Chiefs 17, Ravens 10
ANDY REID: All right. I don't have any injuries for you right now. I'll give them to you tomorrow.
My hat goes off to the Ravens and the city here of Baltimore. You've got a great football team. We appreciated your hospitality. It's a great environment to play in.
Then how about the Chiefs? I mean, what a great deal that was. I thought our guys played hard, aggressive football. It always starts with the offensive and defensive line. They came out with a purpose here and played their hearts out.
Pat Mahomes did a great job again, as he normally does. But starting the game off with 11 completions, that's something special. Then to manage the game. Kind of thrown by the side is him taking a sack there at the end as opposed to trying to fit the ball in. He took the sack, kept the clock running. Good things happened there at that particular time.
Then our defense was outstanding. We were able to get a lead and we were able to maintain that lead, and did it with great personality there, as they've done throughout the season.
My hat goes ought to Spags, to Nags, and to Toub for the jobs that they've done as coordinators putting things together. Most of all keeping the hope up when things weren't going as well. MVS is a picture of that. People coming down on him everywhere, he keeps it right there and does a great job with it. Just phenomenal. That kid, he's taken a beating here and he was able to just hang in there and battle, so...
Anyway...
Q. The pass to MVS at the end, was that difficult to call?
ANDY REID: No, it wasn't hard to call. Just a couple words (smiling).
It was zero blitz. We knew it was going to be zero blitz. At least had a good idea. You never know, but we thought it would. It was. Got MVS in a great position right there. I'm losing my voice here. Got him in a great position to make the play.
Q. Travis during the week, he was talking about how this game meant more to him than any other game. Before the game and after the game he looked like he was pumped up.
ANDY REID: Listen, Travis is always fired up. He's always fired up. But with the Playoffs, he's even more so.
I never worry about him being ready to go. He's always right there and just brings that emotion to the guys. Just secure feeling that we're going to go get this thing no matter what. Don't think of anything opposite that, we're going to get it.
I appreciate his attitude always. He's just added a little bit to it. I think that week off helped him, for him to be able to get a little bit of rest and get in there and go.
Q. This team has been doubted throughout the season. What stands out about the adversity of this group to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl?
ANDY REID: Easily you could fold. I told you after our last game against Buffalo, the thing that stood out to me most was just the positive attitude on the sideline, through the highs and lows. That kind of tells you the season, gives you the whole story there. The guys never doubted. They put themselves in a position where you had a chance. They took care of that. Great attitude on this team.
Q. The story of how you got here, is that what it is? A little different chapter this season than it's been.
ANDY REID: Listen, I think so. One thing, it's tough to back to back to back seasons. It's a tough thing. You played a lot of football games. You've got to work through that. You got to work through that mentally. That's not an easy thing.
I'm so happy for the guys and how they handled that. When it came time to put the hammer down, they put the hammer down, which was important.
The best part is we're not done. We've got another game. You love these seasons to carry on as long as they can possibly carry on. And we're there. Now we've got to get right back at it and start grinding for whoever wins this game here.
Q. Is there a cumulative mental wear and tear, all these years put together? What does that say about your team?
ANDY REID: Yeah, what you get when I say that, what you get is everybody's best shot. So every week you're going to get the best shot. There are no games off for any of that, not any in the NFL anyways, but no games off. There's no light opponent. You've got to bring it every week.
Again, to be in this position, that tells you a little bit of something about the mental makeup of this football team.
Q. When you talked earlier about keeping hope up throughout all this season, did you ever doubt your ability to be back in this spot?
ANDY REID: I never doubted, no, no. That's not how we roll, so... Never doubted.
Q. Your defensive game plan, how difficult was that to come up with and how do you feel like you executed?
ANDY REID: I thought we did a great job. That's an explosive offense. Looking at categories of efficiency, they're number one in a few spots there. You've got to make sure when you come in with that that you keep that quarterback somewhat in the pocket the best you can. He's an unbelievable competitor, so...
I thought our guys were able to do that up front. I thought our linebackers did a good job. We asked them to not only cover tight ends, a great tight end, but also these receivers at times. A variety of things he was throwing at them at the offense. I thought our guys did a nice job with all that.
Q. (Question about Spags.)
ANDY REID: I heard it was because his wife moved back here to Kansas City, which is a great thing. She's also a phenomenal cook. We appreciate her desserts. Makes a great banana cream pudding, which she's done each week season.
Spags, I've known him a long time since the old college days. I just appreciated his effort, putting all these game plans together. He and I are about almost the same age. We've seen a couple games.
Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports