How does the loss this week prepare you for the next game?
Playing against Kansas City is always going to be tough. They’re a championship-caliber team, and they showed that again this week. But I have to say, I was really impressed with how our team responded. We played them tough for most of the game, and even though we didn’t get the result we wanted, there were a lot of positives to take away. One of the big things is that we protected the ball, and that’s something we’ve been emphasizing week in and week out. Against a team like the Chiefs, you have to minimize mistakes, and I thought we did a decent job of that.
This loss, as hard as it is to take, gives us a good blueprint for the next game. We know what we need to clean up, but we also saw that when we execute and stick to our game plan, we can compete with anyone. The challenge is turning that effort into consistency. We’ll take the lessons from this game, use them to fuel our preparation, and come out ready to perform next week.
What were some of the contributing factors to the loss this week?
One of the biggest factors was their defense. Kansas City has a lot of talent on that side of the ball, and they made things difficult for us all game long. I think one of the key areas that hurt us was our inability to convert on third down. You can’t stay competitive in this league if you’re not moving the chains, and we fell short in that department this week. We’d get ourselves into manageable situations, but we couldn’t finish drives when we needed to. That, combined with the fact that they were able to get pressure on our quarterback at critical moments, really made it tough to sustain any rhythm on offense.
It’s those little details that make the difference between winning and losing in this league, and unfortunately, we didn’t do enough to capitalize when we had chances. Credit to their defense, but we know we have to be better in those key moments.
Your team is one of the oldest teams in the league in terms of average age. How do you feel about the future of this team while not having as many young players as other teams? Do you think having an older team has its benefits?
Age is always a hot topic, but I don’t necessarily see it as a negative. Sure, we may not have as many young players as other teams, but having an older team also brings a lot of experience to the table. These guys have been through the ups and downs of a long season, they’ve seen just about every situation you can think of, and that’s something you can’t teach. When you’ve got veterans on your team, they bring a level of stability and leadership that can really help younger players develop.
As for the future, I think we’re in a good spot. Yes, we have an older roster, but we’ve also got some key young players in important positions. It’s all about finding that balance between the veterans and the younger guys coming up. In terms of benefits, having an older team means you have players who understand how to handle adversity, who know how to take care of their bodies, and who know how to stay mentally tough over the course of a long season. Experience matters in this league, and while youth has its advantages, so does having a group of guys who’ve been there and done that. We’re confident in the team we have, and we believe we can compete with anyone, no matter what our age profile might look like.
