The Kansas City Chiefs are optimistic again ahead of the top game against the Green Bay Packers thanks to their success over the New York Giants. Coach Andy Reid even draws a lot of positives from the negatives in the ran interview.

Kansas City – The corners of his mouth are pointing upwards, laughter is the order of the day again.

Chris Jones is beaming all over his face, joking, telling jokes. The mood is relaxed.

The importance of the 20-17 win over the New York Giants just ten hours earlier, after the debacle the week before against the Tennessee Titans, can also be found in the words of the Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive end.

“That was war, that was brutal. It came down to the last few minutes. It was a great win for the team,” he said in an interview with NFL News

Reid: “We have character “

A victory of character is how he titles the outcome of the game. And Head Coach Andy Reid is also echoing the same sentiment.

“It was a game that you don’t win unless you show character,” Reid says in an interview with NFL News “And we did. The guys have stuck together.”

And Reid makes a point of calling it a win for the whole team: “The offence put together a good drive at the end and the defence finished the game off with the Chris Jones sack.”

It goes without saying that it’s not all sunshine on the Missouri River ahead of the top game against the Green Bay Packers.

Mahomes: Answer is the bottom line

Because a record of four wins and four losses after Game 8 is disappointing for a team that has been to the Super Bowl the past two years, winning 31 of a possible 38 games during that time.

15-4, 16-3 – defeats are something the Chiefs hardly know.

But they are looking for solutions and seeing positives in their first slump in years.

“It’s hard to win every single game every single year. You have to face the opposition and fight through it,” says quarterback Patrick Mahomes in an interview with NFL News

He continued, “It’s about how you deal with it, how you find a response to it. And we have the right people in the booth to give the right answer. We’ll pick up the momentum heading into the end of the season and hopefully keep it going into the playoffs. “

Develop a feeling for each other

Towards the end of the season – the players never tire of repeating this phrase. Only then is it important to be with the music and perform in top form. And the setbacks should help with that.

“You need that as a team to become a unit. We have a lot of new players and they still need to get a feel for each other,” Reid says therefore.

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint. We still have half a season to go. We still have the opportunity to get where we want to go,” Jones also says.

And Reid explains the positive about the negative: “Through setbacks you also get to know the guy next to you better. Does he stand by you or not. Times when things aren’t going well bring players together quicker than times when you’re winning. “

Ingram to boost pass rush

One guy who needs to be integrated into the team’s rotation as quickly as possible is Melvin Ingram. The Chiefs signed the defensive end from the Pittsburgh Steelers on trade deadline day.

“We know him all too well,” Reid alludes to Ingram’s time in the AFC West with division rival Los Angeles Chargers: “He’s a great player, we’ve dealt with him in free agency as well.”

Reid’s approach to the trade shows just how much he is concerned about harmony, especially in this difficult period. “We called the leading players of our defence beforehand, informed them,” the coach reveals.

For Jones, the signing of the veteran is a welcome reinforcement: “He will play a big role in the defence. It helps us when we have as many pass rushers available as possible.”

A look at the statistics illustrates the need for reinforcements in the quarterback hunt. Kansas City’s pass rush is on pace for just 11 sacks this season. Only the Atlanta Falcons have fewer.

And according to the Chiefs’ self-image, they are not the benchmark for a team with character.

Rainer Nachtwey

reports from Kansas City.