OPENING STATEMENT:"Really the only injury to talk about is Eric Berry's. Eric's ankle is a little different deal. It's kind of right where the high ankle component comes in along with the regular ankle sprain. It looks like its leaning more towards a high ankle sprain, which you just don't know until you get into it. He's trying like crazy to get himself back, but he's not going to be able to practice today. And we'll just have to see how it goes here, but it's not a lack of effort on his part. It looks like it's leaning more towards a high ankle (sprain) than not. Jamaal will go and he'll practice today and do his thing, likewise with De'Anthony (Thomas). We look forward to the challenge of playing the Patriots. It's always exciting to have the opportunity to play on Monday night, that's a privilege to be able to do that. Then to be able to play against a good opponent like the Patriots is another nice thing. Our guys are coming out, they are getting ready for the Patriots. That's what they are going to exhaust their efforts on this week, of getting themselves prepared to come out and play a good football team. We had the first part of that today with the walk through. The other thing - I'm wishing the Royals good luck here, baby. We're right there. I had the chance to watch the game last night as I was doing my work, and we are pulling for you. Skipper (Ned) Yost, we are pulling for you and your guys. I know the whole city is."
Q: You've had a lot of injuries, how do you feel about the overall depth of the roster right now?
REID:"I've said it before, it's a tribute to (John) Dorsey and his guys, and bringing in competition. Everybody is having a chance to play. The one that probably gets hurt, not because of effort, lack of effort or anything else it's just knowing special teams get hurt just a bit. Because you're bringing new guys to work in there and they're just learning the system but they are playing their hearts out trying to make sure they get everything down. Again, I'm proud of the guys for the way they are filling in and doing their job. That's what we expect and that's what they're doing."
Q: Is this better depth than you've had in the past on other teams? It seems like the guys who are filling in are doing a fairly decent job.
REID:"Yeah they are working hard and doing a good job. They're intensity level, they've maintained so that's important. Is there a mistake here and there, yeah but there's going to be a mistake here or there. But they are working through that. I don't know how to compare it with other teams, I would say that so far they've done a nice job here."
Q: This is the first week you haven't had a personnel move on the active roster, at least not one that we know of. After 15 years do you just expect that kind of stuff or is this a week to celebrate?
REID:"I don't even get into all of that. I honestly, I don't get caught up on injuries, I know that's a big thing, I don't get caught up on the injuries and that. We just expect that next guy to come in. I don't get caught up if we are doing something or not doing something – that's Dorsey's job and he's doing a good job of that. Whoever's there to coach we are going to coach and coach our tail off. I think that's important. We respect the job the players are doing and the way they are going about their business. And we appreciate them working as hard as they are working."
Q: Do you have an update on Mike Catapano? I saw you guys moved him to IR.
REID:"Yeah, Mike is back around here and he is just trying to get himself back, get his strength back. And I think he is starting to feel better. I had a chance to visit with him and he's in good spirits so that's positive. Now it's just a matter of building back up and getting himself back where he gets his strength back."
Q: So what's going on with his health?
REID:"I'll hold off on that. I'm not even prepared to tell you anything on that, maybe I can get Rick (Burkholder) to talk to you and give you something on that."
Q: But that move eliminates any chance of him coming back this year?
REID:"Yeah and I think that's where we are at. That was a long process, so I think it's better that he just steps back, gets himself back healthy and feeling good and then we just go from there. He's had a million different tests done. I'm not trying to eliminate telling you but there's been a million things done on him just to try to find out what the answer is."
Q: Did (Tom) Brady make Belichick or did Belichick make Brady?
REID:"I think they've just been a good match. I think both of them would tell you that. They work very well together; they've done it for a number of years. And they've had a lot of success."
Q: You did that with Donovan (McNabb) too when you guys were able to do that. How vital is to get a very long relationship between a quarterback and head coach?
REID:"I think it's important. It's hard to have a lot of success in this league if you don't have a good solid quarterback playing there. I was very fortunate to have Donovan for all those years and I know Bill would say the same thing, he's lucky to have Tom."
Q:You've gone up against a lot of defensive minds in the last 15 years. Where would you rank Belichick?
REID: "I think his record stands on its own right there. He's a very intelligent man and we're friends, you know, off of the football field. We've had an opportunity to compete against each other and that's always exciting. So, we get another shot at it. We've been doing it a couple of years. We've been hanging around here."
Q: 10 years ago you were preparing for a Super Bowl to face this defense. Now, this week, is there any differences you see?
REID: "Yeah, well, he's changed and that's what a good coach does. You change with the personnel that you have and you move people around, but I think some of his base fundamentals are the same and his philosophy is probably basically the same."
Q: Is this a different Patriots team that wants to run the ball more? Is this almost a different breed of cat to go up against?
REID: "I think every game is different when you play them. Some days you're going to get, depending on what he sees in you, they're going to throw the ball a little bit more. Other times, like against the Colts they ran, in the playoffs, they ran it darn near every time. So, you're going to get a different flavor every time you play and that's what good coaches do."
Q: You touched on this a little bit after the game in Miami, but the issue with punt returners bringing it back from where they are nowadays. What are they taught to do? What are you teaching Frankie Hammond (Jr.) and those other guys to do in those situations?
REID: "It depends on the game and the coverage unit that you're playing. I mean, there's not one set thing there. You'll have (Dave) Toub up here tomorrow. You can ask him the question, but there's flexibility within that according to who you're playing and blocking is essential. You kind of game plan for it. You don't want holdings. That's one thing I could tell you."
Q: The percentage of penalties on the kick game is relatively high. That's going to be a big risk.
REID: "I think more teams are taking out the kickoffs. So, I think more teams are running back punts from different areas on the field than normally, you used to not do. Sometimes that happens. You end up with a few more penalties when those numbers go up in the return."
Q: (Travis) Kelce is one of your more demonstrative players. Are you okay with that? Do you encourage that?
REID: "Is demonstrative the right word?"
Q: I think so.
REID: "Alright. So, he's a young guy that's learning every week. He's getting a little bit better every time. He's learned some plays. He's got a little flare, maybe that's the demonstrative part. He's got a little zest to him."
Q: You ask players a lot to be who they are. Why do you do that?
REID: "I ask them a lot to let their personalities show. You can't play this without doing that, right? It's an emotional game. If you're trying to be something you're not, you have a problem and there's a problem, you're not going to get the full genius or whatever person it is. These guys are the best in the world at what they do and they've all got personalities, and they're all different and don't try to hide it. Let it play out, unless it's going to cost the team penalties, let it play out."
Q: Have you ever had to tell anybody in particular to tone it down a bit?
REID: "I did with Hugh Douglas one time and then I told myself I would never do that again because he didn't play very well that day."
Q: What is it like to be featured on Monday Night Football?
REID: "I think there's a little extra energy that goes with Monday Night Football. I think it's important that you don't get caught up in all of the hoopla that kind of comes with it and that you focus in on your job."
Q: Have you counseled Kelce in how to hurdle a standing defender?
REID: "Yeah, if they're standing, right? Yeah, he's had some success doing that in college. I've had another tight end that did that a lot named Chad Lewis and he ended up in the Pro Bowl three times so that was a good thing. He helped us win a lot of games. That one happened when the guy didn't happen to go low on him. A lot of those big guys, you know, they go right for your ankles there so you'll see big guys try to jump over people, but he guessed wrong on that one."
Q: What do you expect from the atmosphere and the crowd on Monday night?
REID: "Yeah, I should've mentioned that earlier. We welcome people into that atmosphere. The Sea of Red is something when it gets cranking. I have this feeling that they're probably going to set a new record. It's going to be a lot of red and we look forward to it and bringing the Patriots in here and letting them enjoy that part of it."
Q: this will be the fifth time in your career you've started 1-2 with a team, twice you've been to the playoffs. What's been the key to those seasons?
REID: "Oh boy. I don't know every year is different. Every team's different. I don't know that. You surely don't want to be in that position, but you're there. The main thing is that you learn from your mistakes, you try to get better. None of us want to be in that position, but that's where you're at and you battle to make sure that you change the wrongs into rights and move forward."
