#ANOTHER WORD FOR EMBRACE FREE#

#ANOTHER WORD FOR EMBRACE FREE#

Over the offseason, the Bengals retooled their offensive line by adding right tackle La'el Collins, right guard Alex Cappa, and center Ted Karras in free agency. I think you're really comfortable with the unforeseen and the things that happen during the course of a football journey when you wear that experience. He's lived that life for a substantial amount of time, and boy there is value in that. The things that he does in a formal business setting, the things that he does in an informal setting to supplement the things that he does on a personal level to get a sense of comfort and game readiness, and he's got to perfect all those things before he's on the clock legitimately.

He needs to find his rhythm he needs to perfect that process. I met with Kenny (Pickett) earlier this week, and I was talking to him about the amount of urgency that he needs to have in his seven-day cycle from a preparation standpoint. Whether he's told or not, I think the doing, the experience component of it is paramount. A guy in that position, is he told that those things are part of his daily existence – all the things you just mentioned – or does he just come to learn it because he has to go through it and experience it?Ī. You've got to take care of the football at any position on offense, but because of the frequency in which quarterbacks handle it, it gets triply important. You've got to take care of the football at the quarterback position. And ultimately, take care of the football. I expect him to communicate and do the informal things that come with the position, particularly in moments of adversity, and particularly when it's difficult because of crowd noise, etc., and never tire in terms of dealing with those things. Players, teams, and particularly players at the quarterback position are defined by their ability to operate in those weighty moments – possession downs, two-minute, etc.

I expect Mitch to smile in the face of adversity, deliver the significant plays in significant moments. We just worked together so long, and he had become so consistent at delivering it that it became him. It's really the similar things that I would have asked of Ben. In situations like today – the start of a regular season on the road against the defending division champion – when I would ask you what you needed from your starting quarterback in this game, you would say something like, 'We need Ben to be Ben.' Mitch Trubisky is a different player and person, so what might 'needing Mitch to be Mitch' entail?Ī. But ultimately, you know, that ball is going to be kicked off and we have to play, and I'm excited about that as well. I've challenged the group to feel good about it collectively. As a matter of fact, we're going to run to it and embrace it and look for the silver lining in it, such as the opportunities to grow and grow together, the opportunities to gain some understanding of why we do things and alter some things to meet the needs of this crop of guys. We laid that gauntlet down back in the spring and just acknowledged that there were going to be some differences, that we weren't going to be resistant to it. Sure, it creates a different feel, but it's one that I've embraced, it's one that I've challenged the team to embrace throughout this entire process. There's a sense of the unknown when you're working at a position of significance like quarterback, and especially if you had that type of consistency in terms of the presence of Ben that we had for such a long time. Does that create a different feel to the start of this journey for you?Ī. Today is the start of a new season, and you're about to embark on this journey with a different starting quarterback for the first time in your career here.

Another word for embrace