SAN DIEGO CONFERENCE CALL

Q: What changes do you have to make to get back on the winning track?

GONZALEZ: “I don’t think we need to change too much stuff. I think we need to play a little smarter football, stop turning the ball over in the Red Zone, penalties have been killing us this year. Overall, I don’t know what it is. It’s not really one phase. A lot of people are looking to point fingers at our defense, I don’t think you can do that. Last year the same defense was out there. They’re doing pretty much the same things they did last year. I don’t know. Pretty much, we just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing and try to go out there and not turn the ball over and score some points once we get into the Red Zone.”

Q: Have you been able to take a look at Chargers TE Antonio Gates?

GONZALEZ: “I had an opportunity to look at him a lot. He’s impressive. He’s a great football player and I couldn’t be happier for him.”

Q: Does he remind you of yourself in a lot of ways?

GONZALEZ: “Remind me of me? I think everybody in this league has different styles. He definitely brings his own presence to the game and its something I watch. I like to watch all the tight ends. I’ve been watching (San Francisco TE) Eric Johnson this year, Jason Whitten down in Dallas and I’d be fool not to watch Gates. I’m looking forward to watching him play in person this week because he’s been doing some pretty good things this year and he could help me out in my game.”

Q: Talk about the frustration of this season?

GONZALEZ: “Yeah it’s frustrating but at the same time you have to realize it’s a team effort. When we take the field we take it as a team not the Kansas City offense or the Kansas City defense, Kansas City special teams. It’s a total team effort. I wish they (the defense) were out there making a few more plays but that’s the reality of the situation. I feel like as an offense we should be able to go out there and put points on the board. The object is for us to score every time they put the ball in our hands. If we don’t do that we feel like we didn’t play the best that we could because our offense is a pretty potent offense. I’m looking forward to the challenge this weekend against the Chargers defense. A lot of people are giving their offense credit and they’re playing well right now, but their defense from what I’ve seen on film, they’re playing a lot better than last year. It’s going to definitely be a good challenge for us.”

Q: How has RB Derrick Blaylock done in the place of Priest Holmes?

GONZALEZ: “He’s done really well. I don’t know if you guys know about the game he had a couple weeks ago, 186 yards (at New Orleans). He was out there playing really good football. You have to credit the offensive line credit too. If we put – not anybody – you put a good running back in our system, he’s going to be able to gain yards because of the offensive linemen that we have. Obviously, you’re right, he’s not Priest Holmes. Priest Holmes will be missed, but Derrick’s been filling in mightily. He runs the ball really hard, on the screen pass he’s good at making moves, making people miss in the open field. It’s the next best thing to Priest Holmes with Priest Holmes being out.”

Q: It was easy to think you would look to pass more with Priest out, but it looks like the offense is the same in his absence?

GONZALEZ: “It is. It is pretty much the same offense and I thought that too after he got hurt, ‘Well maybe he’ll start passing the ball a little bit more.’ Then we went and we played and I think Derrick ran the ball (33) times. If anything he ran the ball even more. It’s whatever the defense is giving us. Al Saunders is one of the best coordinators in the league, so whatever the defense gives us, he’ll go out there and take advantage of it. We try to stay as balanced as we can to keep the defense guessing and I think that’s not going to change.”

Q: WR Eddie Kennison has played well of late.

GONZALEZ: “He’s doing really well. He’s been coming up big for us the past couple weeks. You talk about a guy who used to be one of the fastest guys in the NFL. He’ll probably still tell you he’s one of the fastest guys. Last Monday night I think he showed that; he outran the defense a couple of times. I couldn’t be happier. Our receivers are playing much better football right now. We’re all on the same page right now, but we’re making these silly mistakes. We’re fumbling the ball in the Red Zone; we’re turning the ball over in the Red Zone. And that’s all of us. It’s not just Trent (Green) or the guys fumbling. We all have to take responsibility, look in the mirror and try not to make excuses except saying we’ve got to go out there and play better, put some points on the board.”

Q: What do you see in the San Diego defense?

GONZALEZ: “It seems like they don’t do that much special. They remind me of the Jacksonville defense, which is one of the best defenses in the league in my opinion. They try to wait for you to make mistakes. They’re going to hustle; they’re going to fly around and try to make plays. Obviously I played with (LB) Donnie Edwards awhile back here. He’s one of my good friends, so I like watching the way the play on defense, especially the way he plays. The way he runs around and fills gaps, I think that’s kind of infectious to the rest of his teammates. Up front the D-line is playing a lot better too.”

Q: What can you say about new Chargers TE Billy Baber from his time in Kansas City?

GONZALEZ: “First of all, you’re getting a great tight end. He’s a pretty good combination tight end, more of a receiving tight end but he’s going to get down there and block you if you ask him to do that. He’s got great hands. He’s a pretty fast guy too; he says he runs a 4.5, 4.6 and I don’t know if he’s that fast but he is fast. One of the best things about him and that we love him for out here – since he wasn’t playing, he was hurt at the start of the season – the way his attitude is in the locker room. He’s one of those guys that’s great to be around. He’s got a lot of great stories. He’s a total country boy. He gets along with everybody it doesn’t matter who it is. He’ll talk to the quarterback, the D-linemen… whoever’s there, he’s going to talk to them, talk a lot of trash and have some fun. That’s why we like him here in Kansas City.”

Q: Was there a time when you thought this team is better than it’s record?

GONZALEZ: “Every week. Any team we’ve played this year, you can ask them after the games – even the New England Patriots – and you tell them this is a 3-7 team and they probably wouldn’t believe you. We’re a lot better than that. We’re a playoff football team in my mind, but the reality of the situation is that we are 3-7. The games that we have won this year, we won convincingly. We went up to Baltimore on Monday night and beat them pretty handily. Obviously beat the Atlanta Falcons pretty handily. It’s one of those things that’s so frustrating. The attitude around the locker room is disbelief because we can’t believe we’re sitting here at 3-7. We know we’re a much better football team than that.”

Q: Is there a reason why former basketball players make great NFL tight ends?

GONZALEZ: “I think because of the agility. You’re going to find a guy who’s the power forward type around 6-4, 6-5 athletic type. We’re not tall enough for the NBA; we’re kind of ‘tweeners for the NBA so the best thing – I wouldn’t say the next best thing – is just to go out there and play football. You got Gates, myself, I think (Cleveland Browns TE) Kellen Winslow, Jr. would make a good power forward, we’re just not tall enough. For some reason or another we can’t make it in the NBA so we’re going to go out there and play football. It’s the evolution of the position too. Some people say why do you think all tight ends are leading the league (in catches)? They talk about the five-yard chuck rule, which really means nothing – you saw that on Monday night. It’s because of the evolution of the tight end and guys are coming in that can make plays at it.”