Speaker 1: Yeah, we had.
Speaker 2: Yeah, whoever lost the game matter where the other team's
Speaker 2: mascot helmet up here?
Speaker 1: So here we are question.
Speaker 2: As well though, Well uh that was now yeah he
Speaker 2: could he could say that was not part of the deal.
Speaker 1: So nice try George.
Speaker 3: Iowa state mascot helmet to give him you.
Speaker 2: I mean it was gonna be sent, yes, but we Yeah, no,
Speaker 2: that's not so.
Speaker 4: One play from last week, the second and eight play
Speaker 4: in the second quarter, you're right around midfield and you
Speaker 4: saw Mika coming off the edge and I don't know
Speaker 4: if you surprised him, but you kind of spun away
Speaker 4: from it. You found deebo. What was your recollection on
Speaker 4: that play? And did you fool him with with your
Speaker 4: eyes because he did not react till the very last
Speaker 4: second you spun out.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I was just trying to go through
Speaker 2: the progression of the play, see the defense, and then
Speaker 2: he came off, you know, the edge pretty hot and
Speaker 2: so sort of like a last minute thing. I was
Speaker 2: just trying to get out and make a play. I
Speaker 2: feel like, you know, the momentum he had coming at
Speaker 2: me and stuff for me to just spin out of it.
Speaker 2: It was tough for him to make that kind of play.
Speaker 2: So and then obviously Debo hit him on the scramble drill.
Speaker 2: So it was a good play.
Speaker 1: On the fourth and one early.
Speaker 2: I know, maybe that's not your role to campaign to
Speaker 2: go for Was there any conversation like Kyle deciding to
Speaker 2: go for.
Speaker 1: It or was it right away? And then what was
Speaker 1: your thought process when you knew you were going for No, Yeah,
Speaker 1: it was right away, you know.
Speaker 2: He immediately started saying, you know, the personnel for the
Speaker 2: next play, and I was all for it. And then
Speaker 2: I think all of us were. You know, we wanted
Speaker 2: to you know obviously, you know, maintain the momentum, get
Speaker 2: the first down and try to score after our defense
Speaker 2: had just got a three and out to start the game.
Speaker 2: So once we had heard that, you know, we're gonna
Speaker 2: go for it, we were all all about it.
Speaker 4: It seemed where that as long as you've been in
Speaker 4: the quarterback now that you haven't faced the Ramps.
Speaker 2: Yeah, in a sense, yeah, just uh, you know, the
Speaker 2: game planning, you know, last year the two games that
Speaker 2: we game plan form and then not playing and either
Speaker 2: of them and then here's my third time doing it,
Speaker 2: So it feels like I have played against them but
Speaker 2: I haven't, so yeah, I'm excited to.
Speaker 3: It's this week been like as far as just preparing
Speaker 3: to face them for.
Speaker 2: The person, yeah, I mean, obviously you got Aaron Donald,
Speaker 2: you got the scheme that they've been doing for a
Speaker 2: while on defense, and and so really we've taken you know,
Speaker 2: things that we've done in the past and whatnot, and
Speaker 2: you know, building building off those kinds of things. And
Speaker 2: and really for me, it's just gonna be about going
Speaker 2: out there, seeing the defense, making sure we're in the
Speaker 2: right uh play formation, all that kind of stuff, and
Speaker 2: keep it simple and just play ball, play our ball.
Speaker 1: And yeah, that's about it.
Speaker 3: Third and eleven. You scrabbled for seventeen up by twenty
Speaker 3: three with like seven fifty to go? Was everywhere all
Speaker 3: the coaches okay with that? Were you okay with that
Speaker 3: now when you think back on it, or is there
Speaker 3: some point where you think, no, maybe not just this time.
Speaker 4: Of the game.
Speaker 2: Was that the the scramble for first down come up? Yeah? Yeah,
Speaker 2: they were all for it. You know, we move the
Speaker 2: chains and at that point, man, like we're still trying
Speaker 2: to you know, put up points on the board and
Speaker 2: stuff and keep a drive going.
Speaker 1: So you know, everyone was pumped up that we.
Speaker 2: Were able to get a first down on third and
Speaker 2: eleven and hopefully score after that. So it wasn't something like,
Speaker 2: you know, don't scramble makes check it down. It's not
Speaker 2: like that, like here, we want to win and we're
Speaker 2: gonna do what it takes and hopefully, you know, when
Speaker 2: I'm in the right situation, I'll do what it takes.
Speaker 1: And so yeah, there's nothing more than that.
Speaker 4: I'll say yesterday that running ability in college doesn't always
Speaker 4: translate to the NFL. It's hard to predict sometimes. How
Speaker 4: how have you sort of experienced that? I mean, is
Speaker 4: it has it been easier to gain these yards.
Speaker 3: Than you might have expected to?
Speaker 4: I mean, how have you seen that transition?
Speaker 2: I feel like in the right you know, circumstances, situation,
Speaker 2: you know, you can pick up some yards in the
Speaker 2: NFL and stuff. I think in college, you know, something
Speaker 2: broke down. I feel like we saw more busted coverages
Speaker 2: and whatnot. So it's like, man, I can you know,
Speaker 2: pick up a bunch of yards here with my legs here?
Speaker 1: Obviously everyone is extremely.
Speaker 2: Fast, doesn't matter if they're the nose tackle or three
Speaker 2: tech like they're gonna be fast, They're gonna be explosive.
Speaker 2: And so for me, like I'm not always thinking run, run, run,
Speaker 2: it's you know, how can I dish it off to
Speaker 2: my playmakers for them to go get the yards? But
Speaker 2: in the right you know situation, if I see some
Speaker 2: green grass, okay, let's go.
Speaker 1: And I feel like.
Speaker 2: As I've played more and more, we've gotten a little
Speaker 2: bit better of a feel of it. I feel like
Speaker 2: at first I was a little tentative to you know,
Speaker 2: scramble and whatnot. But as I've played, it's all right,
Speaker 2: you know, the defense gives me ten yards.
Speaker 4: I'll say it what you were thinking last year when
Speaker 4: you guys went to Sofi and Christian had his first
Speaker 4: full week with the team and he you know, threw.
Speaker 5: A touchdown cop line and ran for one.
Speaker 4: Just kind of what you thought of that added element
Speaker 4: that was coming to the team.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that was the second week with us, right, Yeah,
Speaker 2: So I remember the first week, you know with Kansas City.
Speaker 2: It's like, man, I was excited, just like, how we're
Speaker 2: gonna use Christian McCaffrey in our offense.
Speaker 1: You know, what are we gonna do?
Speaker 2: And so we had certain plays that he was able
Speaker 2: to come in halfway through the week and play. But
Speaker 2: then once he had a full week under his belt,
Speaker 2: you know, going into the Rams week and then you know,
Speaker 2: obviously his versatility to be able to use him like
Speaker 2: on the sideline.
Speaker 1: For myself, I was like, man, this is gonna be
Speaker 1: fun to watch. You know.
Speaker 2: I don't think anyone's really gonna expect what we're got
Speaker 2: to what we're about to do with him, and so
Speaker 2: we were all pumped about it. And then you know,
Speaker 2: when he actually performed and did what he did, we're like, man,
Speaker 2: this is gonna be fun, you know, having him in
Speaker 2: our offense now with everyone else.
Speaker 1: So it was exciting.
Speaker 3: Talked about it.
Speaker 4: This selflessness on this team.
Speaker 3: There's a bit of star power, you could say in
Speaker 3: the locker room. Do you think that that's unusual that
Speaker 3: everyone's just focused on the team and not on themselves.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it's rare.
Speaker 2: I think, you know, you have all this you know,
Speaker 2: stardom on a team and whatnot, and for everyone to
Speaker 2: just put the ego aside and be like, hey, we
Speaker 2: want to win, we want to win super Bowl, and
Speaker 2: we're gonna do what it takes. And that's I think
Speaker 2: what we all know is what it takes is to know,
Speaker 2: you know, put the ego aside. If I don't get
Speaker 2: all these yards and catches and touchdowns for one game,
Speaker 2: but our other guy does, like, hey, I did my
Speaker 2: part to help you know win, And that's what that's
Speaker 2: what we all care about here. And really the leaders,
Speaker 2: the guys that have been here for a while have
Speaker 2: set that standard. It's not like just certain guys, Like
Speaker 2: we've all learned from the older guys that have come
Speaker 2: before us. So the culture, the organization here is like
Speaker 2: that's the standard.
Speaker 1: The more success you have.
Speaker 5: The more you force people to re examine what makes
Speaker 5: it quarterback successful in the NFL and what traits are
Speaker 5: the most important.
Speaker 2: I mean, you know, it's a loaded question in a sense,
Speaker 2: like I think, you know, it comes down to obviously
Speaker 2: decision making, being able to make decisions quick, the right decision,
Speaker 2: and then obviously just being smart with the ball.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 2: I feel like if you can just do those things
Speaker 2: and do it, you know, the play callers asking of
Speaker 2: you and not doing too much, then I mean I
Speaker 2: think you can help put the team in a successful position.
Speaker 2: And so that's something that i've you know, just try
Speaker 2: to remind myself of and you know, not trying to
Speaker 2: do too much, not trying to be a superhero and
Speaker 2: do everything, but make the right decision every single play
Speaker 2: and do it consistently. And so, I mean, I don't
Speaker 2: necessarily know if that's something that people now are like
Speaker 2: asking themselves if they're you know, they're gonna go draft
Speaker 2: a quarterback in late.
Speaker 1: Rounds and whatnot.
Speaker 2: But that's sort of how I do it, and I
Speaker 2: guess it works.
Speaker 4: So for you to throw throw away a ball like
Speaker 4: and Kyle, I guess went over and talked.
Speaker 2: To maybe make that decision if that's not there, is
Speaker 2: it hard for you to to say, let's just check
Speaker 2: it out of the mount's here? Yeah, I mean I
Speaker 2: feel like, you know, growing up playing football that stuff,
Speaker 2: it's always been like, man, I can always have a chance,
Speaker 2: you know, in a play, even if it's not there.
Speaker 2: And so sometimes to be able to just surrender for
Speaker 2: a play, that's sort of tough, Like, man, I got
Speaker 2: to throw the ball away and lose second down to
Speaker 2: play third down now, So you know, sometimes there's certain
Speaker 2: situations where it's like, man, I feel like I can
Speaker 2: do more.
Speaker 1: But you know, that's what.
Speaker 2: We preach and that's what they believe, and I'm all
Speaker 2: for it. Like it's it's about playing smart with the
Speaker 2: ball and if we have to punt and give it
Speaker 2: back to our defense, like I'm all for it. You
Speaker 2: know that we got a great defense, So it's you know,
Speaker 2: picking and choosing your battles with that not even.
Speaker 5: Harder, just given the talent level of guys around you,
Speaker 5: knowing that if I can just get this ball to
Speaker 5: this guy in space, it's something big.
Speaker 3: Could happen here.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I feel like, I mean, we all know that,
Speaker 2: Like if I can get the ball to Christian deebo
Speaker 2: Ba George, you know, on a two yard pass, and
Speaker 2: then they can make something crazy happen. So I feel
Speaker 2: like it's definitely always in the back of my mind.
Speaker 2: But at the same time, it's like we're all human.
Speaker 2: They can get tackled or something crazy can happen if
Speaker 2: I do try to force it, So just throw it away.
Speaker 2: So yeah, some of them continuing to learn.
Speaker 3: Seventeen yard scramble. You down the w you give a
Speaker 3: first down signal, you have a big smile. Are you
Speaker 3: feeling at that time? And did your teammates enjoy enjoy
Speaker 3: that move.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I think at the moment, in the moment,
Speaker 2: it's like, man, I'm going through my progressions. I'm trying
Speaker 2: to you know, hit my guys first, and then I
Speaker 2: just felt like I saw green grass and then to
Speaker 2: be able to split two defenders and get a first
Speaker 2: down at that point in the game. You know, I'm
Speaker 2: just trying to, you know, bring some juice and energy
Speaker 2: to the guys, and I feel like they like, you know,
Speaker 2: seeing stuff like that, and it was real. You know,
Speaker 2: in the moment, I was I'm just I'm gonna do
Speaker 2: this because I see my receiver's doing it. So I
Speaker 2: had a little fun with it and you know, just
Speaker 2: trying to enjoy football.
Speaker 4: What was the redaction in the film room when you
Speaker 4: guys watched Ray Ray and I on the on the
Speaker 4: Christian touchdown. What we're guys saying, because I mean that
Speaker 4: was extraordinary.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that was awesome.
Speaker 2: I mean, at the first time we watched it, just
Speaker 2: everybody's you know, the sounds that they make, like Ba's
Speaker 2: block first, everyone going crazy about that, and then Ray
Speaker 2: Ray coming run around the corner. You can see Ray
Speaker 2: Ray starting to run and then everyone's like hyping him up.
Speaker 2: And when he made his block, everyone was going crazy.
Speaker 2: So yeah, that kind of stuff, man, that's what we're
Speaker 2: talking about, like about, you know, not having ego, being selfless,
Speaker 2: being able to make blocks like that, even though those
Speaker 2: are guys that catch ball, score touchdowns, all that kinds
Speaker 2: of stuff, but being willing to block in the run game,
Speaker 2: down the field. We all feed off it, and so
Speaker 2: we got to maintain it and continue that.
Speaker 5: That's full college quarterbacks so often or fast tracked to
Speaker 5: the pros, you weren't and now all that experiences look
Speaker 5: at as a tremendous asset. But when you came out
Speaker 5: of college, did NFL teams look at it, look at
Speaker 5: it as an asset or did they were they wondering
Speaker 5: like why weren't you able to leave college earlier?
Speaker 1: Yeah? I think a little bit of both.
Speaker 2: You know, some guys look at it like, man, you
Speaker 2: got a lot of experience, You got a lot of reps,
Speaker 2: different scenarios, all that kind of stuff, which is great
Speaker 2: and that's what they like. But at the same time, yeah,
Speaker 2: there was some doubt like, all right, if you are
Speaker 2: that good, why'd you you know, why'd you stay four years?
Speaker 2: You started your freshman year how would you not How
Speaker 2: were you not ready after your third year? You know,
Speaker 2: there's definitely some questions and stuff that they ask and
Speaker 2: they push, but again, like that's not up to me.
Speaker 2: You know, that's something that they do ask and I
Speaker 2: think that they look at but uh, you know, for me, I.
Speaker 1: Was able to get four good years in it.
Speaker 2: I always say it, and all those reps and stuff,
Speaker 2: I feel like, you know, add it up and help me,
Speaker 2: you know, for me to be ready when my opportunity
Speaker 2: was to come.
Speaker 3: I was talking about how much you enjoys the challenges,
Speaker 3: squeak of being Matt Stafford and you know, sort of
Speaker 3: simulating him for the defense and how important he thinks
Speaker 3: that is. Curiously, your reflection on how big that role
Speaker 3: was for you last year when you were the number
Speaker 3: two guy stimulating the other team, and how seriously did
Speaker 3: you take it?
Speaker 1: Oh? Yeah, it was huge. You know.
Speaker 2: I feel like obviously you guys see all the videos
Speaker 2: like the no look passes and looking off linebackers and stuff. Honestly,
Speaker 2: when you're like, you know, trying to replicate what an
Speaker 2: NFL quarterback, starting quarterback does, and you try to do
Speaker 2: that at practice, you sort of pick up on some
Speaker 2: stuff and then you sort of learn things and honestly
Speaker 2: add stuff to your toolbox.
Speaker 1: I feel like, so that was one thing.
Speaker 2: And then obviously being able to you know, selflessly, you know,
Speaker 2: sort of put your stuff aside and try to you know,
Speaker 2: emulate the other team. You know, for fred Dre like,
Speaker 2: that's what it was really about, you know, is giving
Speaker 2: those guys a real legit look. And so you know
Speaker 2: whenever we're you know, last year, when I was on
Speaker 2: the sideline seeing our defense kill it, I'm like, shoot,
Speaker 2: you know, maybe I had a little part of helping them,
Speaker 2: you know, do that, you know, have have a great
Speaker 2: week and whatnot. So it was huge for me and
Speaker 2: honestly it made me better to shoot. I mean last year, Nah,
Speaker 2: I don't want to compare myself to my homes, but yeah,
Speaker 2: I don't know, yeah close, yeah,