The last time we played …

QB Alex Smith: "We knew there would be tough series and maybe stretches when you play a team like this. They've got a good defense and you want to be smart. As frustrating as it is to not move the football and not have success, at the same time [you don't want to have] the negative play that gives the game away as well. We certainly didn't expect to go almost three quarters there without not doing much. Luckily enough, the defense kept us in it and in the fourth quarter and in overtime we were able to make the plays. You don't expect that. Certainly, to walk away with a 'W', we've got to be better than that. Like I said, you've got to be able to throw punches and know that these guys are going to land some too. It's certainly a give-and-take there.

Facing the best

Smith: "You could have the best scheme in the world, but if you don't have players, it's not going to work, and you're certainly not going to be elite like this group is. And vice versa, you can't have a great group and have poor coaching and expect to be good either. Certainly, this group has both. You don't win a championship without either of those things; certainly, these guys have proven that. When you've got a front like this group that can really get after it — run and pass — they're physical, they bring it every play. They have a great rotation of guys that roll in and out. They all bring it. The linebackers are a good crew. There's a lot of three-down guys that can play the run, they play the pass well. On the back end, all those guys have seen a lot of football and played at a really high level for a while now. There's not much those guys haven't seen. It's hard to fool them. They know weaknesses of coverage, things like this. They know a lot of times how they're getting attacked, so like I said it's a big challenge."

Head Coach Andy Reid: "Everyone that we play is a different story. They're all great, competitive games. You got to love that part."

Utilizing Tyreek Hill

Reid: "He's a smart kid. At the same time, I try to weigh that out. You surely don't want to overload him with stuff. We probably won't have any plays in for him this week [laughs]."

Trevor Siemian's first-year starter evaluation

Smith: "I think he's played really, really well. For a first-year starter, I think he's done a heck of a job. He doesn't look like it out there. He's extremely poised. I've seen him make a lot of big-time plays. I think he's played smart. Honestly, he's done a heck of a job just from what I've seen."