On his performance last week, including going against Chargers OLB Joey Bosa:
“I kind of prepared the whole week thinking if I were them, I would flip Bosa over to the inexperienced guy versus (T) Jack (Conklin) on the right, an All-Pro tackle. We had a really good gameplan designed to help me who had not played out there much with some chips and getting the ball out quickly. The gameplan put me in a good position all day. We have to keep that going.”
On the significance of having a player the caliber of G Joel Bitonio next to him:
“Joel is just the definition of a smart veteran player who always knows what not only his job is but everybody’s job. All week of practice is just non-stop communication. On gameday, if there is anything that is unclear at all, I ask Joel, and he has the answer right away. You just always know he is going to be doing his job at a high level. Playing next to a guy like Joel makes it easy to have confidence when you are playing. Also, when you know you need inside help or whatever, he is always going to be there. Playing next to a veteran guy like that definitely just adds confidence in my play.”
On if playing against Bosa last week provides him with more confidence:
“Yeah, I think the key to offensive line play overall is playing with confidence. If you play scared, it is very evident, and guys will take advantage of that. No matter who you are or who you are going against, if you do not come out play fast, physical and confident, it is going to be pretty evident on tape. That is the only way you can play.”
On his versatility along the line and if getting more reps at LT has allowed him to settle into the position more:
“I have always been pretty comfortable in that spot because that is what I played in college for the most part. It has been a couple of years since I focused on that spot as much or even the tackle position, but just having a couple of weeks in a row of playing one spot, you do get more comfortable then bouncing around a lot, but that is the life of a backup. Typically, you have to be ready to go in at at least two spots and sometimes four or five. It does add comfort to just be in the same spot every day.”
On RB Nick Chubb being ruled out and the luxury of having the player the caliber of RB Kareem Hunt on the team:
“That is a true two-headed monster there. Nick is as good as anybody or better than anybody in the league. Obviously, we have to get him healthy for the long haul. With a guy like Kareem, you do not miss a beat. We are excited for that. Even (RB) D’Ernest (Johnson), we have all of the confidence in him. We know with our whole running back room that it is on us. They are going to find the right holes. It is on us to make the hole and let them do their thing.”