 Now that you know your opponent, how much does the rest of having the buy come into play now that you get now that you have an opponent to game plan for and such a high powered offense led by Joe Borough. Yeah, I mean excellent football team and I think the rest is only, you know, it's only going to be advantageous and it's only going to help us if we've been able to take advantage of it and and do things that that can help us get healthy, maintain and improve conditioning, get rest, you know, all those things that we hope for. And then and then start start our practice start. We've been preparing obviously as coaches and, you know, trying to, you know, be ready to go for when these guys come in in the morning. And you touched on Borough there, Mike, you faced him last year, what made you impressed most about him as a quarterback and the weapons around him? Well, they're really explosive. I mean, they we didn't have many answers for him last year. You know, so hopefully, you know, he just was able to extend plays and they made a lot of plays down the field. Receiver wise so it will have to be better in all phases we turn the football over and you know, again, that was a long time ago but but obviously we were very aware of the type of football team that this is and and how good they are. Yeah, of course, speaking of Borough and that connection that he and Jamar Chase have. Can you just kind of get into what you're seeing as far as what has led to them to be so productive as a tandem this year. It's the first pick in the draft and the fourth pick of the draft so obviously a lot of talent, and then I think that the trust and the connection that you referenced, you know, is there, you know, it's there down the field, you know, whether it's back shoulder, whether it's in the quick game, you know, but I think he has that, you know, with the Higgins and Boyd. You know, they don't have any issues throwing the football is really good and instinctive in the pocket to be able to avoid what rush there may be and has the ability to extend plays and find and keep his eyes down the field and the arm talent to get those guys the ball. Terry. Mike, given, you know, whether Derek is back or with Deont Deontay Foreman and Hill your all the running backs that you have. How much is it can be an advantage this time of year that all three of those guys have pretty much fresh legs none of them have three or 400 carries under their belt this year. I guess they have fresh legs I don't know Terry you know better than I would I guess but you know we're going to need to run the football you know I mean we're going to need to do that to know to be who we are and to be at our best and not be one dimensional to be able to to run it to set up things to be able to you know to run our offense and that's always been in critical and you know it should be a big week of practice for us to continue to get Derek back out there and you know get him acclimated to run in the football and just seeing walking schemes and seeing how guys where guys are and see where the cuts are. Buck. Yeah Mike outside of you know just playing in a condensed space in the red zone was there anything that stood out to you about the way that the Raiders kind of played Cincinnati in that game. Well, they tried you know I mean early on I felt like. You know they kept it in front of them you know I mean I think that that that didn't that end up getting them but they you know they try to keep it in front of them. You know they tried to affect the quarterback you know again there's going to be a lot of things that that will watch a lot of games that will watch and and continue to see what fits for us and what we think we need to defend. Director. Yeah Mike question for you on on Shane he's he's talked a lot about the kind of the relationship side of things in terms of trying to bring this defense along improve this season just wondering how you've seen him attack that specifically and you know how important is that in his job. I think we all want to try to attack our job and you know everybody's got a different personality everybody's got a different style. In the way that they make a connection with their position group or their unit and I think that that's that's really critical. You know a lot of different people have different personalities in the end it's that's about how you can bring a group together and get them to believe in what we're doing and make sure that they understand what we're doing and and get them to believe in the style in which we play so. You know it's going to be critical this week you know it's going to be critical that we get back out there and have a great week of practice. Have a great week of preparation and then be ready for whatever situation comes up on on Saturday. But just real quick just on Shane and what he has done can you speak to that. You know we'll talk about what everybody's done when the season's over I think what's most important Joe is that we focus on what we're going to do and not what we've done. Luke. Mike this is a bingles team that was picking fifth or fourth in the draft last year what what has changed what has improved to make them as as good as they've been this year when last year didn't go so well. I mean they got really good skill players I think the defense has been. You know good they've they've stopped the run you know they've gotten you know they've gotten turnovers this team hasn't had a turnover. Offensively in five games and you know when you can go out there and do that that that gives you a chance so I think they're really talented I think their skill players are really talented I think they have some guys that can can affect the quarterback. You know they're they're rushing the quarterback with two with two really good ends. You know readers been really good against the run he's he's tough to block. Logan Joby is going to be able to penetrate and attack the line of scrimmage. So there's a lot of things that they're doing really well. Mike you mentioned the importance of your running game a little bit earlier. As far as the offensive line goes you've actually had these guys together for the last couple of weeks is this about as in sync and healthy as the the whole line has been all season. I mean it's good to have everybody together it's good to have some continuity. You know but we'll have to have guys ready to go you know I mean because that we know how quickly those things can change through the course of a week or during a game so. You know but that's that's been great that we've had some continuity over the last you know couple weeks. Maybe picking up on that Mike. Can you talk us through Taylor's progress from the early season struggles with the knee and the cramping and stuff as he he's settled back into himself down the stretch here. Yeah I mean we expect a lot out of Taylor where you know we expect a lot out of you know everybody that would put out there and so I would say that you know we just need to continue to keep doing what we've been doing try to do a little bit better. You know and again we'll continue to to coach up the mistakes and we'll make sure that his efforts and everybody else's efforts are doing what's going to help us and I just you know sit here and go back throughout the course of the season. And I don't want to do that I just want to focus on how we improve Paul moving forward and and Taylor's got to play better Roger's got to play better Ben's got to play better like that's what you have to do in the playoffs. In order to win and that's that's no secret to them or to me you know those are all things that I've already told them. You know in our quarterbacks got to play better receivers and our defense and that's we all have to kick the ball better that's just where we're at in the in the season. Till. Coach you mentioned how much the Bengals have improved from a year ago and their confidence is also skyrocketed from a year ago and it starts with their quarterback how much more dangerous is a playoff opponent. When their quarterback is not just talented on the field but also just bleeding with so much confidence in him and his team's ability in the postseason. Well I think it's a reflection. And I think the entire team feeds off of it, you know the coaching staff feeds off of it the players feed off of it. And you know and that's it's rightfully so you know they've gone out and they've earned that and you know Joe's done a fantastic job. You know and you know he'll be you know it's a huge challenge to be able to go there and defend them you know defend them when he has options and defend them when he's. Doesn't look like there's any issues from the knee injury and what he's been trying to do. So there is a lot of confidence and rightfully so. Chris Harris. Mike what do you hope and expect the atmosphere to be like on Saturday. I mean it should be amazing you know I mean it should be should be amazing atmosphere it's playoff football in January. We've had an amazing support the entire season. We got support in Houston it was it was really cool to see those fans that that traveled down there. Thankful that we could reward them with a win and and hopefully that they're they're ready to get back into our stadium and and have an atmosphere that helps us helps us win on Saturday. Corey Curtis. Coach of course everybody's going to talk about their the receiving corps with Chase and Higgins and Boyd. How much of that for you starts up front with the guy in the trenches and winning at the line of scrimmage. Well I think that you know maybe you can either you can either cover them really good or you can rush them really good. Hopefully both but you know I think that they have had you know they've done they've done a nice job when they went when when Riley went down. You know Prince is stepped in there and it looks like you know looks like they really haven't missed much of a beat and you know Williams is settled in to think the pro that everybody thought he would be left tackle. You know big Q I'm sure he'll be he'll be ready to go and fired up to play us and he's had a good year. Popkins you know it seems like they've they've settled with him at center so. You know it does it's obviously something that they've improved and focused on. Steve Lehmann. Like you talked about how well Burrow is playing and how much confidence they can take off of his performances this year and the need for you guys to somehow affect that in this game. How much more confidence can your team take from the way you've rushed the pastor this year and the way you've defended on the back end this year compared to when you faced them a year ago. Well every week is different Steve and you know there were there were there's some going to have to be some corrections from from the Houston game in that regard. So every week is different. We'll see what the plan is and see how we executed and what we'll need to to change as the game goes on based on you know what we're seeing and what's you know we feel like is working and what needs to be you know changed a little bit. But you know the only thing that matters is this week. This is what how we cover and how we rush this week is going to be what's most important. Ben. Hey Mike we know the weapons that bro has at receiver but Joe Nixon what kind of stands out to you about kind of his play and and what he's been able to do for them in the backfield how much of a challenge is he huge challenge obviously talented. Third in the league and carries so there's a lot of durability there. Third in the league and yards. I've always you know a lot of respect for him and his ability to stretch and cut got great vision and you know obviously that's what when you talk about the receivers and having the amount of yards at the quarterback strong for sometimes you know the runner gets. You know he's kind of gets buried behind all those other receiving yards but he's had a great great year and he's a very good runner. Emily. Coach it sounded like the two main objectives for for last week was to focus on yourselves but then also focus on the teams that you hadn't faced this year. How much work were you able to get done on the Bengals and then how much work were you able to get done on yourselves. I guess we'll see Emily on Saturday if it was enough but you know I like the work I like the work that we did felt like guys came back energized yesterday felt like we had good work yesterday to be able to get out and do some stuff. You know they'll have today off and then we'll get back rolling tomorrow with our normal weekly preparation. A couple follow ups up from. Coach always like to get them the message that you have at the beginning of the week so as you start to get the guys back in the building what was kind of like your message to them in this in this before this game. We'll figure it out later on the week trying I'm done writing articles for you. You're not writing no articles for me but I appreciate the help. I know I'm not trying I'm just trying to give you a hard time. That's all good but I got you. Terri. Jim. Michael you fortunate that you've got guys that have playoff experience. What do you tell some of the young guys about the intensity level maybe keeping your composure early and do you do you benefit any from some of these prime time games you played this year. I think so maybe you know Jim obviously it just every yard and every play is critical every decision that you make. You know and we'll use these games that have been happening around the league is as examples you know like we always do. And just. You know how critical each and every play is you know how each and every conversion is critical every kick every punt that we cover the field position. Taking care of the football looking for ways to turn it over against the team that hasn't all those things that. You know we talk about in the regular season just becomes you know so much more pronounced and the ability to to sway games with those factors so. You know the intensity I hope that we play hard all the time I mean I'm sure it's going to you know ramp up a little bit but you know I think that we play hard. You know every every tackle every every miss tackle every extra pile that we push all those things that are going to matter to the score.