S Xavier McKinney
Q: Obviously, you're going against (Chiefs Tight End Travis) Kelce this week. What makes him one of the best tight ends in football?
A: He can block. He can run routes. He's a very savvy guy from what I've seen. Just a really good tight end. I respect him a lot, we respect him as a team. I think it'll be a challenge for us, but we'll be ready.
Q: What sort of challenges does (Chiefs Quarterback Patrick) Mahomes pose specifically with how he's able to keep plays alive? So, when defending him down field, how challenging is that?
A: It's super challenging. It's always hard when you face a QB that's able to extend the play for a long time. Obviously, we got another challenge in him. It's a lot of challenges that we'll face with this team. We just got to be prepared and be ready for it, but like you said, he can extend plays for a long time. He does a good job of just being able to look different things off and be able to make plays for his team.
Q: I know you have not played the Chiefs, but in some ways do you feel like you know them? You've probably seen them on TV a lot the last three-to-four years.
A: I know they're a really good team, that's what I do know about them. I haven't played them. This will be my first time playing them. It will be fun. It will be a challenge for me, our defense and our team, so I'm looking forward to it.
Q: The fact that they are not playing great well, does that take you by surprise a little bit?
A: Like I said last week, teams every year have bad starts, but they could always turn it around, so I'm not too much worried about it. I know their team that is able to turn it around. I know they have the power to do that, so I'm not too much worried about that. It's going to be challenge for us either way.
Q: What do you see when you look at their offense? What stands out to you?
A: They're explosive. They're able to make explosive plays, game-changing plays. They've got a lot of playmakers on their offense that are able to do a lot of things in space. They're really fast obviously, so it's a lot of different things.
Q: How big of a blow is it to lose (Safety) Jabrill (Peppers)?
A: Big, man, big. It kind of sucks. I saw when he got hurt, I was hoping that it wasn't something that it was. I talked to him already. He's in high spirits, but it definitely sucks just losing him, knowing what he brings to the team and to the defense.
Q: You're not the only McKinney (Linebacker Bernardrick McKinney) anymore.
A: I know. No, I'm not.
Q: What does he bring?
A: He brings physicality, man. I think we talked about it actually before the game. We just sat down as a team and just talked about some things. I know for him; his biggest thing was just to bring that physicality every play from the first play to the last play. We talked about it being two McKinney's on the field. I told him that it was going to be a problem or whatever offense that we face. It's definitely fun having him out there with us.
Q: Have you seen anybody like (Chiefs Wide Receiver) Tyreek Hill?
A: No, I haven't. He's definitely a different breed. He's an athletic freak. It'll be a challenge; it'll be a challenge.
Q: I assume as a safety, you're spending a lot of your week looking at him specifically. Is that the case?
A: No, I mean, I'm spending my week looking at their offense as a whole. Like I said, they got play makers everywhere. Not just focusing on one guy. They all can really have a huge impact on the game. That's kind of how I see it.
Q: You talk about those moments in scramble drill type moments where Mahomes will extend the play and then it breaks down. What's your approach on the scramble drills?
A: It's early in the week, haven't gotten much into it.
Q: Just in general on the scramble drill, what's the approach?
A: Whoever is the closest to us, we just have to match them. That's pretty much how, that's kind of nationwide. Everybody does that.
Q: Some guys are fans of someone like Patrick Mahomes as someone you see on TV a lot and he does all these things. Can a player be a fan of a guy if they have to play against them?
A: No. No, that's not me. I go out there and he puts on his pants just how I put on my pants. We're on the opposite team, we're competing against each other. That's how I see it. I don't really have – I'm not a fan when I'm playing somebody else.
