourselves a really good chance of winning.”
Q: Coach Reid talked about how every time he’s at the podium it seems like you’ve broken a record.
Although you talk about it not being about individual accomplishments, what does it mean to you that
your performance had a big impact on your team’s win tonight?
KELCE: “It feels really good to have (Head Coach) Andy Reid as my coach calling plays for me.”
RB JERICK MCKINNON
Q: On Patrick Mahomes coming back to finish the game.
MCKINNON: “Unless he can’t physically play, he’s going to do whatever it takes to play here. We’ve got
the upmost belief in Chad (Henne), he came in slinging it. So we’re lucky to have two guys like that that
can get it done and we came up with the win.”
Q: What’s does it mean to be headed back to the AFC Championship game?
MCKINNON: “It’s a blessing, man. I don’t know what’s going to happen but (we’re) one step closer to the
ultimate goal that we set out at the beginning of the year, so the work keeps going.”
Q: What did you see from Isiah Pacheco today?
MCKINNON: “I knew he was going to be juiced up. (He’s) a rookie, (in a) playoff game (and) with his
mentality, I just told him to just be himself (and) set the tone. And that’s exactly what he did from the
beginning. Anytime you get him going, I tell the coach, ‘just keep giving him the ball.’ He’s exciting,
electrifying, and makes things happen.”
RB ISIAH PACHECO
Q: How was your first playoff game?
PACHECO: “We wanted to get the win, man. That’s what it’s all about. I been through programs (where)
we had our ups and downs but I’ve always had the same mindset. (Just) be a leader and focus on the down that’s called and finish.
Q: On his 39-yard carry.
PACHECO: “It was all out-tempo – tempo my way through it. The o-line did a great job of straining and
that’s when I found the hole and strided up the field. It just keeps happening and for me – for a younger
guy, just bouncing back up and getting in their faces and tell them, ‘Let’s keep rolling.’ We believe in each
other and we’re playing hard for each other, and you can see it.”
Q: What has changed for you throughout this season?
PACHECO: “I know my job and I’m confident. I’m allowing the game to come to me but I’m confident, like
I said. That’s with hard work and patience and (I) just keep practicing and getting the routine down. I’m
not satisfied, it’s unfinished business and it’s more to come.”
S JUSTIN REID
Q: On Patrick Mahomes playing through his injury.
REID: “We have confidence in Chad Henne, though. He’s a guy that’s come in (and) it’s not his first time
taking over big-time games and making something special happen so that was a big moment for us to
come in. I’ve got to tell you, 15 (Patrick Mahomes) is tough as nails, being able to come back in. Even
staying in after the injury and handing the ball off while he’s basically hobbling on one leg. The guy – that
just shows you his love for the game and his character and his will to just be out there for his team and do everything he can to help us win.”
Q: Does it matter to you where you play next week?
REID: “It doesn’t matter at all. We can’t control that. We can’t control when we play, we can’t control
where we play, we control how we play and how we prepare for it. No matter who we face, it’s going to
be about us anyway – as far as our minds go, it’s going to be about us and how we perform and execute
and execute the game plan and that’s how we’re going to move forward.”
Q: What is it about Frank Clark that makes him just built for playoff football?
REID: “The guy is just special. His work ethic, he really brings it out to play. The guys dangerous, he has all
the energy in the world and makes plays happen. Especially when you have two all-star caliber players in
him and Chris Jones, it’s tough for opposing offenses to try and stop both of them, they kind of have to
pick one at times. If it’s a double team on Chris, it frees up Frank (Clark) and if it’s a double team on Frank,
it frees up Chris so those two guys being on the field at the same time is big for us.”
WR JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER
Q: How big was that 98-yard drive by Chad Henne. How difficult is that to be able to come in and
orchestrate that? How important was that?
SMITH-SCHUSTER: “Yeah, we always say “Henne-thing is possible” when (Chad) Henne is in there. But like
you said, he’s just a savvy vet, he’s in there having fun, laughing. It’s crazy because I’m like, ‘Wow, Chad’s
coming in’ and I haven’t really worked with him too much, but the chemistry is there with all the guys and
he knows this offense better than anyone on this team.”
Q: How difficult is it as a receiver to play with Chad Henne when he hasn’t been playing?
SMITH-SCHUSTER: “I mean it’s pretty difficult, but you talk about a guy that’s played football so long. You
know it’s playing like backyard football, and I watched him a couple years ago when he came in and got
the first down on big plays. For me, it’s new because I’m on the team and actually doing it with him but
for him I’m sure it’s like playing football like it’s high school.”
Q: I know you guys are trying to play through anything but when you see Patrick Mahomes go down, how
difficult is it to keep moving forward?
SMITH-SCHUSTER: “First thing is that we’ve got to have Chad’s (Henne) back. That’s everyone’s mindset.
When Pat (Mahomes) goes down, everyone was just looking like, ‘Yo Chad, we got your back. Let’s ride.
Let’s do this.’ That’s how the mentality was. It started off with Trav(is) (Kelce) and then one play after
another, the momentum just kept going and kept picking up.”
S JUAN THORNHILL
Q: You guys took a lot of the weight on your shoulders when Patrick Mahomes went down. How were you
guys able to handle that situation?
THORNHILL: “Definitely. With an offense that can put up points and they can just be up one more point
we (the defense) always take the pride and say ‘we’re not going to allow any more points out there.’ I
take my hat off to these guys, the defense did a heck of a job. I take my hat off to Pat (Mahomes) for
fighting through whatever injury he was dealing with and Chad (Henne) (for) stepping up and making big
plays as well.”
Q: You had two big deflections, talk about what you were seeing out there. How big are those plays when
you’re trying to help out the young corners?
THORNHILL: “I’m just trying to do my job. Whenever it’s my opportunity to make a play, I’m going to try
to make it. I think I missed the interception but hopefully it’ll come back next week. Only thing I can keep
doing is try to lead these young guys and I appreciate all of them. They’re working hard each and every
week and we’ve just got to keep stacking.”
Q: How big is it to be heading to your fifth AFC Championship game?
THORNHILL: “I mean, it’s huge, man! When you’ve got a team that’s constantly being at the top of the
league each and every year, it feels amazing. I’m excited for it.”
WR MARQUEZ VALDES-SCANTLING
Q: What was that route that you ran on your touchdown play?
VALDES-SCANTLING: “It was just a slant route. I saw that I had zero coverage, just one on one with that
guy. The (running) back motioned out (and) the linebacker went with him (and) I knew they were going
to double Trav (Travis Kelce) so it left me one on one. So I just knew that I had to get across and let Pat
(Mahomes) find me.”
Q: What went through your mind when you saw Patrick Mahomes go down?
VALDES-SCANTLING: “I mean yeah, he’s our quarterback. You never want to see anybody go down,
especially your captain, but I knew he was tough and that he was going to get up and keep going. Obviously
we still have a football game and we we’re ready to keep going. As you see, Chad (Henne) came in and we
went (98) yards and scored a touchdown.”
Q: What was Chad Henne’s demeanor when he took over the huddle?
VALDES-SCANTLING: “(The) same as always, business as usual. He’s been in the league a long time, this
isn’t his first rodeo, this isn’t his firs playoff game. It isn’t his first time coming in (and) having to lead a
team. He was cool and he did what he was supposed to do.”
CB JAYLEN WATSON
Q: On his one-handed interception.
WATSON: “I really couldn’t get both hands in and I only really had time to get one in but I’m pretty
confident in my one hand so it just happened and I caught it.”
Q: Describe your development throughout the season.
WATSON: “I was thrown in fast and I had to develop and grow as a player pretty fast. (The) vets (are)
doing a great job (with) helping us rookie DB’s. We’re just trying to get adjusted. We know it’s playoffs,
it’s win or go home. Our coaches tell us we’re no longer rookies no more. We’ve had enough time (and)
we’ve had enough snaps so we just treat each and every play like it’s our last and do the best that we
can.”
Q: Patrick Mahomes went down today. How big was it for the defense to step up and help?
WATSON: “Yeah, that’s the great part about football. You’ve got three phase, offense, defense and special
teams. When one (is) down, the other (one’s) got to pick it up so Pat (Mahomes) went down, Chad (Henne) did a great job coming in but the defense knew we had to step up and that’s what we did to get the win tonight.”
WR JUSTIN WATSON
Q: On Chad Henne coming in for Patrick Mahomes when he got hurt.
WATSON: “It was no doubt that he was going to come in and do that. We have all the confidence in the
world in Chad (Henne).”
Q: How did you guys find out that Patrick Mahomes was going to play in the second half?
WATSON: “I didn’t know until everybody else found out and he started running out there. I heard the
crowd going nuts when he started warming up and jogging a little bit. We were ready to roll either way,
the gameplan was the same either way, we were going to come out (and) run the ball (and) get some
possession throws for whoever was out there so we were ready to roll either way.”
Q: What did tonight say about the toughness of Patrick Mahomes?
WATSON: “Man, he’s a football player. He’s not just an NFL quarterback, he’s a football player to the true
sense. I think you saw the Texas side of him in there, going in there, battling and wanting every single snap in the biggest game of the year.”
