Chiefs HC Andy Reid strongly expresses optimism for postseason hopes

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to reporters via Zoom on Monday, expressing his thoughts on the recent losses and optimism about preparation for postseason hopes.

"I'm telling you it's a few plays there. That's what it is. Penalties are killers, and you want to create turnovers on the defensive side, and when you have opportunities to do that, you have to capitalize on them. Third downs become important (on) both sides of the ball (and) how you handle those," said Reid, "So, what can we do better with the rush, we can get a little bit more rush on the defensive side (and) on the offensive side we can continue to work on our protection and scheme there."

A positive moment from last Thursday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys focused on red-zone efficiency. Kansas City was 3-for-3 in the red zone, marking a significant improvement after converting only 2-of-9 in the prior two games. The offense has shown flashes of brilliance, although there has been criticism over late-game consistency.

"You can't allow quarterbacks at this level to stand back there and throw the ball with just comfortable feet. I think we know that," said Reid, "So, you have got to make sure that you have pressure on those guys (and) when that takes place, you have got to make sure your coverage is tight. That's what you work on, and you go through that and work on trying to get better."

Reid didn't hold back on his confidence in winning the next five games to secure a playoff spot, potentially if the defense applies pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The Chiefs haven't missed the playoffs since the 2014 season, which was Reid's second as head coach in Kansas City.

This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Chiefs HC Andy Reid strongly expresses optimism for postseason hopes