 Mike, when you've got a rookie quarterback who has a pick six, a fumble in the fourth quarter, shakes it off and helps drive you to two touchdowns to win a game on the road, prime time. What does that say about Will? Well, I really appreciate his level of competitiveness. We've seen that through the college process and the evaluation and his opportunities here and whether it's going after the fumble in Indianapolis or scrambling and appreciate the level of competitiveness and just realizing that those things that happen that maybe are negative aren't going to have any impact going forward. What's the situation require? What's the call? Where am I going with my read and my progression on this particular play? So being able to process that and move ahead is critical. How contagious is his energy and fire and how important is it to maybe have that from that position, especially with the team where your team is? Well, I think the energy and fire is critical throughout the roster and the staff and the organization and just being able to do that. I think that leadership from the quarterback position is always going to be important. It's always going to be critical, their ability to rally and inspire a football team. Obviously, it's a critical position. So I think he'll continue to do that in his own particular way. How do you think the physicality of playing with early maybe helped set the tone for last night? There was a lot of great individual efforts that probably go unnoticed, a defense that's sitting on the sidelines that probably isn't planning on going out for an extra point. On the pick six, we've got guys that are battling to try to block an extra point, whether it's Niko or Weave or Arden, I think set the tone and then ultimately blocking the next field goal. Then Niko or K-Von and sprinting 40 yards and tackle the running back on the two-yard line in the red zone, which then forced them to run another snap, which they fumbled and we recovered. Then Niko at the end of the game coming out of the stack and tackling Oshane there on the side, which kept them in bounds and kept the clock running. Those things probably go unnoticed, and there's a lot of other ones as well. But those are the ones that stick out in my mind. So you have to play this game with a demeanor, with an attitude, with a willingness to play as hard as you possibly can and not think about, well, can I make the player? Can I get there? You're going with the intent to get there. Going into that game, it's something that you wanted to do as far as getting Taje involved in the passing game. Was that just something that just kind of went off? Well, I think we try to get Taje the ball, try to get Derek the ball, try to get Hop the ball, try to get trailing and jig. I mean, it's just sometimes the way that the game goes. And we try to get him there, the ball backed up, and that didn't go very well. Like some of the match-ups, I thought that the catch on third down was huge, didn't convert. But when Taje caught it, Fumbler got out of bounds. But the screen there, at the end, was a big play to be able to go back to that and hit a screen to Taje. So again, he's helped us trying to get some conversions. And you saw that Will got it out of his hand and got it to Taje. And he cut up and got it first down. And sometimes you have to do that and let players make a play as opposed to throwing it past the sticks and just saying, let's get the ball out of our hands and get it to a playmaker and see if they can tackle them. All rookie running backs and yards from scrimmage, this usage, is that kind of what you envisioned when you got selected them? Yeah, I mean, I think so. I don't think having them be able to go in there and training camp and protect, I think, was the first thing to have to be comfortable with that. There you go. That's OK. Feliz Navidad. Spirit. No, you didn't. But I think you start there so that you don't always have to, you can't free release him every time he's in there. That doesn't work right there. I have to stand in there and protect. And he showed that. I think he's worked hard at understanding route craft and getting open and being able to, you know, he's done a nice job catching the football. So I mean, I think that the role that he's in now is kind of what we had envisioned. And that sometimes expands based on the game and where we're at. How good was it to see the way Harold played last night, especially in the fourth quarter, three sacks? Yeah, I thought that those guys competed. They battled, did some good things down in the red zone when we needed to, and we played a little bit of base. And his ability to transition from an end to an outside linebacker and his versatility and had ran into a really nice stunt there where he went inside, picked and drove and got the sack and was very active. And, you know, that was, you know, we need our best players to play good in order for us to win. How critical was your open field tackling, especially in the secondary last night? Well, I think it could have been better. I think that they've got some guys that are pretty fast. And I think we rallied and guys ran to the football so the misses weren't probably as glaring. You know, we fit up a couple of those runs just like we wanted to. You know, they just kind of got the corner to us, and, you know, that probably led to a few double-digit drives. But I think all in all that they tackled, we contained them, you know, the longest game. I think it was probably 25 yards at a handful of 15-yarders, but, you know, didn't have the top-off ones. As far as the team overall, I mean, playoff status probably doesn't change too much, but what's most gained, do you think, in terms of the long run for the team? What do you pick up most from a game like that? Well, I think just that it can go in different directions. You know, it starts out one way and things aren't going great for you. You stick around, you make it close. You finish the half-off real positive with a stop and, you know, a field goal there to end the half and, you know, playing the type of game that you want and then mistakes happen and you don't, you know, shut it down. You find ways to get stops and, you know, the defense allowed us to do that, you know, to be able to get those guys stopped in three plays and have our timeouts and, you know, then get another stop again at the end when, you know, they need the field goal. So I would say very complimentary in all three phases, but then, you know, we are all, you know, everybody was able to overcome, you know, whatever mistakes that the other units made and that's what a team's about and I appreciate that about them. So I will say, Sean Murphy Bunny, one of those guys, it seemed like he dealt with some adversity and responded well two at a time, too. How'd you assess, maybe? Yeah, that's it. I mean, I think that's the mentality that you have to have, especially playing corner, you know, they throw it on you, they catch it, you come back and, you know, challenge and line up again and play and, you know, that was, that was what he did. And so, you know, you have to, you know, that's the only thing that you can focus on is moving forward and, you know, how you're going to respond and by playing the corner in this league, they're, you know, they're going to throw the ball and if you get it caught on you, you just have to come back and keep working and keep challenging and have that resolved to finally make a play. Will's running, obviously, adds a nice dimension, but I believe last week after the helicopter, you talked about him being careful and then he was throwing his shoulder around a couple of different occasions yesterday. How do you kind of use that element at the temper of the injury risk? I don't know. I think we're still trying to work on that. We showed him examples of quarterbacks sliding and using the rules to their advantage. I guess we'll have to show them examples of quarterbacks not sliding and getting knocked out of them. So we're going to try them out the other way this week. Did you point to all the quarterbacks who are out? I mean, like, half the league is down at this point. I mean, just, he knows it and we all know it. We'll have to keep working on it, keep reminding them. But. When you guys really shoot yourself in the foot twice there at the end of the game, suddenly the odds are really stacked against you. What was the message on the sideline and maybe what does it say about the resolve of your team that they stayed in it and then ultimately won the game? Yeah, I think to the leadership that we have out there, the guys that just go and play the next snap and say, hey, we're gonna need two scores so we better get this first one quick and they did. We hit a couple of plays and yeah, I felt like they were just excited about being in that football game. And the whole plan was obviously to put them in a game and find a way to win it late and we did that for the most part and then had to kind of go off script there a little bit and which was great to see us be able to move the ball quickly in a no huddle situation and then get the two point conversion and then get the stop on defense and go back down and score. So those are all the situations that we cover. Those are the things that we talk about. We're able to keep our timeouts which really gives you an advantage when you can get them stopped there and use your timeouts and use the clock. Over the last couple of years, a lot of times how this team is not really suited for the big drop back game but then when you had to have it in the fourth quarter last night, it was there and you were able to use it and be successful. How much of it is that a sign of growth? Yeah, well, I think that we've always done, we've been capable in those two minute situations and when I talk about drop back, I mean, you can look and study even the Miami Dolphins when you look at their first and second down passing, it's not a drop back passing game, right? It's play action, there's just play passes and they do a nice job. It's not like five guys are out on the route and that's, you know, I guess sometimes that when you go to that mode, it makes it difficult. So I think that we were able to marry, you know, even on the big one to hop, we were able to kind of chip our way out and get some layers and get some levels. So I think that's the balance of, you know, being able to move the football down the field but also, you know, be able to protect and help protect the quarterback and the offensive line when, you know, those, you know, there's good front there, their active front, you know, good rushers. And so, you know, there's a good balance there. I'd be like, you're near punter, dude. Yeah, I thought Ty was great. You know, did a nice job with his hang time, with his location, operated with the snap and, you know, seemed confident and, you know, really liked being around him. And, you know, he was excited to be a part of the victory. That was a good run, completely healthy last night. Or just coached a decision. You know, he's been, yeah, I meant, you know, Brunny's been, you know, but Brunny battles and competes and, you know, just late in the season and trying to, you know, trying to get some, you know, a bigger body in there and just try to rotate through with Calvin and, you know, help him out there. And Brunny was back in there late, had a huge block on the screen and did some nice things. So, you know, just kind of where we're at trying to want to take a look at Calvin and communicated that with Brunny there, you know, during the week. How'd Calvin do? Oh, he was good. I mean, he had some good plays and, you know, again, had some plays we'd like to have back with everybody, especially, you know, just working some combinations in a run game and needing to be better there. Brunny, how do these continue to be an issue with some repeat offenders at this point? What's the disconnect there? Like, what has to happen to clean that? I don't know. I'm not, I don't jump offside. So when you have an opportunity to ask the players, you could ask them where the disconnect is with the music, the crowd noise, the cadence that we use at practice. But I don't, you know, I don't, I jumped offside plenty when I was playing. So I don't know, I'm with you. You know what I mean? It's like, it's frustrating to see whether they're locked in and, you know, and there's Simon or a pass rush. And we went through the week where it was the third down escapade. And, you know, we just, not to, you know, it's just, I guess, just frustrating that those are mistakes that, you know, we can't make and overcome second and 15 or first and 15. Even though he shouldn't have been in the area, did, when you watch the film, was there any interference with Gehrer as he was trying to feel the punt there? Did you see it? Yeah. You know, just need to get some clarification on the, you know, being able to grab the guy's arm or play through the returner, you know, once the ball hits. So again, in traffic, that's still not a decision, you know, that we want to make. There's times where, you know, you get a favorable hop in the middle of the field. And, you know, there's no, you know, we're not in traffic. And again, we've seen those where, you know, you square it up and, you know, you get a good bounce and you can take it, you know, coming over there from the side and not being, that just not a favorable look for us to want to field that punt off the bounce there. And those are times where you could see the players or returners take the bounce and get some yards. That would be a situation where we would not want to do that. I'm going to quickly get that going and get over that hop. I mean, I would assume as the losses pile up, it becomes a mental hurdle for something. You know, we weren't really talking about that. It was more about what we needed to do. You know, I mean, it wasn't well. We haven't won on the road. It was like, you know, there's a lot of reasons why you don't win and all the mistakes and, you know, those are still there. Unfortunately, we made it harder on ourselves and what it had to be. But we made more plays in the end when we had to in the critical situations. I think it's the first time you square over 16 points on the road in like a calendar year. I mean, despite the mistakes, that's still big growth for your team. Sure. Yeah. I mean, being able to go down there and score in a red zone and our ability to force the number one offense in a red zone to kick field goals was the factor in the game, even all the mistakes that we had. When you get down to, you know, looking at why we won, we forced the best red zone team in the league to kick field goals. I noticed that Jeffery made the trip and kind of stayed as kind of a hype man in warm ups. Is that something he wanted to do for... Yeah, that was something that he wanted to do. And I'm, you know, trying to recognize his role and his leadership and being willing to be in it on the sidelines and be engaged in support in any way that he can while he's out. In the faith, when a team does something that's not been done in forever with those winning in the three minutes down 14 in regulation, is there a jarring feeling like, whoa, we can do... I think you probably need, you know, I mean, you talk about confidence. Like, you know, we go through this all the time when we ask, well, are they confident? Well, if you can go out and you do it, that's how you build confidence. And whether that's in practice or most importantly, the games, you have to be able to see those things and have small victories. And, you know, so for our football team, I think that that's a huge opportunity to see us compete, to find ways to win the game and is opposed to finding ways to lose it. Trying to eliminate some of the bad football still, that the things that are going to get you beat, but they stuck around and we were the ones that made the plays in a critical situation. Alone in line is the confidence. Tigger Calcwell, you know, talking to him, a lot of the work he's put in after practice, you know, he feels like that's giving him confidence from your perspective, especially after seeing what he did last night, how do you respond to that? Or how do you, do you think that's the case? Yeah, I mean, again, he's the one that puts the work in and, you know, Tony works extremely hard with that group. And, you know, we ask Chig sometimes to chip, but we also try to find him the football down the field. I thought the screen was well designed. I thought it was well blocked. I thought he did a nice job, you know, versed the press to be able to push him off, come back. I thought Dylan did a nice job and we got to keep finding ways to get Chig the football, you know, had a contested catch there that caught in traffic, got hit, picked up another first down and, you know, late in the game. So, you know, the more that he can help us, you know, the better. Aside from the plays DeAndre makes on the field, how big of an impact has he made, maybe on Will, maybe in players around him and that? Well, I think that that would be best, you know, discussed with Will, but I know that, you know, having a guy that you feel like you can go to when you have to have it probably is a good feeling. And Hop's done that, he's come up big. He's got a good feel of where to be on certain routes and his timing and his ability to make plays on the sideline. You know, very sure handed and, you know, so I think he's helped us in a lot of regards, but I think that Will may be able to express that better than I can in what he means to the quarterback. With respect to knowing how explosive that offense is, does that change a lot of the things, and the keys that you have to focus in on going against, you know, guys like Watto? Yeah, I mean, we don't want to sit there and, you know, be pressed and, you know, know that the ball's going to go over your head or going to go, you know, that's where it's going. Try to defend from the top of the numbers to the top of the numbers. Did that sometimes, didn't sometimes they, you know, transition and threw a few balls outside, which that's what they were going to, you know, said that they do that, then, you know, give them credit and we'll go from there, but we know what it was going to look like if they were able to hit the first read inside. And, you know, make them drive it, and then find ways to get the drive stop was ultimately what we kept preaching to everybody on defense the entire week, whether that was on third down, which we did, fourth down there at the end, and then the few times in the red zone. So I think they embraced that and really executed that well. First shot at that long pass in completion. Or I guess I should say, did you think that he might have been able to pull that in? I mean, every time I think the attitude is every time that the ball is in the air, we got to expect that it's ours. So whether it's that one or another play to DeAndre or another pass, like, you know, that's the mentality that we have to take is that, you know, we have to go make a play on the football until we don't. So, you know, we'll keep, you know, working those and trying to hit them and help us, you know, gain momentum in critical field position, you know, down the field. Why is it so hard to get him going? You know, there's a lot of factors. I think just where the football goes and, you know, we try to throw him the screen out there early in the game and, you know, they defended it. We didn't block it particularly well and threw a shot to him, you know. So he's running hard and working and, you know, the ball went somewhere else. Hopkins, what, in your opinion, what about his skill set makes him so unique and effective? I mean, I think he's got great body control. I think he's got, you know, Hop's got a good understanding of the game and just, you know, a feel for setting things up and attacking leverage and being patient when he needs to be patient, you know, coming out of breaks when he needs to come out with a certain pace and, you know, he's seen all different coverages. He's seen everything and, you know, whether that's the ability to come back on the back shoulder or, you know, find holes or seams in the defense. Maybe your challenge to players, I guess, might come off an emotional win on a short week to kind of forget about it and now focus on Houston. Yeah, focus on winning at home in the division and, you know, every week is a new challenge and, you know, they went on the road and didn't have their best performance. I'm sure they'll be ready for us like they always are and we're going to have to, you know, get healthy, we'll have to get prepared and, you know, build towards Sunday. Would the time have things pre-buttoned up on special teams? Will you, I don't think you gave up much at all in the return game? Yeah, I think we can always cover kickoffs better. I thought we punted well. I thought Colton Dow continues to really factor on the punt game beat the double vice a few times and we're able to call some fair catches and, you know, a guy like Roger McRary that's chasing receivers around and goes out there and plays on a punt return. You know, those are guys that, you know, you need more guys like that. Thanks, guys.