OPENING STATEMENT: "Let me go over just a couple of the injuries, real quick, with you. Mike DeVito was not here for personal reasons, and they're all positive. (Sanders) Commings did not practice today; we will list him as out. He has shoulder inflammation. Rick (Burkholder) is here to talk about Justin Houston. He's just going to come up and present you with what Justin's problems are. It is not a question-and-answer deal."
HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER RICK BURKHOLDER
BURKHOLDER: "With Justin (Houston), you know that last Sunday he dislocated his elbow and it reduced itself back on the field and then, when we got him Monday morning, he was very swollen. We weren't able to do a MRI until Wednesday, because of the swelling; we couldn't get him in a good position to do the MRI. The MRI reveals what we thought it would reveal; he has some ligament damage in his elbow and some muscle damage in his elbow, which is normal for a dislocation. He's going through the process right now. We're just trying to get his range of motion (better) and trying to get his swelling down. He's in a brace. He's truly week-to-week. He won't play this weekend and we'll take this weekend to treat him and rehab him and then Monday, we will regroup as a staff and see where he's at."
REID: "So, he (Justin Houston) is listed as out. (Jon) Asamoah, (Eric) Fisher, Tamba (Hali) all practiced today. They all practiced yesterday and moved around great. We'll just see how they do here today and then tomorrow. We're looking forward to the challenge of playing Denver. They're a heck of a football team and it will be a great atmosphere. We sure welcome them into Arrowhead, with our fans. Our fans will be on their 'A' game and welcome them in with open arms, and we'll go from there."
Q: How are you listing Tamba Hali and the rest of those guys?
REID: "They're all questionable."
Q: What about Mike DeVito?
REID: "DeVito is listed as questionable on this. He practiced yesterday. He's not, not here because of anything physical."
Q: Is there any sense with Justin Houston that this is a season-ending injury?
REID: "No, I would say no, right now. Right now, we are optimistic. He actually feels pretty good. We'll just see how it goes here."
Q: When playing a team that's as turnover-prone as the Broncos, what is the mindset going into that game?
REID: "Well, we're always shooting for turnovers, no matter who you play. Then, it's a matter of that team and the situation they give you. I will tell you though, if you're put in that situation, you have to capitalize on it against a good football team like that. If the ball comes in your direction, anyway."
Q: Does success breed confidence, or does confidence breed success?
REID: "Well, you have to be confident in this business at all times. You have to have a short memory, (that) is what you need to have. Then, the success comes after that, the hard work and so on comes after that. I will tell you that this is not a business to be in if you don't have some confidence, that you're willing to learn from your mistakes quickly. Then, you go into that next one with a blank slate and start over again and give it your best shot."
Q: Jamaal Charles had gone awhile without going beyond 20 yards until recently, is there a reason for this?
REID: "He's a good one. You know we're getting a little better balance with our offense, so that's allowing some things to be available. I think the offensive line has been doing a pretty good job here, the last couple of weeks; they're feeling each other and the run game and how it's working. It has worked out okay."
Q: Does it take a while for the offensive line and run game to mesh?
REID: "Yeah and sometimes even in a game, you might run a play once and say, 'We can just take care of this little inch right here and let's come back to it again,'. Then, the line is settled into it and the running back is settled into it, so what might not look like a good play the first time, might end up being pretty good for you as you go through the game."
Q: Did you have any time to enjoy Thanksgiving yesterday, and what are you thankful for this year?
REID: "I'm always thankful for family. I did have a little bit of time to spend at home and I ate too much, for sure. I'm thankful for the opportunity to work with these young guys here. It's a great group, and for the opportunity to be in Kansas City. There are a lot of things to be thankful for. I keep family up there first, like a lot of us do."
