OPENING STATEMENT: "As far as injuries go, Kendrick Lewis is the only one that won't practice today; he has a sprained ankle. It's all he can do, really; this past week to make it in the game, and he did a nice job with it, managing it and being able to play. Tamba Hali was voted the AFC Player of the Week and congratulations goes out to him and the great effort that he had this week. We look forward to the challenge of playing the Texans. We understand here in Kansas City what kind of football team they are and the quality of coaching and players that they have. We have to make sure that we study them and understand their schemes and then get ourselves ready to play. We have plenty of room to improve in all three phases, so that's going to be our objective."
Q: Will Anthony Fasano be back today?
REID: "(Anthony) Fasano will be back today, yes. He came back to the walkthrough today. Everybody but Kendrick (Lewis), that's who will be out."
Q: What besides Dontari Poe's physical gifts have enabled him to play this well?
REID: "I'd tell you that he's made an effort to learn the system and works very hard at that. His offseason conditioning was phenomenal. He worked his tail off. He came into training camp and worked his tail off there. He's a big guy, you don't see this very often, but he's a big guy that's relentless. He has a natural endurance that a lot of big guys don't and then he works at it, his toughness."
Q: What would you like to see the offense improve on this week?
REID: "We just need to get a little more consistent. We're a young bunch and we have to just keep getting better all the way around. The more reps they get in practice and during the game, the better we're going to be. We're going up against a good defense this week, a great challenge for us, number one in a lot of categories on defense. Our guys are going to work their tails off and get ready for that challenge. It's an awesome thing and that's what you play the game for, the opportunity to play somebody as good as them."
Q: Do you take it as a challenge, personally, when you go against a guy like Wade Phillips?
REID: "Wade (Phillips) and I have been in the same division for forever, so I have a ton of respect for the man. He's a good person and a really good football coach. Schematically, he's had a great scheme; it's been time-tested. I look forward to having the opportunity to play against his defense."
Q: Are you still knocking off the rust when it comes to play calling?
REID: "Yeah, I probably am. I need to get better all the way around, as a head coach and a play caller. That's the nice thing about this business; I've told you before, it's like being a farmer, there's always work to do. We're going to keep doing that."
Q: What does Alex Smith do for the team that is, in your words, "unbelievable"?
REID: "His presence in that locker room and then during the game, he talks to everybody. He talks to the offensive side, the defensive side, and just how he's taken a bunch of young guys and raising their abilities up and at the same time playing well. His work ethic, and I could keep going."
Q: On the field, where would you like to see Alex Smith improve?
REID: "He has things that he has to keep working on. The thing that is most important right now is that he just continues to get reps for those receivers around him, against all the different looks that are being thrown at us. These last two coordinators have, and Wade (Phillips) will be right in there, roll their coverages. You have to be sharp and on the same page with one another and we're working through all of that."
Q: Is the line giving him enough opportunity in the passing game?
REID: "They're a young bunch and their working their tails off. This past week they had a couple breakdowns, but they settled down and it worked out okay in the second there. Again, they're coming off of two pretty good weeks of protection. Early in the game, Oakland got them a little bit, but they settled down and worked. That's the thing you appreciate; they found a way to get it right and they keep battling."
Q: When you have a perfect season going like this, does the pressure build?
REID: "If you just focus in on getting better you don't worry about all of that. That's what you can control, everything else is what it is. You can't control any of that. Getting better as a player, as a coach, as a team, that's where you put your energy. Make sure you study your opponent and if you keep yourself in that frame of mind, you're fine."
Q: Does the season take on a life and become more important as you go?
REID: "All of these teams, there's so much parity in this league, all of these teams are good teams. You have to get yourself right. If you allow that to happen, that's when you get into problems. I'll tell you that. Personally, I don't worry about that and so far, I haven't seen our guys worry about that."
Q: When you go up against a guy like J.J. Watt, do you do anything differently?
REID: "If I have to go up against J.J. Watt, we're in trouble. He'd slam me all over the field. He's the defensive player of the year, reining defensive player of the year, well deserved. He's a great football player. We understand that and respect him for that. We'll study him and come out and we'll play."
Q: What is your pregame routine?
REID: "We stay at the hotel and then I come over here in the morning and go over to the stadium. Normally, by game day, the hay is kind of in the barn. Then it's a review from there."
Q: Are the nerves bigger by then or smaller?
REID: "I don't think they're bigger. I'm not sure nerves can grow, I'm thinking about that though. You're focused on the game, that's the best way I can put it. That's where you're at."
Q: Can you speak about Tamba Hali and what you continuously see from him?
REID: "Whether it's practice or games, you're going to get one speed and that's full speed. That's the thing you appreciate about him. Someone that won't get any credit is Justin Houston, for the job he did. He didn't have as many sacks, but those two kind of work together. Justin was able to make sure that the quarterback wasn't able to come out to the right side as much as what he had been doing. That allowed him to stay in the pocket and Tamba (Hali) to keep working. These guys are very unselfish with all of these awards that they get. I think Tamba would tell you the same thing about Justin and how they work the scheme and work it together and did a nice job with it. The thing you know about Tamba is you know what you're going to get every day. Whether he's sick or whether he's healthy, you're going to get the same thing every day. He's going to bring it and work his profession and do it to the best of his ability every day."
