What are your thoughts about the Steelers going into this week?
The Steelers are going to be a very tough opponent. They won this division last year for a reason. They are the ones to beat in the AFC North so if we want to win this division we know it'll have to be through Pittsburgh. These rivalry games are always hard fought, so we will come ready to fight. Starting off the season with 2 division games in a row is challenging but it's also a great test. And an amazing opportunity to build momentum going into the season if you can win and steal some tie breakers down the road.
Can you summarize what it was like playing against the Bengals last week?
It was a mind game for sure. I feel like we were playing chess on the sidelines across the field from each other. Coach Goose had his team ready to play and they stayed fighting despite going down by 3 scores early. At one point the bengals rallied off 17 unanswered points to get back in the game and kept us having to dial things up and make adjustments. I know the next time we play them we will have to continue to bring out fresh plays and new wrinkles because he is a smart coach and you can't expect to have a lot of success doing the same thing over and over.
Can you talk about what it’s like to prepare to go against a player like Minkah Fitzpatrick?
You really have to know where Minkah is on the field at all times. He is a ball hawk and is a guy who likes to take chances when he sees something. Our OC will have his work cut out for him trying to dial up plays to go away from Minkah because he just has a knack for always being around the football. A key to winning this game is going to be avoiding turnovers, so we can't give anything away to their defensive leader.
