Dolphins-Chiefs Playoff Game Postgame Reaction
What players and coaches from both sides had to say after the first-round playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium when the Miami Dolphins dropped a 26-7 decision against the Kansas City Chiefs
DOLPHINS HEAD MIKE MCDANIEL ON WHETHER THE WEATHER WAS A FACTOR
"“I’ve experienced games of this nature. Very specifically, playoff games as well. It’s going to be a factor for both teams. It takes a certain mentality to compete in games like this. I think the team was very competitive for a majority of the game. I thought they had the prerequisite physicality, they didn’t turn it down. Guys were excited. You kind of have to go to a different place to be in that weather in a contact sport. I thought our guys were in a good spot. It affects the game, but it affects both teams. They were just a little better at executing what they wanted to do than we were.”"
DOLPHINS QB TUA TAGOVAILOA ON PROBLEMS AGAINST THE CHIEFS BLITZES
"“I would attest that to the communication errors that we’ve had. Am I hearing the right formation? Okay, we’re getting out but we have two motions that we have to use. Then there’s maybe nine seconds left on the clock, and we’re motioning. Now it’s about five seconds and we don’t have time to change so now we’ve got to play and we’ve got to through where our hots would be but they pressured. Spags [Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo] had a good plan. They executed well against us.”
DOLPHINS WR TYREEK HILL ON THE MOOD IN THE LOCKER ROOM
"“It’s tough. Especially with the type of team that we got. Obviously, there are high expectations of everyone. We hold ourselves to a standard. We were definitely expecting us to be a really good team this year. We definitely weren’t expecting a first-round exit. Also, the message in the locker room was simple. Whenever you’re working out, take this loss with you. Remember this feeling. Because it’s not fun being on the other side of a loss, especially when you know the season is over for you. No more football checks.”"
DOLPHINS RB RAHEEM MOSTERT
“A loss is always disappointing, especially during a time like this where it’s a playoff run, Wild Card Game, it’s aways tough. It’s all about being resilient, coming back the following year. I know a lot of guys who have, if you lose, the dude who I’m talking about, going to Cancun. I am not planning on a damn Cancun trip. I’m more trying to get back right-side and be ready and available for next year.”
DOLPHINS DT CHRISTIAN WILKINS ON ALL THE INJURIES ON DEFENSE
"It was tough, but it is what it is. Injuries are part of the game, and we’re not going to make excuses for that. As much as we’d love to have those guys, it’s just part of the game. You don’t make excuses for that. You still fight and play hard no matter what. We still went into every game as confident as ever and didn’t make any excuses and we just kept it running.”"
DOLPHINS LB DAVID LONG JR.
"We put in so much work to get to a point to hopefully get to the next level. Nothing is guaranteed. It just hurts when you put so much work into something and everything doesn’t come into fruition. It just hurts. I’m a passionate player. I wanted more for these guys, especially for this team. You don’t get to be part of this kind of team that many times. I wish we could have taken advantage of it, to be honest. It is what it is. I hate to say it. I hate that. I hate that phrase, ‘It is what it is’. I wish we could have done more.”"
CHIEFS HEAD COACH ANDY REID
"Hats go off to our team for the job that they did and really for the Dolphins. I thought they came out and handled all the weather. It’s a little bit different than down in Miami and I thought both teams handled that pretty well. Then there are a bunch of things but our defense with the third down ratio was incredible and the job that they did. One-for-12 on third downs, that’s quite a stat there, and then there are a bunch of individual efforts. Offensively, I’d start with the offensive line. Defensively, I’d start with the defensive line."
CHIEFS QB PATRICK MAHOMES ON THE DOLPHINS DEFENSE
"They brought a lot of pressure. I wish I would have been able to make some of those throws, we had some guys running free downfield, I missed a couple of them. But other than that, I thought the guys accepted the challenge. We were able to throw the ball, we were able to run the ball against some of those pressures, I thought the O-line did a great job. We had that mentality all week, if we’re going to go out there and play football, we know it’s cold but we’re going to go out there and play football and see what happens.”"
CHIEFS DE GEORGE KARLAFTIS
"“I think we played great. Our strength is playing off of each other, our chemistry, guys being selfless and coming together and staying disciplined. A great team win.”"
