The Kansas City Chiefs are 5-5 heading into a Week 12 matchup with the 8-2 Indianapolis Colts, but there’s no time to dwell on that, according to head coach Andy Reid.
“Yeah, so, we’re not quite as negative as the outside world is,” Reid told reporters when asked about his locker room’s postseason confidence level on November 17, the day after the Week 11 loss to the Denver Broncos. “We know what we need to clean up, and we need to do it. But the guys, they get it. I mean, some of these guys have been through some pretty good seasons, and [it] isn’t like this one is lost [at 5-5]. We’ve just got to clean up a few of these things.”
The playoff message from Reid was mostly calm and composed, but the veteran head coach did admit that his players have to ramp up the “urgency level” with little room for error.
“What can you do? You can [go] and get yourself ready to play Indianapolis. That’s what you can do,” Reid explained after a follow-up question, stressing the one game at a time mentality. “Everything else is involved with a crystal ball. But you can take care of today, and tomorrow, and the following day. Let’s start there.”
Clearly, it’s not panic mode inside the Chiefs’ building. Reid and KC have been here before, and the future Hall of Fame head coach isn’t switching up his mindset at 5-5. The players shouldn’t either.
Chiefs’ Andy Reid Reiterates Attention to Detail & Executing on the ‘Small Things’ in Week 12
GettyKansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid watches quarterback Patrick Mahomes prepare for a game.
When asked what traits Reid believes a team needs to fuel a comeback, the Chiefs HC knew his answer immediately.
“You have to take care of the small things,” Reid stated on Monday. “And that’s coaches included.”
“Whether it’s volume. Whether it’s fundamentals. You’ve got to take care of the small things, and when I tell you I’m responsible for that, I’m responsible for that,” he continued, shouldering the blame.
Reid also specifically mentioned penalties as his response went on, urging his players to “fix” those issues with attention to detail and accountability.
“Don’t point to the officials. Don’t point here or there,” the Chiefs HC voiced. “Take responsibility for it.”
He then provided a few different examples, concluding: “All those things you control, you’ve got to take care of those things. Small things, but they all add up.”
NFL Playoffs Are Not Out of Reach for Chiefs
The AFC West division title may be difficult to win after the Week 11 loss to the Broncos, but the playoffs are far from out of reach.
For starters, the Chiefs are only one game back of the final wildcard spot, held by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Of course, KC did lose to the Jags head-to-head, meaning they’d likely have to overtake them by a game, but even two games is less than it seems.
As Reid preached, you just have to take things one week at a time.
The back half of Kansas City’s schedule has a lot of winnable games, but the Chiefs cannot get caught looking ahead. For now, they must beat the Colts and get themselves back over .500.
That’s the immediate objective, and the more wins KC stacks, the more Chiefs Kingdom can start thinking about playoffs once again.
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