Chiefs' Andy Reid Praises Raiders Players Prior To Week 13 Showdown
By Abraham Gutierrez
There's no question that in his 23 years in the National Football League, there aren't too many things Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid hasn't seen. That's why when the 2002 NFL Coach of the Year takes the time to praise opposing players, it's certainly worth noting.
This week, as his surging Chiefs prepare for a crucial AFC West showdown with the Oakland Raiders Sunday in the East Bay, the 57-year-old from Los Angeles, California, took the time to acknowledge a number of Silver and Black players.
On Wednesday, the former, longtime Philadelphia Eagles head honcho spoke to Bay Area reporters, and touched on a number of Raiders players that have caught his attention this season. According to Reid, Raider Nation should feel very proud about the fact that this team possesses a number of high-impact players on both sides of the football.
The first name he touched on was that of rookie wide receiver, Seth Roberts, whose career thus far is worthy of a "Disney movie," this according to Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. The former Alabama standout is currently sixth on the team with 21 receptions (352 yards), and is tied with the second-highest touchdown totals for a receiver alongside Rookie of the Year candidate Amari Cooper and Andre Holmes.
"He's a good player," Reid said during today's phone conference. "I would say [Derek] Carr trusts him. He's put a couple of those in tight windows for him. The weapons you can have out there, the defense has to cover it. It's a plus. To have him out there doing what he's doing, it's a good thing for them."
Speaking of Carr, when asked about the Raiders second-year quarterback, it was obvious that Reid and his staff had spent a significant amount of time studying him on film. The Brigham Young product was asked to point out the main differences between Carr's rookie year compared to his sophomore campaign.
"He's in his second year now. He was poised last year for a rookie and he's even more poised now," Reid added. "He gets the ball out fast. I think the Raiders are very fortunate to have him. He's a good football player. [General Manager] Reggie [McKenzie] did a good job there."
Then it was time for the defensive unit to receive a letter grade from a man whose accomplishment could easily be worthy of an entrance into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. The first question was very general, as a reporter asked Reid to point out what "jumps out" to him about Oakland's defense.
"Big, fast front seven. They get to the quarterback one way or another," he said. "That's what they've done in the past games here. We understand that. That's a great challenge for us to block them. They're good football players."
Speaking of getting to opposing quarterbacks, it was impossible for Reid to assess the Raiders defense without answering questioned regarding Oakland's sack-leader, defensive end Khalil Mack, who comes into Week 13 with 45 tackles, seven sacks and a forced fumble.
"He's a heck of a football player," Reid said when asked about the second-year pro out of Buffalo. "He would probably get a unanimous vote from every coach in the National Football League. And he has Jack Del Rio and Ken Norton, Jr. there, so they know how to coach those kind of guys and he likes playing."
Abe Gutierrez's (Twitter: @GutierrezAbe) passion led him to ditch law school journey in order to launch his own publishing company. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com, AXS.com and the CBS-Sports family. Some of his work can be found on CBS-Miami (Dolphins), CBS-LosAngeles (Chargers), CBS-BayArea (Raiders), CBS-NewYork (NY Jets), CBS-TampaBay (Buccaneers), AXS.com, aExaminer.com and other online publications.
