Chiefs-Falcons Postgame Quotes

Sep 22, 2008, 8:26:12 AM

HERMAN EDWARDS: “The first quarter was a little bit of a defensive game. Then we let them have a big run and we missed some tackles and they got their first score. Then, on a third down, they hit a big pass on us.

“I thought in the second quarter the offense did a good job getting some points on the board. Came out in the second half and got some points on the board. Got us in the game and then they answered with a touchdown. Then I thought our offense moved the ball again in the fourth quarter and were in a position to score and didn’t.

“That’s how the game turned out for us: down early, kind of fought back in the fourth quarter to make it a little bit of a game, but we left two scores on the field and didn’t get in. Missed a field goal and missed a touchdown. There was life but not good enough to win a game.”

Q: After Tyler Thigpen went 0-6 on third downs any thoughts of going to the bullpen?

EDWARDS: “We thought about it, but I think what got him going was the two-minute (offense) phase and he moved the team down the field.”

Q: You knew it was going to get rough with so many young players but shouldn’t you be beyond the way you’ve played the last couple of weeks?

EDWARDS: “Yeah, defensively we played pretty good in some three-and-out possessions and then all of a sudden they hit a big run and we missed tackles. We don’t recover. All of a sudden they hit a big pass on third-and-11. We give them two scores real fast and then turn it over twice and that gives them 13 more points. We’re struggling in different phases.”

Q: Your defense should be ahead of your offense at this point. Is this disappointing after having spent a lot of resources trying to fix that. Is that more disappointing?

EDWARDS: “Yeah. We’ve drafted most of the players over there. We’ve got to play better on defense. There is no doubt about it. We haven’t the last two weeks – we haven’t played very good at all.”

Q: You are in position where every point counts and your field goal kicker misses.

EDWARDS: “It’s in his range and you think you’re okay. It’s a two-score game and then you don’t make the field goal and it’s a three-score game again. You get down there at the end (near the goal line) and you don’t make it on fourth down and it becomes one of those games where you’re just throwing all the time.

“But we had some opportunities I thought offensively. We moved the ball in the fourth quarter but we didn’t put any points on the board.”

Q: But you expect Novak to make the field goal from that distance don’t you?

EDWARDS: “Yeah, he should make that.”

Q: Is this a step forward for Tyler?

EDWARDS: “Yeah, he did some good things but he did some bad things too. That’s part of the learning process for a guy like that. But he got the team in position to score some touchdowns. If we had the last two it might have made the game interesting.”

Q: Are you inclined to use him next week?

EDWARDS: “We’ll see. We haven’t made a decision on what we’re going to do yet. He did some good things, but he just can’t throw that many interceptions. All of them were points: 13 points on two of them and one touchdown for seven points.”

Q: On the whole your thoughts on the team’s performance?

EDWARDS: “I don’t know. I think we went in phases. We battled back in the second half. We made it kind of interesting but they drove right down the field after a long kickoff return and that got us out of the game. We came back twice but we couldn’t put any points on the board.”