He's had a touchdown catch call back. We've seen what he can do as a ballcarrier.
What kind of potential does he have as a receiver.
Yeah, I think he's got just good skills with seeing the defense and a good feel. So when he's running these you know, choice routes and stuff from the backfield, he understands where the quarterback needs to put the ball and then from there he's able to make plays.
Man.
Obviously, he's he's great with shedding tackles and making plays after the catch and the yak that comes with it, and so he's got a lot of potential with it. We's got to continue to grow in that area together
and and give him some opportunities. But from what we've done so far, even dating back to last year, he's made you know, some catches and stuff last year out of the backfield as well, and so I'm really happy for him, and I know that, you know, we still have to continue to get better together.
The process, you and the running back being on the same page as far as those choice routes and just you know, having an understanding of.
Where he's going to be.
Yeah, you know, like you can drop a play on paper, but when everything is live and it's going full speed against another defense and stuff. There's another component of understanding where you need to be and how you need to run your route based off of leverage and all those kinds of things, and especially as a running back coming
out of the backfield, that's such a big thing. Obviously, Christian is probably the best in the league to do it, and so for JP to jump in those shoes and try it out and feel it out, he's done a great job. And it's not easy. You know. We've seen some running backs where you really can't do that kind of stuff because we've seen that practice and stuff, because it's it's hard for them to read defenses and and all that. But JP's got a great feel. He's a natural,
and he's got great hands. You have to be able to catch the ball smoothly in transition, and he does that really well. So I'm excited to see what we can do with them.
If you guys, an offense still had a lot of success abouly, but maybe it looks a little different than it has in the past in terms of pushing the ball down the field more. Maybe if you're more tight those what are you seeing from defenses that maybe is kind of changing the way you have to go about getting that. And is that something that you think pertains to you guys specifically or is it just kind of team specific and the defenses they are facing.
I would say it's more team specific. You know, everyone everybody sort of has a style of how they play. You know, Minnesota did their their zone coverages and everything like that were brought all out. You know, last week against the Patriots, they did a good job of playing man and funneling everything to the middle. So like there's different themes every week. You know, obviously they're gonna scheme us up and try to do what's best for them
and stopping us with the playmakers that we have. But at the same time, I do feel like there may be a theme of you know, man coverage and and try to play one on one football. We got that from the Rams, we got that last week with the Patriots, So like we we do see it more and more to get man and so for us, what does that mean? We just got to beat the guy in front of us.
And then for me as a quarterback, I got to be accurate with the ball and we got to execute you know, that's It's just that's football at its finest, and so I feel like we we may see that a little bit more, But at the same time, you never know, because every defense has their different style. So hopeful defenses.
Are purposely like bucking up the middle of the field a little bit more in terms of trying to take away some of the intermediate crossers and things that you've kind of been a living off.
Of for s couple of years.
No, I.
Agree that they are. You know, I feel like my rookie year and uh that twenty twenty two season, even with Jimmy Man, we hit a lot of stuff over the middle, and we had a lot of explosives like that and cross courting plays and getting the ball in the in the like Debo and Ba's hands and then you know, they break it one tackle and they're gone.
And so I feel like we do see a lot more help and stuff in the middle of the field, for sure, But at the same time that opens up other things and avenues and areas for us to get better and attack. And so some defenses do that, some don't, And so I guess that's something that we've seen over the last year or so. But we have to adjust. Man, that's football.
You guys have a twenty five career regular season starts. Now, where have you seen or recognize the biggest growth that you've made during that time? And then what's the next step for you to take it into you higher level?
Yeah, I think you know, over the last year, so it's it's been about getting in and executing and doing my job well. And I feel like when I first got in, it was, you know, all right, how can I handle this offense as a whole, just mentally with how Kyle calls it and the language that it is. That's it's tough, man, and you got to study. You got to be on top of your stuff. And I
feel like I've grown in that area for sure. And then I think, just for myself, the challenge for me now is, man, how can I continue to have that mentality of having the chip on my shoulder and competing every every down in the game for four quarters. I feel like when I first got in my rookie year, there was this this energy of hey, I'm a young guy getting thrown in. Man, I'm gonna just show my guys that I can compete and bring it and bring it every down in every play and give our team
a chance. And sometimes you know, like when you play for a long time, you can sort of lose that and get into the mental part of the game of I just I need to do this in the game or that in the game. But what it boils down to is, for four quarters man, how can can you compete and bring and elevate everybody else's game around you by doing what it takes to win and that simplicity of it. So I feel like that's still an area that I can learn from and grow and be reminded that that's what football is.
So question your teammates.
They believe in you is clear when they're asked about you and your abilities. But there's this crowd of people that they still.
Want you to make a believer at or make you want you to make them a believer that you can do what it is that you can do.
Do you ever listen to that kind of stuff and go out in a game and say, huh, like watch this or do you just block it all that?
Yeah? No, I don't you know, buy into really what people say about me or what they believe about me. Like like I said before, all that matters is for me to come in, do my job really well, allow this offense to move and be the machine that it is, and go out and and win, find a way to win. And so if we're doing that, I mean, people can say all that they want, but if I I'm performing for my guys in the locker room and the coaches and the organization, that's all it matters. And so I
continue to hang my hat on that. And and that's that's my mindset every game as I'm playing for these guys right here, no one else, like obviously are faithful in the fans and everything, but more than anything, man, the guys in the locker room that we go to work for work with every single day. And so you know that's my mindset. And then obviously if you watch the film and the games, then you see what you see.
So early in the game, you hit Brandon on a crosser is kind of a deep cross. It's like fifth play and it's the route combination seemed really to make him wide open. What did you anticipate when you when you were going through that play the night before and did it shake out the way you thought it would?
Yeah, I Mean they had two safeties split deep. They played cover two. Uh we had a guy on the outside running running off a corner and a safety and then all BA had to do was clear this Mike linebacker going deep in the middle of the field. And so as I'm dropping back going through my read, I'm like, all right, we got this. If I can get the ball out in front and bacross that linebacker, we should
be good. And so, you know, the night before, we have our set of plays that we're going to try to run in the beginning of the game, and and I just try to go through every scenario with coverages and stuff of what's my answer if I get this coverage or that, And so with Cover two on that play, I was like, all right, if we get this, I just got to get enough time for bea to crossfield and it should be there, and sure enough it was.
So that's just giving him this season. I mean, I feel like he's definitely a guy that you know, when defenses are scheming up our offense there they got a circle eleven and know that if you leave him one on one, you know there he's going to be a target at some point in the game. And so they do their best of you know, clouding putting his safety over the top and double teaming him and all that kind of stuff. But you know, for us, that's that's football.
We still have plenty of opportunities for us to be able to get him the ball and stuff, and that's something that you know, throughout the game plans and stuff throughout the week, we still find a way to make it work. So I know we're gonna get in plenty of targets and plays coming, so we're excited about it.
You kick more short field goals than you probably wanted to see in the first four games. I think you're fifty percent in the red zone and last year was like sixty eight. The obvious answer is the best red zone back in the league is not playing. But what other things do you see that you guys can get in the end zone the kind of frequency you did last year.
Man, I mean, I know it sounds pretty cliche, but I think just the simple executing your job, you know, and everybody doing their part. There's there's been everybody sort of had their moments in the red zone, including myself with the reads protection guys picking up certain guys, and that's what it comes down to.
Man.
It takes eleven guys to do their job really well and then for us to be on point when it comes to the throw and catch, and so that's what it comes down to. Obviously, I think being able to run the ball in is a huge thing, and so when it comes down to third down and stuff, we just have to execute better in the red zone. And that's that's what it comes down to. And that's why, you know, we haven't executed the way we've wanted to at our standard, and that's why we've had to kick
so many field goals. But you know, everybody just has to do their job. You learn early throughout the season of what it takes and it's not just given to you down there. Especially down there, everything's tighter. So we just got to be on point and uh and learn from mistakes and push each other in that area.
So maybe more so than most is really obsessed with like what he puts in his body and health and all that is that. I don't know.
Maybe you can speak to as far as every notice that and those guys like him and Kittle and Christian, have they influenced you as far as you know what it takes to save this game for I mean, you see the longevity of you know, you check and for how old he is, because he's extremely old. Uh just yeah, for how long he's been playing seriously at a high level and he still looks great and feels great and he's there at every practice and every game and every moment. Man,
he's there. Juice is there and so so obviously the way he prepares and what he puts into his body is real. Same with George Christian fred Bosa, like all these guys, man, the best of the best. Every little thing matters sleep, hydration, nutrition, Those are things that they hone on and we see it literally every day in the cafeteria of what they put into their body and how some things can make your body inflamed and not recover fast as fast and that's why they're eating so
clean and stuff. So they're a testament to that. I've definitely learned from them. Obviously I want to continue to get better in that area and as my career goes on. But he's a testament to it. So he's the best to do it.
You said to.
Debo after that play that you could have led him a little bit more. What did you see from that play when you were in it, and then afterwards watching the.
Film, Yeah, I still believe that. You know, if I would have just let him in and tried, I think that's a touchdown. But obviously the safety that was in the middle of the field wasn't getting deep and we had a post on which in which Debo ran really well. And you know, for me, I I saw him so open that I didn't want to overthrow them. I did that last year against the Rams. There's some plays where I've underthrown them too, and so I was just trying
to get a completion. But in hindsight, man, it's like, man, I got to be aggressive. I got to lead him and stride and trust him more than anything for him to go and make that play. And so that's what I meant by it. So I just I wish I would have let him and I would have been a touchdown, but JP finished it either way.
So and you've confirmed it after you watch the.
Film, correct, Yeah, So.
One more rocket after its best started in almost twenty five years.
Care to comment on the unbeaten Iowa state cyclone?
Oh? Yeah? Uh? Man? Just what coach Campbell's done over there, what he believes in all the guys that he's got rallied going. They got really good players, they got a good team, good culture. I'm pumped for him. So I just hope they keep going. I know they will. They're going to compete every every Saturday and bring their best and uh man, am I proud to be a cyclone and see them have their success. So thanks God,