RB MICHAEL BENNETT
(On playing in Kansas City)
“It was a great experience. My thing was when they come out and do the national anthem that was the biggest charge that I think I have ever gotten as a player. When they say the home of the Chiefs it just sends out an electric charge through your body. I was telling some of the guys about that, if it is a sold out game, watch how much electricity that it is going to bring throughout the players and the team to get them going out. Again, it was a great overall experience, a great place. It was one of my stops throughout my career and it was a great one.”
(On playing against a former team)
“That is the kind of game that you want to go back and play, and play against some of the guys that you had an opportunity to play with in the past years. I know they are looking forward to this game because I know that Jimmy Wilkerson has played there, I have played there and it kind of like one of those things, this is where I am at, this is where you are now. We just want to go back and hopefully win, have fun and enjoy the game. This will be my first time ever playing in Arrowhead Stadium against the Chiefs and it is definitely going to be a great feeling for us to go back.”
WR MICHAEL CLAYTON
(On the Chiefs)
“They’re a very athletic football team and they do play hard, despite they haven’t had any success winning some football games. But we do have to respect them and we’re playing in their home town. We have to go out and play our A-game.”
(On the red zone struggles and getting the ball into the receivers’ hands)
“It’s something that we as competitors and wide receivers want to see the ball more. That’s just a given. You can catch 10 passes and probably want the ball more. We’re kind of developing into a better offense. We’re seeing exactly what we can do.”
(On if he tells Jeff Garcia to look for him on certain plays)
“We do, at times. Sometimes Jeff, he’s a playmaker and he’s under a lot of duress at times. We as wide receivers, we have to stay with him and try to make plays outside the pocket. He knows that we can make the plays and Jeff does a great job of delivering the ball to the open wide receiver. We’ll only get better from there.”
(On being frustrated about not scoring touchdowns in the red zone)
“We feel like in any given situation, Coach Gruden has an arsenal of plays, especially for the red zone. We feel like we can take advantage of guys, especially after a great week of preparation and knowing exactly their weaknesses in the red zone. We’ve struggled a little bit, but we do have it, we can get it done, it’s just a matter of getting the play called and executing.”
QB JEFF GARCIA
(On if the bye next week can be a distraction)
“I guess it’s all about how you approach it. My attitude is that I can’t even think about the bye. We’re coming off of a tough loss, trying to put that one behind us and get ready for another big challenge in a loud environment and a team that has struggled but can step up and bite you in the tail if you’re not careful. We have a great challenge ahead of us this week and that’s what we need to focus on.”
(On if he looks end zone first and then comes back)
“If we have opportunities or routes that are headed to the end zone, that based upon coverage, that’s kind of how we would like to approach it, but it varies with every different play. That’s where, as a quarterback, you have to be good about reading things out and trying to find the best way to be successful.”
(On the importance of making splash plays of over 20 yards)
“I think those are important, those are definitely important because it creates momentum. It creates a certain sense of excitement within the team. Big plays are something that we were able to capitalize on last year. I think we had a number of big plays and obviously Joey (Galloway) was a big part of that. Having him back now, maybe that’s something that becomes more part of our offense.”
(On why this team is more successful at home)
“I don’t know the answer to that. I know that we have had opportunities to win football games. We have been in a position, especially in two of those three, where we did end up with the football on the last drive of the game and being within a touchdown. Good teams find a way to win those games and I’m not saying that we’re not a good team because we are winning more games then not, but we need to find a way to finish games better. Having the defense that we have puts us in a position to have those opportunities and we just need to find a way to make it happen. It’s been disappointing. It’s been frustrating, but it’s not the end of the year.”
(On if someone needs to step up as the go-to receiver)
“I think it’s a combination of things. I think it’s players who definitely want to step up and have the opportunity to make that play and then it’s the quarterback, me in that position, allowing them to have the chance to make that play. I look back, and believe me, I don’t stop replaying these games, especially one as difficult as that one to not win, I don’t stop replaying situations in the last two minutes and how I could have been different and how I could have given a player a chance to make a play. That’s something that I think we need to emphasize more.”
DT CHRIS HOVAN
(On playing Kansas City)
“They are a very young team. They got some players still on offense and have a good offensive line. They are going to come in, try to set the tone for the game and try to come out and score some points against us and we are going to be prepared for that as a team. We just have to have a great week of practice before we go out there.”
(On if they have to make sure that they focus and not look ahead to the bye week)
“We have to go to Kansas City and we have to start fast and finish strong.”
(On the mobility of Kansas City QB Tyler Thigpen)
“Well he is a great runner. If he doesn’t get his first or second look then he takes off and makes great yardage. He had a run at the end of the Tennessee game that he ran for like 35 or 40 yards into the end zone. The kid is competitive and Kansas City is giving him a chance and he is taking it. We have to be ready for there running game plus his maneuverability in the pocket.”
(On if the key is to get to him early and hard)
“That would be the answer.”
(On what has been the problem on the road)
“We just lost some tough games. We went to New Orleans and uncharacteristic of our defense we gave up three big plays. Go to Denver, play them tight and go to Dallas and play them tight. It’s just a couple of big time players making big time plays at the end of the game. That was the difference in all those games. We just need one more big play and a couple more turnovers to give it to our offense so they can move it.”
(On what the secret has been with the current streak of not giving up a rushing touchdown)
“I haven’t really looked at it that way. We would like to not give up any touchdowns. We want to prevent them from getting into the end zone and we have been emphasizing red zone defense this whole offseason. I think our percentages are better and I think that when a team gets in that red zone they know that it’s going to be tougher and we want them to have to attempt a field goal.”
G DAVIN JOSEPH
(On how the team can stay focused)
"The biggest thing that's going to keep us focused is possibly losing a second straight game on the road. Winning a road game is big for us because we haven't been as good on the road as we'd like to be. We can go out and really put on a show if we focus."
S SABBY PISCITELLI
(On how excited he is to be starting)
"I'm real excited. It's what we all practice for and play for everybody. The coaches do a great job of preparing everyone on the team. The two-deep is all prepared to play. They're going to emphasize that you're only one play away from getting your chance to be in there and be a starter."
(On how much it helps that he's already been rotating in with the two safeties)
"Like I said, coach has done a great job of having a three-man rotation this year. We're all getting our plays and situations in. I think that's helped me a lot, even coming in last game. I was actually in with Flip when it happened, but I think the transition was smooth. It just felt comfortable being in there because I was getting a lot of reps."
(On how dangerous the Chiefs are)
"They've got a lot of offense weapons. They play hard. They have a lot of rookies that really compete. They beat Denver. They play real well at home and they played real well against the Jets last week. We can't overlook anybody. They're a great team. We're going to go in there and take care of our own business."
(On Tyler Thigpen)
"I was really surprised to see their quarterback and how well he can run. He took off a couple times. He's a young quarterback and I think he's real competitive. He's going to give us everything he's got. He definitely has an incredible arm. He threw some great passes on the run, which impressed me. But like I said, we'll worry about us and execute our game plan."
(On if there is a big difference between him and Jermaine Phillips in terms of hitting)
"I don't know, man. Flip's an incredible hitter. He's probably one of the hardest hitters I've seen. He's a great, great player. He's Flip and I'm Sabby so you can't really compare us."
(On if Phillips has helped him)
"Oh, yeah, Jermaine's been great since I've been here. Even when he got hurt in the last game he came out of the locker room in the second half and he was in my ear, trying to help me out and tell me situations. He's great like that. He really helped me. I told him hopefully he can be there this weekend to help me because he's one of those great players who shares his knowledge. He's been here for seven years and it's good to have a guy like that around."
(On his rookie season spent mostly on injured reserve)
"It was extremely frustrating but that's the past. The one thing I can answer about that is, yeah, I did take a lot of mental reps and that's helped me come into this year. I was doing things I wouldn't normally do if I was playing. I just sat back and watched some of the other players, how they prepare and how they approach the game."
DT RYAN SIMS
(On having momentum going into the bye week)
“It is definitely a game we want to win. We have to try to jump up on them early and keep on them.”
(On it being a big game for him playing his former team)
“It is a very big week because it is the next game and I did spend some time there.”
(On how hard it is to play at Arrowhead Stadium)
“It can be really tough. Especially when their crowd is in to it. It can be really tough. My years there, the crowd was crazy making it very tough on the opposing offense.”
RB CLIFTON SMITH
(On if it takes a while to get used to being hit again)
“I can’t actually use that as an excuse, but it was the first time I was hit since training camp and since preseason, but it’s just something I have to get back used to.”
(On how tough it has been not to be on the active roster the first seven weeks)
“It’s always tough to be patient, but that’s just the name of the game. You have to be patient. They always tell me it’s a long season and something is bound to happen. There are a lot of injuries in this game and before you know it, it will be on you to go out there and just take care of your opportunities.”
(On how he felt he did in his first game)
“I felt like I open some eyes again. I always have the big question mark above my head saying that he might be a fumbler, which is a stigma I don’t want put on me at all. It’s not my game to put the ball on the ground.”
(On if there is a greater urgency for solid field position in the NFL compared to college)
“Definitely. Back in college, if it was a short kick, I would let it bounce just so it might get to me. But up here, I can’t take away any yards from the offense. I have to run up and fair catch a ball if I have to just to save the yardage for the offense. It’s a game of inches.”
TE JERRAMY STEVENS
(On playing a game going into a bye)
“You want to go into the bye with a win, bottom line. We feel like we felt like we let one get away last week. We have to give credit to the Cowboys for getting it done but we feel like we should have won that game, we didn’t play as well as we can. We need to get this win but they are playing hard.”
(On if he sees frustration in their defense)
“They are flying around, making mistakes but going hard and as a young defense that is what coaches want. We have to respect that and go out there and try to make plays.”
(On playing in Kansas City)
“It is a fun stadium to play in. As a player that is something that you can feed off of. It is fun to go in there and play. It is going to be loud but it is going to be a real fun environment.”
CB AQIB TALIB
(On Kansas City QB Tyler Thigpen)
"He's a pretty good runner, actually. He's good at running the ball and he utilizes his weapons, gets the ball to Tony Gonzalez. We haven't seen much of him; we just got a real quick glimpse of him. He looked pretty productive, though."
(On the Chiefs' offense)
"It's a pretty productive offense. You've got a guy like Tony Gonzalez, a receiver like Dwayne Bowe and a couple backs who I've seen live. [Dantrell] Savage might get in there; Jamaal Charles, I've seen that guy a lot and we know what kind of backs they are. So they've got a lot of weapons and the quarterback is running good, so they're a pretty productive offense."
(On if Dwayne Bowe is underrated)
"There are a lot of guys under the radar, and he's definitely one of those guys. I know how good he is, though. I don't think we'll overlook him."
(On playing in Kansas City near where he played in college)
"Yeah, back to the house. I had to get a lot of tickets this week. I'm sure some guys on the [Kansas] team and a couple of coaches will want to come see the game if they can."
T JEREMY TRUEBLOOD
(On if the upcoming bye week will be a distraction)
“I think if you let it be, but I don’t think we have any guys on this team that will let it happen. It’s one more week to get ready and prepare, play a game, and then take week off and recover and come right back at it.”
(On being unfamiliar with the Chiefs)
“Yeah, we don’t play them often so you’ve got to get in the room, get extra film study, extra work. You’ve got to make sure you know what’s going on. It’s not like the Panthers where we play them twice a year. Once every three years is kind of a long time.”
(On what he’s seen from the Chiefs’ D-line)
“They’re a young front four, is what they are, but they’re really talented. They’re going to make young-guy mistakes, but I don’t see too many of them. I think they have a good defense. I think Kansas City is trying to model their defense after the Tampa 2, so it looks pretty good, something we’re used to and something that we’ll relish trying to attack.”
(On if it’s an advantage going against a familiar defensive scheme)
“We’ve gone against it since April, March. So we’ve got a pretty good feel for it, I think.”
(On how he feels health-wise)
“I’m fine. Bangs and bruises every game is an offensive lineman’s joy of playing football. I’m fine.”
DE/DT JIMMY WILKERSON
(On Kansas City Head Coach Herm Edwards)
"He's a real good coach, a real good players' coach. He interacts with the players a lot. I think that's one of the things as a player that we need. We need interaction with coaches. And on the defensive side, you've got [Defensive Line] Coach [Tim] Krumrie and he's also out there, a real hard-nosed coach. He wants you to be real physical. His mentality out there when we got to individual [drills] is real hard, but he also gives you a lot of techniques and you learn a lot from him."
(On the atmosphere at Arrowhead Stadium)
"For me, it's going to be really exciting. I'm really looking forward to this, just being there for five years and now going back home. I know a lot of guys on the team, both on offense and defense, so I'm going to have a lot of fun with this."
(On the Bucs not playing in Kansas City since 1986)
"Right, and the last time I played the Buccaneers was my second year when we came here. Like I said, it's going to be really exciting. I know Brian Waters, Rudy [Niswanger], the guys on the offense, also Derrick Johnson and those guys, so I'll have a lot of fun with it but also keep my poise when I'm out there."
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