This guy has some stuff with the ball in his hands. He's a lot better run-after-catch guy than I would have anticipated for a 6-foot-8 guy. I think that he's been able to expand his game. Then, he's been able to play a variety of roles for us in the vertical passing game, in the intermediate, middle part of the field and in the short part of the field, becoming a run-after-catch guy, a keeper-screen guy. He's been a factor in pass protection for us. We kind of felt like, 'Is this guy only going to be a passing game tight end, where when he enters the game, the entire defense is playing pass defense?' I think that what we've done is establish a role where they can't do that. I think that he's a lot more of a complete player than we thought. "I think that I've learned a lot more about his game. It has a real, real positive impact on our football team." As you saw, we got right back in the huddle and then scored. I think that Justin, certainly, keeping his composure, I think that affected his teammates in a real positive way.
We know what type of outfit that is over there. Nothing but respect for Cam Heyward and Mike Tomlin and that group. Justin has a level head and enough composure to be able to separate both of those things. Sometimes, you have to let time express itself so that you can get the truth. It's a competitive game and there's a lot of heat of the moment. He's also aware enough to know that Cam is made up of the right stuff. I think that Justin also knows who he's playing against. Those guys have been doing this at a high level for a long time. If you know Cam Heyward and Mike Tomlin, you know that those guys are real competitors. He's a guy that is unaffected by a lot of that external competition, stuff that would rattle many of us. Playing consistent, with fundamentals, down in and down out, over the course of an entire game against elite competition, that's where both of those guys need to go with their game." I think that both of those guys are competing hard for us.
I think that he'll learn from that - when you have good position on the receiver, being able to be patient in the down and allow your leverage to create patience for yourself. That's just one of those bang-bang plays. We were in a really good coverage system. He was connected on the route, like I told you guys after the game. The pass interference, it's just more unlucky than anything.
He has a couple of good open-field tackles. He had a huge pass breakup after the sudden change where we forced them to a field goal. Last night, I felt like he gave us a chance to win the game. He's in that same conversation with Mike playing consistent football down in and down out, the way we expect it to be played in the secondary. He's doing two jobs for us, playing outside and playing inside. He's given us a chance to win a bunch of these games.
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