Colts 20, Chiefs 17
FRANK REICH: Okay, great team win. What we were talking about in there a minute ago was just the ultimate team win in all three phases. We've said kind of coming into this year, that's the kind of team like we have, that we can be good in all three phases. That's what it takes to beat a team like the Kansas City Chiefs, and that's what we got today.
Defensively it was just a great effort. I mean, a really great effort. I don't think I've ever seen anyone rush Mahomes that well, even though it might have only been one sack, but we had him on the run. We had him in the well.
He had to escape and make a bunch of big plays. Real credit to our D-line and our defense and what we did there.
I thought we played coverage exceedingly well. I thought Gus and the defensive staff had a great game plan. The defense really held us in there, and the special teams came up huge. The muffed punt, the fake field goal that we denied, the punt down on the 1, good coverage on kickoffs, really good.
And then on offense, we weren't totally in sync at times in the first half, but there were flashes. We had drives. Weren't running it like we normally want it run it, but we had some drives. We were decent on 3rd down, felt like we got a little rhythm at times, felt like we got closer today, and then when we needed it in the fourth quarter, we made plays.
We really needed -- Matt was clutch, made a couple key throws down the end there, so a real credit to him, real credit to the whole offense. Great team win. Julian Blackmon did have the ankle, and that's the only injury to report.
Q. Frank, why do you guys play so well when it feels like your back is against the wall?
FRANK REICH: I mean, I think part of that's the character of the team. It's the character of the team. Part of it is I know nobody wants a quote, but I just think we're just continuing to get better. We got better today. We got better today.
Thankfully we got the results we wanted. You don't always get those results when you want them, but there's no doubt, our backs were against the wall, like you were saying, and we responded, and I think that's a testament to our players.
Q. It wasn't pretty for a lot of the game, but Matt had a lot of pressure today (indiscernible).
FRANK REICH: Yeah, and that's what I love about Matt. The guy is -- you cannot faze him. I don't think -- hmm, I've been around a lot of great ones, but as far as guys that are on to the next play, Matt is as good -- he's certainly as good as anybody I've been around. There's some other guys, you know, the Peyton Mannings of the world, but Matt Ryan is unflappable. The guy is unflappable. You try to say, hey -- he's already to the next play. He's already to the next play.
I think that's why over his career, while he's been able to do what he's done in the clutch, in the fourth quarter. I think that's a testament to him. It's not always going to be pretty, but he bounced back. Some of that was on him, but a lot of it wasn't. A lot of it was we've still got to get better on offense.
Q. It's been a rough couple weeks. How big is this win for you and this franchise?
FRANK REICH: Yeah, it's all about the team. It's all about the team. It's all about -- that's really all we care about. That's all I care about. That's really all I care about.
We talk -- yeah, it's all I care about, these guys.
Q. Did you guys need this?
FRANK REICH: You know, what the guys were talking about yesterday is every one in a must-win in this league. Okay, maybe you wait a little bit more. It's a big win. But it's one game. We've got another big one next week, so we've got to put this one behind us. We've got to come in Monday, really -- I want as a head coach to get in the locker room, to get up here and say the same thing, win or lose. Let's study the tape, let's get better, let's find ways to win, let's find ways to become the team that we envision ourselves that we can be. I think today what we said in there was this showed us we can be the team that we want to be. We can be the team that we think coming into the season that we were going to be. We can be that team. But we've got to work to get better.
Q. Does this solidify (indiscernible) to get the result?
FRANK REICH: There's no doubt at some point you've got to get results. There's no doubt about that. You know, thankfully we got them. There's no guarantee, but thankfully we got them.
Q. In the third quarter (indiscernible).
FRANK REICH: It's 100 percent, and this is when you look at over the last few years, we've had some moments in the fourth quarter where we just didn't make some plays like we made today to win a game. It doesn't matter that there were some ugly series or there were a couple fumbles and at times the protection wasn't what it should be, and it wasn't only -- they had some pressures. I've got to look at all the film on why, and we'll get that cleaned up, but Matt, like I said, the guy is unflappable.
Q. The two rookies right there (indiscernible)?
FRANK REICH: Yeah, it was fun. That's the player we expect Jelani to be. Make the big play. He's a big man, and he's fast. You could just see his growth and maturity in the off-season, in training camp, especially when Drew got hurt and a little bit more pressure put on him to come through, he's just continued to get better every week, and really happy for Jelani.
Q. (Indiscernible).
FRANK REICH: Big day for Alec. The go ball, that's what he's here for, to make more of those, and then made the play down there on that last drive, that was a big throw and catch. So good day for two rookie skill players.
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