HC ANDY REID
REID: "We had good work today. Getting ready to crank it down here now. The players have tomorrow off and we come back for a mock game the following day and then we play on Friday. I will break it up kind of the way the quarterbacks go. I give them each a quarter like we have done in the past and go from there. Alex (Smith) has the first quarter. Tyler (Bray) the second and Patrick (Mahomes) the third and Joel (Stave) the fourth. That is how we are rolling right now and then the rest of the guys just kind of follow."
Q: On your interview this morning, they were asking you about Mahomes' interceptions and you basically said that practice field interceptions are okay as long as you learn from it. Are you seeing that with him?
REID: "I think it is important that the quarterbacks use this time, especially a new quarterback that has not gone through this, to go through it and see what you can get away with. I get it. I want them to test the waters now so he gets to learn the parameters of this offense and what you can get away with in each throw."
Q: What are your expectations for him specifically on Friday?
REID: "I would tell you this for probably everybody, just execute. Obviously the quarterbacks have a little more responsibility with it, just with all of the calls and so on. Just the main thing is to execute."
Q: How do you use preseason games to evaluate players more than practice?
REID: "I take the practices here. I take everything and just kind of put it in a hopper, but the game is a part of it though and then we do our evaluation. The players are evaluated every play, every day. At any time they can go up and find exactly where they stand. At the same time it gives the coaches an idea, in particular myself, where the guys are at."
Q: How would you evaluate Tyler Bray's day today?
REID: "He did some good stuff. He had a couple of nice throws and he is getting better every day. The experience I think is important for both of the two, really three of the young guys."
Q: Has your approach to preseason games changed over your career?
REID: "No, I use it to evaluate and make sure we are getting the team where we need to get them, but to evaluate. The first preseason game is an opportunity to play. After that, it is not guaranteed that you have an opportunity to play. The first preseason game, everyone that has been out here and who is physically able to play will have that opportunity. That has never changed. The thing you do not want to do is you don't want to give another team, if possible, a good player. You want to make sure you do as thorough as an evaluation as you possibly can. Does it happen sometimes? Yes, it happens but you want to try to eliminate that and keep that percentage way down."
Q: With the new cut rule, is it easier to evaluate players?
REID: "I think that is a real positive from that standpoint. I think it gives you that one more look at the guys and it is a pretty condensed look. You don't get ample time in there to take a look at them."
Q: Tyler (Bray) can always throw that deep ball. How beneficial is that when building an offense?
REID: "So I would tell you he throws a good deep ball, but there are other things he does well. He is good with the short, intermediate game. He is not fast, but he is athletic enough where he can move and run our movement game outside of the pocket. You really want him to focus on their whole game and then exploit their talents when you get to that point where they are playing."
Q: What are your messages for your young guys going out to play?
REID: "They know the venue. They have seen video of the venue and the fans and they know that they are passionate. The main thing is as coaches we try to cut it down for them so they can do a little bit less thinking and more playing and get a judgement of their instincts and ability. But to go out and enjoy the moment. Not a lot of people have the opportunity to go out and do what they are doing."
Q: How important is it to get the barbeque today and keep the day a little lighter?
REID: "The barbeque being lighter does not go together, but it is a neat thing. It is a neat thing that the team does with the community and it is a neat thing the community does with the team and the support. I think it is phenomenal. That is not the way it is everywhere in the National Football League. It is a great relationship there."
Q: Is this the most important preseason game because you have to make decisions and everyone will play?
REID: "I think every game we are evaluating so it is a chance for these guys to play. I don't know if it is the biggest decision. When you get down to that cut that is a big decision. But for some of these guys it is an opportunity and a big opportunity in their lives."
Q: What is the mock thing on Thursday?
REID: "Just go through situations. We do it for everybody, even during the season we do it. It is just kind of like a makeshift game, but slowed down a bit."
