Yeah, you know, they like to do quite a you know a number of things. You know, they like to mix it up, kind of keep you keep your off on your on your guard a little bit, and um they'll bring it. They'll bring pressure looks from from different areas. So you know, the biggest thing is we got to just watch the film. You know, we gotta study them, um, really game plan them and really detail what they do. And I'm well, have a good plan for them about
the importance protecting yourself. Is there any thing aside from them talking to you and you're looking at plays that you can do you are to meet get ready? No, you know, it's really just keep reminding myself, you know. It's it's one of those things that you know as a as a young quarterback. It's it's something I'm I'm trying to every day, just remind myself even when I'm watching film, like how could I have prevented you know, even in practice, what would I have done there? Um,
all those things And it's something I'm still learning. I'm you know, obviously I gotta keep learning to stand top of the pocket and all that and make a play also well when you're in the pocket, it's a whole different thing. You know, when you're in the pocket, you know, sometimes you gotta take shots, you gotta you know, deliver the ball down field. It's it's when you're out of
the pocket where you got to be smart. And that's something I gotta keep keep Learningisberger before the draft, what did you learn from you know, it didn't spend a lot of time with him, just kind of talked. You know, we didn't really talk a lot about football. Um we talked. I mean he's a big outdoorsman guy, and um we talked a little bit about our backgrounds and what we like to do off the field. But you know, he's a great guy and I'm looking forward to competing against him.
History started that way with you get so much better than Oh you definitely look at the negative plays. You look at where you can clean things up, where you know what what you miss protection wise, what what kind of throw um could you have made it to complete it? You know all those different things. Um, you know the good players are, they're gonna happen. But you know, we were always trying to just see where we can improve and where we can keep getting better. You up to
just because you guys. You yeah, you know, watching Big Ben has always been fun. I've always found it intriguing the way you know, that guy plays the game differently than a lot of guys, and um, he's fun to watch. You know, that guy can can make some some really big plays and it's pretty impressive. It's huge, you know, having them, Um, I could never can never say enough how much you know, they understand the game. You know,
they get it. They know what it's like as a as a former quarterback, they know what I'm going through, Um, how I'm seeing things. So it's been huge. Um. Well, first of all, to be compared to a guy like that, that's pretty pretty impressive. You know, I got a long way to go. Um that that's first and foremost. But um, you know, I've always admired the way he plays. Um. I love how he how he can extend plays and improvise it and you know he's not afraid to chuck
the ball deep in and make some plays. So, UM, I definitely admire his game. How supposed to just mess you have to be the other guys. I just yeah, yeah, you know that It's it's one of those things that every week changes and you know, We've seen some a lot of kind of mixed coverages both man and zone the last few weeks. And really the Steelers like to play a lot of zone and that's what they do and that's what what they thrive on, like to bring
different pressure looks out of that. So, um, you know we'll be ready for it. We've got some good good stuff drawn up. And um, you know, I just got to be really really smart with with how I'm reading things on the runs? Is that different here than it was in college? Look more like to hit the sideline, so where the first guy kind of hit you on the and you're on the line and the other guy can finish you off. Did that happen as much in college? Um? Yeah,
I mean it's it's still football, you know, still getting hit. Um, But yeah, I guess I gotta just keep keep learning here at this level. You know, in college, Um, I ran the ball. We had designed runs, so you kind of go into running back old um, and here it's not so much the case. So I'm still learning how to protect myself. Good. So your teamates a word, Matthees said, they really did, so how much fun you have leading downfield? And a mental aspect of it. I mean, how much
do you actually enjoy that part of it? In the preparation. It's fun, you know, it's fun, especially when you're doing it in there with Chase and with with Aaron Murray and then breaking it down with your coaches. I'm really just trying to pick it apart. And it's it's crazy to see a game plan really come together, you know, you start seeing things start really understanding. You know, earlier in the week you're usually like, holy smokes, how we're
going to attack this team? And um, as the week goes, you really start to just understand it more. And that's always fun. And and then you go out there on Sundays and play pretty fast and pretty confidently. Yea happy the best play over thirty five yards? Yet how poort is it's kind of take your shots to start hitting those plays and or or it is just kind of hate but the game come to us? Or do you want to go out there and really try to Yeah, you know, it's one of those things. It's all about
what the defense is given you. You know, you gotta learn, you gotta you gotta take what they give you at times, and there's there's a time to attack and push it down the field, and you know, I thought we've had a really good balance of that. They're they're not always going to hit, you know, that's that's kind of the
nature of the game. But um, our big plays will will definitely be there, plays where they you know, you've gotten pressure and you've gotten out of pocket and as he communicating with your receivers, how's that communication coming, because those plays to be big for you guys down thumbroiders. Yeah, it's huge. You know. I always tell those guys they're
never dead dead on any of the routes. You know, there's always an opportunity for me to extend plays and um it's one of those things where we're still working through it. Um. You know, guys, we feel like we have a really good communication about, you know, where where they're going once I do break the pocket. But a lot of it's really just instinctive and making a play that never where is that something? Um, It's it's really just kind of my my innate nature. You know. I
think that's kind of how how the Good Lord wired me. Um. You know, whatever it is I'm doing, I really want to just excel and really push myself to be the best, um that I can be, And UM, a lot of that is how I'm wired and really my upbringing. You know, that's kind of in North Dakota, growing up. There's a lot of things that that we do and just you really earn earn everything you get. So that's kind of
how I'm Chase his influence. He talked a little bit about the schedule and he's kind of helped you creating what kind of influence. Yeah, Chase has been great. You know, He's been with Drew Brees, he's been with Alex Smith, He's been with some good quarterbacks, and really he's a true professional, you know, and he knows what it takes to prepare and what it's like. So so coming in and having him, you know, kind of help kind of
create a schedule. Um, and I can more or less just take what schedule he's been using for for eight years, you know. And UM, that's been huge. You know, the last two weeks, I felt more than prepared, and UM, he's been a big part of that. Yourself takes you do soon do UM, I need to make you cringe for you know everything. Um, I don't know cringe, but you know, I'm mad at myself just as much. You know, I don't I don't want to take those hits, um
by any means. So it's it's something again. I'm just still I'm still learning, and UM, I can tell myself over and over again. But it's one of those things when you're in the heat of battle. Um, it's just almost got to just keep keep reprogramming myself. You spent with Roethlisberger. What's the impetus for that? Was it your agency? Was this something you sought out? How did that work out? Yeah, it was through our agency, you know, he he we
had the same age and everything. So, um, it was cool to really meet up with him and get to know him a little bit. And I'm looking forward to playing him and getting to know him even more. So far, doesn't seem you do this game really best for I can't who you were. You know, every week you're trying to see where you're at. You know, it's it's it's cool to be too and oh and you know we've done some good things. But um, every week you're trying to see where you're at and where you measure up.
You know, the Steelers present a big challenge. You know, they do. And UM, I think we'll be uh, we'll be ready for the accelerated time aline, the short week. What does it mean for you? Um, you know it hasn't changed a lot. It really just the off day, UM really was non existent, so to speak, was the biggest thing. And um, but other than that, you know, we feel good, we feel comfortable. It's a lot for a lot of guys. It's physically. I'm just making sure
your body is ready to go come Sunday afternoon. I'm feeling pretty good, feeling pretty good, feeling good. What's the value of the way the defense is playing. It's huge, you know, defense and special teams have been tremendous. You know, these have been amazing team wins. You know, it hasn't been the offense, hasn't been just the defense. It's it's it's all of us, all three phases. So UM, that's
been huge, and especially for me. You know, we've gotten I don't know what our field position numbers are or anything, but we feel like we've we've started with good field position, so defense, special teams, offense. You know, we feel like we got some special going here. Thank you.