 How do you have a couple days removed? What did you learn? What did you take from it? Yeah, obviously, there was a lot to learn and experience was the biggest thing for me, getting out there, seeing the speed of the game, getting the communication going. And then also the patience, along with this great line that I have, it gives me the time to be able to sit there and trust them and let things develop. Where I thought that you look back on film where I dropped back in the pocket, and sometimes I would start hitching up and getting antsy to get rid of the ball, when in reality, I probably had a little bit more time back there to take a second and let the picture develop. So that'll be something that I continue to work on. But like I said, just the experience of being out there was big enough of an experience and learning experience that you have. You just mentioned, obviously, maybe a little bit more paying attention. But was that the thing you sensed in the first half? Were you trusting things enough? Yeah, I would say I still trusted it. But I mean, it all comes down to feel. Everything goes down to do something for the first time, whether you're using a camera stand on a ladder. You're going to be a little hesitant at it at first. So whatever you've got to do to be able to feel comfortable and however that may come, you have to do. Coach Rogon has been in basically the same situation you were in. How has he used his experience to help you navigate all this? Yeah, I know like you guys said, Coach TJ was kind of in the same situation. So I've talked to both of those guys a lot since the time I've been here. Like Coach Rogon said, Coach Rog says all the time, he wants to give us all the tips and tricks and tools that got him out of the league to keep us in the league. So whether that's from your drop, your preparation, your film work, whatever it may be, those are the things that we take into consideration. Obviously, we're going into preparation and everything that we do to help us better ourselves. Is there anything that he's told you from his experience that's really resonated with you? Yeah, other than just grow out there and play, don't run slow. I know he was a little slower on the running side. So just be faster than him. But no, just go out there and play ball, play your game. Don't ever try to be someone you're not or something you're not, which is what he harps on us all the time, especially right there around game day. Just go out there and let it fly. Do you appreciate that he's willing to sort of open that vein out to help you guys? Because that can't be easy necessarily for him to relive that. No, definitely for sure. For some people, sometimes their time in the league, unfortunately, has cut short. And sometimes they do come back into coaching in. For some people, they might not like the league. And in some people, they want to help others. So to have a guy like Coach Rags and TJ to help us understand of what they did wrong and where they went wrong in their career to help us stay in it, I can be all but thankful for that. What was one thing maybe that surprised you about your first start? Just I don't know, was it the pace or something from that game that you just weren't expecting or different compared to college? I mean, there's not much different other than the speed of the game. And obviously, things happen a lot faster. At the end of the day, you put the football down. It's still a pig skin. It's still leather. It's still 11 on 11. Schemes might be a little different. People might be a little bigger, faster, taller, stronger. But at the end of the day, it's just football. And just going out there and play. Like I talked about earlier in the week. As long as you're prepared and whatever you're doing, I think you're going to be good. You mentioned the comfortability that you were trying to find. Did having the run game really help you kind of going forward? Yeah, I think you guys asked me that question last week. Just having a good run game, help a rookie quarterback and staying comfortable. And of course, and I think with whether you're a rookie quarterback or any quarterback, getting in the rhythm and getting in the flow and not even for the quarterback, for the whole offense and team is crucial for us. And so staying in the flow, staying in the rhythm, whether that's helping with the run game, whether that's putting in a screen, a shot doesn't matter. Just keeping the ball moving forward. Some coach aren't not talking about all the time. It's just no matter what the play is, just try to keep moving forward. Just get up on the ball and move forward. See, and Tyler have the game he had. I mean, that's one of your rookie class mates. What was that like for you to watch him do that? Yeah, it was good. That's one of my buddies since we came in. We've grown real tight to each other. I just kind of ran a little far off to the nowhere when he scored on his first one. I was like, Ty, where are you going? Let's celebrate. Because that was my first time. I'd seen anyone in the end zone on the field. I was trying to celebrate with them. So what would you say that really is the key to maybe getting that score? Yeah, that's just being comfortable and trusting what you see. You know, the shots and everything is going to come when it's there and everything. But just being comfortable within the pocket, trusting that those guys are going to give you enough time to let the play develop and that those guys on the back are going to win their routes, win their matchups and go to work. Did you feel different in the pocket? Because coachmen talk about in college, maybe, that the pockets are kind of a little bit cleaner just because the guys are really able to hold the guys. Whereas in the NFL, there's some guy coming at you at some point, no matter what. Do you feel a difference? You know, sometimes it might be a little vice versa. I didn't have a respect for my Olaan back in Cincinnati. I love all them boys from all my years. But I definitely didn't have an Alabama Olaan in Cincinnati. So while I said that, I think I might have sped up a little bit more in this game and wanted to get to the next read and wanted to get to the hitch up was because I felt like in the past couple of years I've been whether it's like one read, one A, and then you're out. Where now, like I said, I have a great Olaan who's able to be back there and give me enough time to where I can just be comfortable and let things develop and let things play out. What are some of the things you see when you're looking at the Reds and his defense? Yeah, they're big up front, big and long up front. And they rotate in the linebackers pretty well. And then their DBs are long and lengthy and like to stick on guys. So we just really have to go out there and play our game and just play Smash Mouth football. How does Real Clown play up for the middle linebacker? Yeah, good. Like I said, he's a long, lanky player. Likes to fill the gaps, shoot through the A gaps. I know our guys up front are going to have a good time with them. And then when our backs get matched up on them, I like our backs over anyone. So I'm excited to get out there and play on Saturday. And obviously, it's the second game. So second team I could see laugh. Do you duck your head down for like a half second? Like, do you know you do that? You're talking like right before when we're in the huddle? No, like when you drop back, it looks like when you were like, when you're like, I think it was when you got through the forgot you like, what? Yeah, when I go through my progression. So when we're out here in these, whether it's a walkthrough or jog through days, just going through my progressions in. And I'm not going to say I started in fall camp, but it's just to let myself know. And then ultimately, to let the coaches know that, boom, this is where I'm going to go with the ball. OK, boom, I'm a progress, progress, progress, boom, that's going with the ball. So that's just kind of in my head how I work through my progressions when we do have a progression read. And just let them know that those guys see it too. Because all those guys in there, whether they're offense or defense, they make fun of me for it. Because I've done it since the day I got here. So they'll make fun of me, but I just keep continuing to do it just to help with my mental reads. So that's just a practicing period. Yeah, it's just a practice. It's just like no different than if I were going to throw it and practice, instead of me throwing it, I'm just letting them know it's coming. You mentioned the time and the pen adjustment for you this week. Do you feel like it's going to be a natural progression to be in those situations a little bit better just because now you're like, OK, now I kind of know what I'm facing in a game situation? Yeah, I mean, obviously, nothing's going to be natural and everything's got to come with reps and practice and all. And then again, we're playing a different team. It could be obviously completely different up front, three, four front, and completely different players. So they could be way better than the same. It doesn't matter how it is. You're getting new people every single week, so you kind of just have to adjust on the fly. But just in the back of your head, hey, just be comfortable back here. You don't have to rush. Those guys got you. Just play your game. They're going to play their game, and everything's going to be good. Did you have any bad weather games at Cincinnati? What could be the circumstances? Yeah, there were a couple of bad weather games. I think the worst one was Temple in 2019, I want to say, which was about 32 sleeting. No, the weather's supposed to be cold for this week. But the day you can, that's what we can't control. And what we want to do is just control what we can control. Were you just a player that wants to fix everything this week, or did you kind of pick one or two things that you really try to focus on and fix? Yeah, if you try to fix a lot of things, you're going to fix a little. If you try to fix a little things, you're going to fix a lot. So that's one thing just holding on. Like I said, the main things for me were just being comfortable in that pocket, just going out there and just being comfortable and making the plays when plays are there for me. What are your conversations with Coach Rags like on the sidelines? What would they like? Is he coming to you and say, I see this and this? Or are you going to him and asking questions? How does that? A little bit of both. And that's what last week was, it was a test trial. That was the first time since preseason that we had been in conversation with each other on the bench. Other than that, it was him and Marcus. And him and Marcus had one way of doing it. And then we have another. And it might not be too much different than what him and Marcus did. But all it is is just going over, looking at the pitch you see on what we see. Just making sure we're on the same page that if anything pops back up again later in the game, that we're ready for it. Did you hear from him at all? From Marcus? Yeah. Yeah. He just told me, he told me good luck on the game before and everything, best wishes and then after. Just keep slinging it. Obviously it wasn't the result that we wanted to have as a team. But he knew it was my first start, obviously. But like I said at the beginning when I first got here, Marcus is like a big bro to me and that's how he's kept it. Any texture would you call you? He'd text me. Drake told me that you guys have a secret Santa thing going on between the rooms. And then the receiver room, the minimum is like $500. Do you guys have that going on the quarterback room? And what's kind of, well, I guess there's like two of them. Yeah. It's not a secret. Yeah. No, it won't be so much of a secret. I know Rags and London are pressing hard for some gifts. Me and Marcus obviously didn't really talk about it. And then me and Logan haven't talked about them much. But we got to take care of the big guys up front. And then apparently Coach London and Coach Rags won't want something on top too. So we'll obviously see what we can do for them. Wait, so all right. This would not have fallen on you two weeks ago, potentially. No, I was still barren on the line, so yeah. The leader I am and the quarterback, I was just going to go ahead and get them all stuff. So does it change the gift now that you're the starting quarterback? Oh, no, no. It doesn't change the gift there, because the bank account can't change from two weeks to go to now. So it's going to stay the same for a little while. So what kind of gift there? Are you like a practical one? Are you a flashy one? I try to think about what they would want and what they would kind of like and not just be like, oh, thank you. And so hopefully, it's my first year. So hopefully, I'll get a couple OKs and a couple. Hey, thanks, Dad. And we'll keep it at that and chalk it up for next year. But we'll see. Is this your first Christmas as a dad? Or no, have you had a Christmas? Second Christmas, second Christmas, yeah. Is it special playing on Christmas Eve? Are you happy you get to come make it back? Oh, yeah, definitely happy I get to come home. My wife was like, do you want us to come to the game? And I was like, no, I want to wake up to you guys on Christmas when you can open presents, because they were at the game last week and I flew home and they didn't fly back to Monday. So I was at home all alone, didn't even have a dog. And it was a little weird for me. So that's not how I want to spend my Christmas morning. What was the dog? Dog sitter. You didn't pick up the dog on the way home? Sometimes you can't. Yeah, there's a tiny one. Don't care about it.