 Joe Burrow says that you were one of his favorite players as he was growing up loved watching you play offense as well What do you think of his game and? Especially for somebody who's just in the second year. Yeah, I think that's probably the thing that's most impressive You know coming back off the injuries obviously, you know, it worked extremely hard You know just got a really good feel for for making all the throws very elusive, you know in the pocket I would say good place play strength you take care it takes care of the football You know they do a lot with him he's operating there from the line of scrimmage. Sometimes he's getting him into the right call You know it's gonna be a huge challenge Been through this year and now you got guys coming back How much has that kind of built? Trustworthy depth that you won't be able to put a guy in To a big game like this that maybe you didn't know about two months ago Well, I'm I think we've had You know the number of people that we've had to play is kind of is what it is and so I Think that helps you build competition, you know and also like you mentioned it builds depth Everybody you know has to be ready to play and I hope that we've tried to Pound home that message with them so that they understand that you know things could happen all the way up until game time And then obviously the 48 players that we take to the game Are gonna have multiple roles some guys may have to go in there and and play another position So I think that that has been you know Positive that guys have been able to go in there and and they help us win DJ reader in fact He said that you were one of those coaches that he will run through a wall through when you walk up for When you it'd be a big wall When you watch him just in how that run defense revolves around and why is he so critical to well I mean, I I've always you know had a really good relationship with with DJ He really understands technique pad level Being able to sink his hips and and whether he's playing the zero technique a three a shade You know, he really understands how to play all those different techniques and You know, I think that he embraces his role as a very elite run defender and it'll be critical for you know for us to You know to be able to try to to neutralize him and try to run the ball Robert a house date and if that is true if I do remember that correctly We remember by him then and we think about the success he's had. Yeah, I mean it was a was a late bloomer played lacrosse You know, we started recruiting them, you know, I think late, you know, like a lot of people big athletic smart, you know instinctive and I think he's really Continue to grow and develop, you know as a football player and so you saw that Ohio State You're seeing that now he he rushes and they drop them That's balls down at the line of scrimmage Very productive player and you know athletic very good size Yeah, I mean, I think just the how critical each and every play is our focus and each and every play That we're involved in every play and that You know just trying to reference You know The game that the the the Bengals had last week the Raiders were you know, we're second in one Had a false start made it second and six made it You know or second and ten false start and second and 15 made it third and seven and then ends up with a strip sack so That led to a touchdown and just how critical each Penalty is each decision that we make each punt that we go to catch and and everything just the focus that we have to have on each and every play Just going back and looking at last year's game with the big oh god, there's enough to make you puke. I mean we could watch it But it wasn't very good, I mean we just You know went to be better in all three phases and but I think you look at it I mean you have to watch conceptually. I think it's You know, there's some similarities, you know things that will have to do much much better Defensively here since then do you feel like that's more personnel or scheme? Well, I mean I think scheme sometimes gets overrated. I think I've been through this before The beautiful thing about coaching is that there's gonna be a bunch of different schemes a Bunch of different ways to run the football throw it coverage pressure And what the job is of a coach is to get the players to believe in in the scheme that that you have and and try to Put guys in the right spots, but at the end of the day You know it comes down to the players going out and execute So that'll always be the answer is that whatever success we have here We'll always come back to the to the players It's some weeks just about want to see certain things out of Derek along the way I'd be like what you've seen from him And would you say thanks for trending that you'll have you'll have him be available or is that well? We'll be in pads today. I think that's a good step. We'll have to have some contact. It's it's been a while You know since he's had you know contact, you know, we're gonna have to do these things that Will come close to replicating What's gonna be asked of him in a football game, so? You know again, we will Have a week of work and we'll see how he feels and to make a decision Responded from the previous work that that you've given him Well fine You have to keep an eye out maybe early in the game for guys who are a little too amped up and and try to Yeah, we talked about that today just being ready at 330, you know trying to build some momentum here with some really good practices and preparation and And not being You know over that line Before the game, you know trying to use everything that we have mentally and physically at 330 I don't I don't I think playing good football You know, I think that we've got some guys that have played in playoff games and and won playoff games and What it really comes down to is is executing and being able to maintain focus Throughout the game, you know, I think that in that game last week that they had came down to a goal line stand They really stayed focused look like the the Bengals played each and every play And then we're able to finish finish the game off So, you know, I think that experience is great, but at the end of the day, we're gonna have to just really execute Focus and and and not do things that that hurt us I think that there's just motivation to to prepare and win and You know, if somehow last year, you know, I it's hard to remember what we did last week for me As opposed to what we did last year. So, you know, we'll have to Understand how how critical Getting off to a good start is making adjustments Converting, you know being good and special teams and Just everything that comes down to winning football games in January You've talked a lot about how valuable Brian has been this season but considering, you know The fact that Derrick Smith's nine games AJ and Julio been in and out of the lineup Is maybe the win total for him? Maybe the biggest Indicator of his production. I hope that's the best indicator for all of us And I think that's the only reason that while we're here and you know, Ryan's had to do things to help us win and You know, he's he's done that You know, we're gonna need everybody's best effort this week What are some of the things that he's done of late that's made him I guess less Likely to turn the ball over. He's you know, he went through that little stretch where he had protection issues And he had put the ball in harm's way a few times, but he's really cut back on that the last three full games You know, I think it's just been a group effort, you know, it's probably been a group effort clean pockets You know good routes lead to you know production in the passing game Making good decisions, you know reserving the right to punt on third down, you know, all those things Lead to decreased turnovers Are there any challenges for the receivers or somebody like that with a game that starts in sunlight and ends After the Sun has gone down along the way You know, sometimes they turn the lights on earlier, right, I'm sure the lights will probably be on close to the time that we kick off I you know, I don't really know we ask them to go out and Try to figure out, you know, what the field conditions are what the weather looks like what the wind looks like Sun, I mean we've had that, you know, sometimes earlier in the season when you may be catching a punt or going in a certain direction You know, sometimes in an open Dome to stadium, you know the light changes. I'm not really sure Well, Tori's been physical for us, he's played on special teams You know, so we'll evaluate how he's doing this week and you know see where he goes Well, just you know, big athletic fast great body control good after to catch strong hands You know just very talented Back to high school when when somebody has that kind of familiarity can it help I hope so That's it. That's all I got I hope