Kansas City Chiefs 30, Carolina Panthers 27
Q. Hey, Bryce. I know a last-minute loss is kind of tough to swallow, but it feels like this offense is starting to get into a position where weekly you can battle with pretty much anyone. How do you way that as you're moving forward?
BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, you know, when tomorrow just watch the film, see what we can continue to do better, see what I can continue to do better. See the things that are positive, see how we can build with that, how we can be consistent with that going forward, but, you know, obviously it's tough. At the end of the day, didn't do enough to get it done so there's still a lot of stuff, execution-wise that we want to keep getting better at, so it's just having a growth mindset.
Q. Bryce, what's different for you now than a month ago?
BRYCE YOUNG: I think it's been -- I'm leaning on my teammates. I think it's not just me at all. I think we've all kind of come into our own with the system, all having more time and forming our identity. All of us as a unit I think are starting to do that. Again, didn't do enough to get it done today, so still have a lot, a long way to go, a lot of things to clean up, a lot of things to get better at but I think just all of us playing for each other, leaning on each other and having that time to come together, form our identity. We're going to keep working from there.
Q. How good was it to have Adam Thielen back in the lineup today?
BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, it was great. Obviously having a guy like Adam been everywhere, seen everything, has so much comfortability, especially in a game like this that's tight. Big plays had to be made and Adam was there to make them. I have all the confidence in the world in him and just the presence he brings to the team, it's huge for us.
Q. How does this help build momentum for your unit specifically?
BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, you know, again, just watching the film, seeing what we did well and how we can continue to be consistent with that, continue to execute and there's still a lot of things we can clean up so throughout the week, we got to be diligent in learning, locking in the plan for next week and just continue to keep trusting and playing for each other.
Q. Dave said the Chiefs had a really aggressive run game that allowed you guys to do some stuff with the pass game. What were you seeing out there?
BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, just wanted to execute the calls that coach was having. He had some really good calls, really good game plan. Line did a great job in the pass game and the run game as they have been doing. Receivers doing a good job getting open again. Didn't do enough to get it done but there's some positives to build off of so, again, just relying on the scheme, relying on my players around me and try to execute and do my part.
Q. How did it feel to have that late game drive to get in the endzone and then not only to get in the endzone but to tie the game with a two-point conversion?
BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, obviously felt good. We know what we had to do. Down eight, want to go down -- great job by our defense getting us the ball back. Good field position, too, especially for a drive like that, not easy. It felt good, obviously, to finish offensively like that and that's a really good team on the other end. Not their first two-minute drive so, you know, just as a group, we pride ourselves with finishing and both sides, we didn't do enough to finish today but it's a team thing. It's not just offense, defense, we all wear that together.
Q. Bryce, your play against the blitz today was pretty good. How has that improved here over the last few months? What are you seeing differently?
BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, again, just more comfortability in the system. Obviously when stuff like that happens, you're sped up, things have to come out quicker. You know where people are and it's credit to the coaching doing a great job of preparing me, preparing us in meetings knowing when stuff like that happens, where our answers are and obviously out there, live bullets just having more reps with that, you feel more comfortable knowing where things are.
Q. The fact that Coach has gone on and said you're absolutely starting next week, he's been waiting a few days from week to week to week. How does that feel to know that he has that confidence in you now?
BRYCE YOUNG: Again, for me, I just want to focus on what I can control. Regardless, I always have the same mindset of preparation, wanting to be better, wanting to do everything I can to prepare throughout the week, have the same routine, so I'm definitely grateful for the confidence, I'm grateful for that. That's part of it and now obviously the preparation starts for next week.
Q. Touch on the defensive effort you saw.
BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, again, that's a team that obviously their resume speaks for itself over the last however many years and we did a great job I felt like on defense just battling. It wasn't always the prettiest. Obviously we had to overcome a lot of -- there were calls that didn't go our way. There were whatever it may be, a lot of stuff they were doing. We know all the stuff and we have all the respect in the world for them and I think they just fought. Again, I think right before them getting us the ball back before that drive is how much in a time like that and, again, for us, as a team, we didn't do enough to get it done today. I think everyone's looking in the mirror, everyone wants to be better but I have all the confidence in the world in our defense. Their guys are super competitive, they care so much, so I have all the trust in the world for them.
Q. Bryce, you mentioned becoming more comfortable in the offense. How do you do that when there's been so much turnover at the receiver position. Sanders gets hurt right before halftime and isn't out there the rest of the game. With all those things going on, how does that happen?
BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, you know, just have to control what I can control as far as embracing the system. The calls week to week are going to be the same once they're installed and when there's minor tweaks, make sure I own those as well. Communicating, talking to guys, getting reps. I'm grateful to have teammates around me with all this movement that care. It's not a nuisance for them to go over stuff on the side, to do extra, to talk. They always want to be on the same page with me, and then just trust my training, trust the coaching I've had. That's kind of my approach.
Q. Bryce, what was going through your mind when JT went down and what was it like being around that huddle of teammates as he was being transported. Did he say anything to you guys?
BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, just praying for his health. Obviously it's super scary when you see something like that. JT, obviously he's done a lot of great things on the field and works super hard but he's an even better person, someone that we all love in the locker room, all respect how hard he works, just the type of guy he is, cares about everyone, always happy for everyone. So the football part kind of turns off at a same like that and we're all just -- it's really, really rough to see. We're all just praying for him and we all just in that moment just want him to be healthy.
MODERATOR: Last one.
Q. Bryce, when you're coming out of a Guam like this where it obviously was a fight, how much of the growth and just the improvement across the board are you able to process in real time?
BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, it's hard. Coach said in the locker room there aren't moral victories, you know. It's the NFL. At the end of the day we lost. We didn't do enough to get it done. That stings with everyone in the locker room. We want to win on Sundays. That's why with play the games and, again, we didn't do enough to get it done today. So right now that's kind of what we all feel in the locker room. There's all stuff we wish we could get back. We all felt like it was close. We just got to keep going and that's really where it is now and then when we start preparing and analyzing, we come back and talk about it, that's when you kind of let those emotions go to the side and then it's just about learning and growing but right now, yeah, definitely stings. Appreciate you guys.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports