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Q. Providing a strong running game to go with.
DAVID JOHNSON: Most definitely. We're going to try to help him out running the ball, making it a lot less stressful for him as a rookie.
I was there, everybody was there, and the best thing that you can have is a great, especially veteran group that we have, and then guys who you can lean on to talk to about it.
Q. Whatever pieces were missing and trying to figure out how to build a lot of stuff out on the field, what was Tim Kelly like during that, working through that?
DAVID JOHNSON: He was still fired up. He still wanted to run the ball, and that's how we've always been since OTAs and we're always going to try to run the ball, just help out the throwing game and passing.
So that's what he was trying to say. Especially being running backs he's talking to us letting us know we're going to run the ball.
Q. Did you sense in the second half they we were any more keyed in on the run with Davis in there and (indiscernible)?
DAVID JOHNSON: Probably. I mean, with the rookie quarterback, most teams are probably going to do that. Probably were.
Q. Is there a sense that maybe like for you, you kind of have kind of that dual role in the backfield, and in the passing game, do you feel like you might have a bigger role in the passing game this game?
DAVID JOHNSON: I think again, it's going to come to what Carolina is going to offer us or what they're going to expose for us to try to take advantage of. I don't know. We'll see. We'll see when it comes Thursday.
Q. What do you see from their speed, Haason and Brian Burns, those two guys?
DAVID JOHNSON: I played with Haason so I know how good of an athlete he is. They're good guys, we're just going to try to run at them and not let them use their speed, and we'll see what happens.
Q. What do you think about the run game needs to improve for you guys to get better at it?
DAVID JOHNSON: I think just accountability, me included. When I see a hole, running through it, doing everything I can for that, helping out the offensive line, setting up blocks, especially on the second level when a linebacker is just sitting there seeing what I'm going to do.
I think just everyone -- relying more on each other, accountability, that kind of thing.
Q. What can you say about the way that you have competed these last two weeks, especially when a lot of people counted you out before the season started?
DAVID JOHNSON: It's not a surprise to us. We've always said that, you know, don't worry about what they're saying outside this building. Rely on what we have here, talk to and lean on everyone that's in our building, everyone that's on the team.
We knew we were going to surprise people. We're going to continue doing that and bring more respect to this team.
Q. What have you noticed from Tim Kelly this year as opposed to before?
DAVID JOHNSON: Nothing different really. He's always energetic, always fired up, always excited, ready to go. Always going to try to make the most of what we have in our team and try to out-leverage them and what they have on the other side.
Q. What's the energy like when you play as well as you did early on in the game against Cleveland and then kind of start to go down and obviously lose the game? Take us through that just in the locker room; how are you all feeling after that where you competed but actually a lot of guys went down and you didn't win the game?
DAVID JOHNSON: As players we felt like we let them get that win, because like you said, we were winning the first half. We were going battle for battle throughout the whole first half, and then injuries started happening.
I think the biggest thing is we even got more confident because we realized even more that we have a chance to compete with any team in this league.
Q. What are some things that you can do as a veteran to help a young guy like Davis making his first NFL start maybe before game day?
DAVID JOHNSON: Before the game it's just try to talk to him, calm him down. He's always calm, cool and collected, and he's going to show that. I don't know if he's an anxious guy or not, but just try to talk to him, relax.
Sometimes even talk non-sports just to get his mind out of it. Even though it is a short week, he's played football, so I think it's just doing that. During the game it's doing my job, obviously, whether it's blitz pickup, making sure he has a good pocket, running the ball and making sure we are getting positive yards, and I think that's the biggest thing, is if we do our job and let -- stay in front of the chains as coaches would say, I think that's going to help out.
Q. Is there more pressure on you guys on the offensive side of the ball with a young guy, especially put in a position like quarterback?
DAVID JOHNSON: Not really because we're all already -- all are on one-year contracts. We've already had the pressure before the season with everything that's been said about us. I don't think it's too much more pressure.
Q. Tytus was telling us that he has a little bit more mobility than people give him credit for, Davis. Do you see that?
DAVID JOHNSON: Yes, I thought you were talking about Tytus himself. Tytus will swear he's the fastest lineman in the league. He thinks he can beat me in a 40. Anyways, yeah, Davis does definitely have a lot more mobility than a lot of people give him credit for.
Q. In what ways have you seen that?
DAVID JOHNSON: Just running the ball during practice, during OTAs and just being able to maneuver sacks a lot, more than you would think.
Q. When Davis came into the huddle in the second half, how were you all able to keep him calm and keep him level headed, because most rookies know that before their start that they have that time, but he was just thrust into the game after Tyrod's injury?
DAVID JOHNSON: I think just communicating with him, talking to him, not trying to like ask him as in a question, more just like just talking to him, making sure we're on the same page throughout the mike point, where we're running the ball, everything like that.
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