 A.J. coming back today? Yeah, we should hopefully have him out there to see how he progresses as the week goes on. Activating anybody else? We'll practice Mayfield today. We'll have three weeks to make a decision. What was, you know, with A.J. out, how did everybody do? And, you know, what would it mean to get him back for a game like this? Well, I mean, anytime you've got guys out that you rely on that are, you know, some of your top guys that week in and week out, you want to get him back there. But you've got to do what's best for the player first and then the team. And so every team deals with different obstacles, D-Led is what happens during the NFL season. So we try to play the strengths of our guys. Every game is different, how you got to play it, and how they try to attack you. So hopefully we can get them back and help us win. With an offensive line, is there a traditional ramp-up period just in terms of the physicality of what they've been able to do? I think any football player, Josh, you know, when you're not great of a shape you're in, I mean, it's always the problem. It's the act of doing the football movements and everybody's different. Certainly take that into consideration, you know, when you're having practices in a couple of months to get back out there, you know, you just have to see where they're at and assess it and make sure that they're in a good place and healthy and they can help you. So I think the longer you're away from it, you know, it could be a challenge. And it just depends what it's at the seal it looks like. In terms of when you guys were drafting last year, what happened to you guys evaluating Justin Fields? Like we evaluate every player. You evaluate what's your every player we've ever looked at. You know, unless you're sitting in those meeting rooms, you can have a lot of theories schematically of what they're asking him to do. You know, you have scouts that get information. Some of it's reliable, some of it's coach speak. You know, you're trying to get the truth about where they fit as the player, as the person, what they've asked them in college, what we'll actually carry over. And that's no different than when we looked at Prisker, I mean, all these guys, Gordon, every year. Our scouting staff, football staff has a tremendous job, but those are, it's a long, thorough process. So every player is different. So I'm not sure something specific you're looking for there. I was just kind of how you maybe thought, because when you guys were looking at it, you see how the number four pancini was available at that point in time. Were there a lot of players? There were a lot of players. There were a lot of players. Just my math's right, three would have been gone. So, you know, I went to North Carolina. So, you know, I can at least count to three though. And so anybody after the first three, you know, every man has, there are a lot of players available. So you could go down that rabbit hole a lot of different ways. I guess I was just getting out from a quarterback, quarterback specific, like you're talking about what translates, what did you think they would translate well or that even questions about? Well, there's a lot of quarterbacks that come out every year. And, you know, it's about guys that get drafted are a lot of things that can alter their careers. And so no two situations are the same. When you're looking at them and where you're at in your program and you can't take every player. So, you know, some of them, you know, history, you know, you got a little of luck, you know, you get to an environment where you're not seeing guys' careers where they haven't been asked to do a whole lot early in their career. And they won a lot of football games because they're in stable organizations and good teams. And then eventually they get a couple of years into and all those reps, they're completely different players. There's plenty of examples of guys, there's other examples of guys that maybe they could have been high-end players in unstable places, systems change a bunch. Coaches come in and out, that can alter their career. The environment, organization's not strong. They can't handle the ups and downs of the everyday narrative and they overreact in it. It can ruin guys' careers. So, you've seen both sides of it. So, the hypothetical part is hard because no two situations are the same. There's a lot of good players that come out every year. And again, some of it's luck, fit, timing. A lot of people said, oh yeah, the top guy on my board and they don't take him to the fifth round. Well, you passed over four times. So, there's a lot of revisionist history there too. But no different than last week playing P.J. Walker at a different transition to the NFL. I mean, every week's a challenge. And it's the conventional, the easy narratives to say, well, okay, I mean, you can do that every year. But defensive players, this and that, and it may not have been the best fit for you. And that player may not have been the most successful because of where you may have been at or maybe schematically what you're doing. There's a lot of factors there. Staying with Justin away from the draft process, what kind of challenges is he gonna present for you guys on Sunday? Yeah, there's different challenges. Their run game is rolling. And he's been a big part of that. And you can see how they've adapted really probably since that Washington game Thursday night, right? And then they came back and they're running more design runs, not all traditional. That's why it always kind of makes me laugh. You get the surface hot takes and they try to compare just based on stats, but when you really look at it schematically and what they're asking players to do, and then you see you guys skillsets show up and been a lot of direct runs. You see a lot of what's trending in the league, copy and paste, you've seen a little bit of it. You see the gap scheme pullers maybe ask him to read it. And if you're not sounding your fit, it can be a problem. You see traditional zone reads, but again, how somebody coached it, I may just pull it, I call it like a heat check and he gets around the edge and he gets downhill is a problem. So that's where his skill set, as he gets vertical and make those cuts, it gets vertical and makes those cuts. It's, he's had some big plays and they had success and they've kept the ball and they've had some long drives and then they get down there and they've, they've schemed up some things to commit, you overplay it and commit's got a really good feel. And you know, they're in pressure and you see them coming in a delay against Miami. There's nobody there. You see it Detroit last week, give you a run formation. They cut it the wrong way right there. So like that's what they've been doing. They've been staying on the field. They've shortened the game and he's been a big part of it. Design runs and then really, I really the play extensions. Those can be the back breakers. You get the third and seven, you're not disciplined on your rush lanes. Guys fly up the field, breaking tackles and then he gets vertical and then it's a problem. And then they get in those long, methodical drives and that's what's kept them in games late. I know they haven't won them but they've, they've been in games late because they've been able to hold the ball, make enough plays and shorten it down from the other side, not different. I mean, it's kind of what Carolina did since Wilkes took over. And you'll see some of the same schemes there. Four by one. It's the only read, try to get advantage throws. Maybe he keeps it, maybe he gives it. We're just, you know, get the first and 10s. Sometimes the second and set, the second and seven and then there's third and two and then it's everything's on the table. Direct run to the quarterback. So you're seeing a lot of that stuff. It's probably more similar to Carolina than any other recent opponent. Defensively does this, defensively where your scheme principles have to adjust to that or. What about scheme? Um, no, I'm not going to get into the game plan right now. No, no, no, I'll just go, I'll just say it. No, I know what you're saying. Yes, put it this way. Game spot with Troy Anderson. That's a real deep, that's a real scheme. Oh, what's, what are you playing behind it? What coverage are you playing behind it? You don't go two or three quarters. Well, okay. What are you going to do with a drop back? You know, and he's not in the right, you know, right spot on the field. So in all seriousness, there's a lot of, a lot of things got people have tried different, different stuff that fits their defense. You got to be gap sound because they got their traditional runs, you know, that there's clearly a lot on the call sheet because you're seeing a lot of one time scheme things too to go with the traditional runs. You know, the one back under center stuff, even some of the stuff they do in two back that I call traditional runs where you got to be sound. And when you add the quarterback to it, if you're out of place, which happens, you know, when they do a good job, they bring a guy back, people get caught in certain schemes, they pack it in there, you're out running, there's nobody behind them, it's up to free safety. So you saw that versus Detroit. Yeah, I just, the people around here have seen one. Spoon gets to shadow Cam Newton and then she's up there. Yeah, I mean, you've had it, Eberfluss did it to us with Darius Leonard with Marcus, but it came more on third down and spot him. You got a player like that, certainly, but it's got to be in the right situation. Like I'm sure they'll have a spy at some points for us. How has your thought process changed if it has over the course of your career and how much time is enough time to get into a drive? To have a legitimate, we're not just winging it out there, but we can move the ball. There's no context here of anything specific to job done other than the fact that there used to be something called a two minute offense and that seems like forever now. It's like 35 seconds, folks are able to move down the field. Has it changed in the way, is the way that you think about it changed over the course of your career? It's been, you know, who you've had personnel wise. Yeah, I mean, that's why if you've got your time now it's different than the college game. The college game, two minute seems like an eternity because the clock stops on the earn first and they gotta set the ball. I think, again, the only person now, there was times in Tennessee where come hell or I water, you know, you may hand the ball a few times because it gave you an advantage with Derrick where you may not have done that, but he could take a three yard run, maybe four yard run, he pop, give you 16, 17 and you get moving in the drive. You certainly saw the craziness of the Minnesota. Buffalo, right? And then the skill sets of the guys that are, I think maybe there's more quarterbacks that are extending the plays that you're getting more chunk plays. Maybe have altered some of the traditional two minute dink and dunk and when you're talking about rhythm two minute offense, I think that probably has a lot to do with it. There's a lot of quarterbacks that can extend plays and maybe, you know, they're back there for four or five seconds and then somebody comes open and they're able to launch the ball. You've seen that, you've seen some non-traditional two minute which seems you're doing. Again, maybe trying to get a chunk play instead of just a rhythm passing from like the Joe Montana hurry up. Yeah, you're certainly seeing different ways that people are doing it. If that's, I'm assuming that's what you're asking. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So to follow up, then you say, did these quarterbacks, did these quarterbacks change the way defenses are playing the two minute, the 30 second situation? Yeah, you gotta adapt. It's no different than, you know, a couple of years ago, people would get into no huddle, hurry up, think you could lock them into a couple of calls. Well, just like the college games adapted, the line of scrimmage was NFL. I don't know a defense that can't get to all their calls in line of scrimmage. If that were the case, probably still wouldn't be in this league, you know, you gotta assume that they're gonna catch up and they're gonna adapt. There's always that going on from year to year. That's probably why you're seeing scoring down, among other reasons, that you've gotta assume that they're gonna adapt. They're smart players and they're good smart coaches on the other side too. And that's the, people always forget, I say this a lot, but in football, I mean, there's 11 on their side of the defense, as I say, in things. So sometimes it's not just about what you're doing. One of their guys may win a one-on-one. You may think you got the best play called and oh, damn, that's wide open. Well, it comes out of the fundamentals in line of scrimmage. You don't block the match up one-on-one, a guy gets beat, poor technique, destroys a play. So there's a lot that goes into it, but you're certainly seeing people adapt to it out of necessity. You mentioned the coffee-and-paste play calling around the league, but it's hard to replicate the skills that Fields brings, you mentioned Muddy, that he's probably the strongest guy in their backfield. How different does that make facing this guy? Because you see it with different guys. And if some guys are speed guys, they're quick and they can make you look stupid when you're getting in the hole and then they're like you're wrapping up air and they got up under you. And then you get guys that when they pull it, they can outrun you and they can break tackles. They put their foot in the ground and they're explosive going north-south. And it's a problem. And that's why guys that can get out of things in the pocket, they have a good rush to get them off the spot and you collapse them and then they can't bring them down and then it gets going and those are backbreakers because it keeps those drives going. And he's done a nice job of that. But to go back to the copy-and-paste, you may run up with a smaller guy, maybe the same scheme. They have a back like Chubb, for example, some of that gap read stuff they were doing. And at the Chubb, Chubb's the main problem. Or you get into certain things you guys have seen over years from a guy like Cam Newton when he keeps it, well, it's a different set of problems. So that's why week to week it changed. You may see the same scheme, but depending on who's back there, there's a different obstacle behind the scheme, just going by personnel. Could I just ask who will work on IR? How does that help to keep your scheme? That kind, it's just like everything. I mean, they got to prepare for our guys, you know, whether AJ players or not. I mean, that's kind of week to week. And you put a guy down, I mean, he's a good player. They got other good players, you know, having there been a problem, they could be a problem to kick return game, turn one at Baylor. You know, those are things you got to take into account. With Jaylin coming back, what are some of the things that you all have to kind of monitor and watch for the bigger guy making them to come back? Yeah, I mean, some of the question, you know, Josh asked, it's just case by case, not necessarily a bigger guy. It's just got to assess where they're at. No player is the same. I mean, that's why no injury is the same. I can have a hand string and again, it's that's why if you give a timetable, sometimes you can set some poor narratives on people that aren't fair. And you just got to take it the right case by case, we'll assess it and do what's best for a player. And then that's what's the team. This would be much more of a psychological question when it comes to Marcus, just the conversation outside of the building. You say it's not a situation, but the conversation outside of the building, do you have to talk to him just psychologically to say, hey listen, don't read someone what maybe is being talked about outside? Like, do you have that conversation? Because he's a guy that has in the past said, you know, I have been so much of a perfectionist. It seems like he's a guy that... Yeah, we have a lot of conversations with a lot of our players. I've said it many times and you know what you sign up for as a coach and player. If you're dumb enough to look at social media or get, you know, spot on on TikTok, you know, shame on you. But you know what you sign up for. You're in the public or in the biggest reality show going, right? So if that's part of it, it will crush you. I mean, just think of the comical, go back three weeks ago and what people were saying about Brady and Rogers. You're talking about guys that have won Super Bowls and MVP's and it's what you, you know, so not get it, it's what sells and it's going up, but that is part of the job for any player coach. And that's reality. And that's what you need perspective because you literally go back three weeks and they were, they had those, those guys probably five feet in the ground putting dirt on the casket. Well, you see what happens. You know, it's such a long season, long journey. But I think for any player, Mike, it's a good question. For any coach too, like I said, if you're insecure or dumb enough to go down, I'll have a whole shame on you. I guess even maybe go a step further with that, you know, family, you know, family, like I know in Marcus's case, his wife does the social media and like, you know, I know, does that, does that play into it too? Because that's different than a player or a coach. Yeah, when, when I get on my burner account and like take shots at you, does it affect you? Well, yeah, I can't, I can't speak for some time. I appreciate the nine, two, three, eight. It's de-vacity. Yep, Oklahoma 01 champs, right, de-vacity. Yeah, 2000, excuse me, it was the orange one. I should know that, right, before the state. Hypal, yeah, I was there. Hell yeah. So that part of the capacity on his burner and we take shots at you guys, you know, maybe it has the effect, but in all seriousness, I mean, that's part of the challenge of being in the public spotlight for any player. But how anybody handles it, you know, that's case by case, that's probably a better question to ask the player.