After rebuilding his game like he's restoring his grandfather's '62 Pontiac and overhauling his offseason regimen hour-by-hour, Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy is enjoying the best stretch of his three-year career.

How do you know? Face of the franchise Joe Burrow gave Murphy some high-profile love earlier this week when he publicly talked about the plays he's been making.

In this week's conversation with Bengals.com senior writer Geoff Hobson, Murphy, the club's first-round pick out of Clemson in 2023, talks about the keys to his emergence, how veterans Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard helped, and the new schedule that re-formed his body, as well as gave him the time to supplement his lifelong passions of cars and football.

The Conversation

GH: The quarterback shouted you out to say how well you're playing.

MM: Oh really? I didn't even notice. It's always a good feeling knowing the quarterback or offensive coordinator is thinking about me. I'll take the credit.

GH: What about your play of the last month? What do you think has been the key?

MM: There's been no second-guessing. Trusting what I see with the game plan. Trusting the film I've been watching and just attacking everything.

GH: Coach (defensive coordinator Al) Golden has talked about how physical you've been against the run. You've set the edge. You made that a big part of your game.

MM: That's just attitude. Making the decisions and trusting what you see in the game plan.

GH: Even the play last Sunday that you wish you had made. Where the Miami running back, De'Von Achane, had the long touchdown run and you were still in the backfield right away.

MM: That was a weird look. An unscouted look. (Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen) Waddle, he came from maybe like six to eight yards outside of me to chip the ends, and Achane, he was on the lead outside. Tried to make a play.

GH: How big of a factor has your new defensive line coach been? Jerry Montgomery?

MM: He's been a big factor when it comes to film study. He's been breaking down backfield sets when it comes to runs. If it's an unfamiliar look, nine times out of 10 it's pass. So really, just giving you a start on what's coming at you and being able to pin your ears back knowing it's pass. If it's a run, what types of runs do they do out of certain looks?

GH: You'll nearly double the most snaps you've had in a season with last year's 353 against this year's 604. Has that been a big part of it, just getting reps?

MM: I've been saying it all year. Experiencing it, and the only way to do that is to get those reps on the field. And of course, getting those reps in practice helps, but you can't compare game day reps to anywhere else. Getting those game day reps and building that confidence on the field and making plays. Putting good stuff on tape.

GH: With the reps, what has been your biggest improvement?

MM: Decision-making, honestly, it all stems from just watching film and having a few keys on. OK, this is the one to three things they like to do on this set, and making a decision on it. OK, this is what I'm going to do on this play when the ball snaps. If it's a pass, this is the rush I have in mind. It's almost just like a one-two punch. Ball snaps. If it's not run, OK pass, I know exactly what I'm going to do on their offensive tackle.

GH: Who has helped you on the edge the most when it comes to vets? Although you're a vet yourself now.

MM: Teammates-wise, really Trey (Hendrickson) because he brought me in. I was a young guy. My rookie year, he was the vet. Him Sam Hubbard. Those were the vets. Then it kind of went over to Joseph Ossai when he started making plays. If you want to get better, you start asking questions and seeing what's working for other people and you kind of just implement it into your game.

GH: What's the one thing you've picked up from Trey?

MM: Really, just watching his film. Seeing how he rushes, how he sets up rushes. How he progresses throughout the game plan each and every game.

GH: Anything you took from Sam before he retired after last season?

MM: Routine. He is very anal by his schedule. He does not let anyone interfere with his schedule, whether it be a meal, massage, stretching, pregame routine, he is very anal by his schedule. And I think I'm pretty anal by my schedule as well, because I found something that works and I've stuck with it.

GH: Did you change up anything this offseason?

MM: I switched up a lot. Diet, sleep, schedule. Routine. I honestly switched everything up this past offseason. I'm going to repeat it this offseason.

GH: What was the biggest change?

MM: Diet. Switched up calorie intake because the past few offseasons it's always been three full meals. Now it's even two meals a day. Cut down on carbs, unless it's a game day.

GH: You were carrying too much weight?

MM: Yeah. Really, since my freshman year in college, I've been playing at 282. I can operate at that weight, but if I want my snap counts to go up and be effective with a higher play count, there's no need to carry 282 pounds. Right now, I'm sitting at like 265, 270 in that range.

GH: Do you think that's been a factor?

MM: Big factor, big factor. I feel much lighter, much quicker. I feel like I've always been quick and fast, but I feel like I'm able to go for a longer duration.

GH: What are the carbs you miss the most?

MM: To be honest with you, ever since I kind of got off heavy carbs and fried foods, I really don't even miss it. I tried some fried foods, but my body doesn't react well to it anymore. I barely eat any, if ever, any fried food. My body struggles to down it right now.

GH: What are you going to eat for Christmas? Are you going to have a cheat day?

MM: My mom, she'll come in, and she has a pretty good diet as well. She'll probably cook some salmon, rice, kale greens. Cornbread. She's a really good cook, but she also has a good diet herself, so she'll cook some good stuff.

GH: How about the biggest change in the weight room?

MM: No change. I've always feel I've been pretty good in the weight room. I've always loved lifting for reps. That's always been a big aspect of mine.

GH: So the biggest changes were diet and routine.

MM: Diet, routine, and staying disciplined and sticking with it.

GH: How did you stay disciplined?

MM: There's a YouTube video that I watched about a Japanese technique. It's literally just writing a schedule. I wrote a day-to-day schedule. From whenever the last game was last year against the Browns all the way to August. I created a day-to-day schedule, and I followed it. And I didn't sway from anything that I had on the board. Not one day, really.

It's literally as simple as writing and creating a schedule, and I had to do it every day. My day was over at two o'clock in the afternoon. So that's why it was pretty easy to stick to it. A routine day. And then after two o'clock, I was kind of free to do whatever, really.

GH: What did you do with that free time? Did you pick up any new hobbies?

MM: I got into some photography. I've always been into cars, so I did like a little car content, car photography. I've got to pay a lot of attention to my dog. He's real energetic. A Husky.

GH: What's his name?

MM: Blue.

GH: How old is he?

MM: He'll be two on March 12.

GH: What's the photography been like?

MM: I just do car photography. I'll go to some car shows and take pictures. I've actually got a car Instagram page where I show my own personal cars. And I'll just take pictures of some other people's cars as well.

GH: How many cars do you have?

MM: Three. Well, two, two personal, and then one that's like a family car. It's my granddad's Pontiac. It's going to be in the family forever.

GH: What year is that?

MM: '62 Pontiac Catalina.

GH: Do you drive it, or do you just kind of show it?

MM: I'm currently restoring it. It's been a two-year project because it's such a rare car to restore. Almost every piece has to be fabricated, like custom built. He's actually on his way up here right now for Christmas. He sold it to me. I don't even think I paid anything for it. If I did pay something for it, it might have been like for $200.

GH: He gave you a break?

MM: Oh yeah. Big break. B-iii-g break.

GH: What are the other two cars you have?

MM: A Mustang and TRX. I did my own little fun stuff to them, now both of them are real fun to drive.

GH: What year are they?

MM: The TRX is a 2023, and then the Mustang is a Dark Horse, and that came out last year.

GH: Do you have a favorite car in history, besides the '62? Are you a car buff who studies the classics?

MM: Oh yeah. Of course. To be honest with you, I don't have one favorite car. I have a favorite car in each category as far as hyper car, super car, old school, muscle. I can't just tell you one car that I like.

GH: The greatest car in my family's history was a '67 Mustang.

MM: That is actually my favorite old school. Right behind it is the 1970 Challenger R/T.

GH: The one thing I remember about the '67 Mustang is the taillights were like curved.

MM: I know exactly what you're talking about.

GH: But you were always a car enthusiast even before this year, right?

MM: Always. When you get to the NFL, now you actually have options to buy the car. Now I take pictures, videos, anything to fill up the time.

GH: What did you study at Clemson?

MM: So I went in as an architectural engineer, and then I switched over to construction science, which is pretty much like structural engineering. I didn't graduate yet. I still have 21 hours. So that's about like seven classes, seven courses.

GH: Do you know what you want to do with that eventually?

MM: The perfect end-all-be-all would be to own a

construction company where all I have to do is make deals, and I have managers that go out and do the work and I just kind of sit back and let my money work for itself.

GH: What do you think your play means for next year? What do you think next year looks like?

MM: I mean, it really kind of starts in the offseason. Repeat the exact same things that I did last offseason. Watch film of the things that worked or didn't work this past year, and just build off of it. Take the moves that are working right now and expand that palette into next season.

(This year) the plan wasn't proving things to anybody. That was just proving things to myself. Really prove myself right, that I can do it. That I belong in this league.

GH: You proved that this year, right?

MM: Yeah. Just trying to build on it and build on it for next year.

GH: Have a very good holiday, and I hope somebody gives you a car.

MM: I hope so, too.

GH: Find a 67 Mustang.

MM: I'll look into it.