CLEVELAND — AJ Dillon has done this many times before. Anthony Tyus III has literally never done this.

But to listen to them talk about the challenge this week, you'd never guess which one was the seasoned vet and which one was about to play his first NFL game.

But the two Panthers running backs are set to play big roles today against the Browns, since Jonathon Brooks going on IR moved everyone up a chair.

Dillon will likely get the secondary role behind Chuba Hubbard (Brooks played 19 percent of the snaps in the opener and 30 percent in Atlanta, behind Hubbard's 71 and 65), while Tyus (who goes by Tre) will be the in case of emergency break glass guy, and could return kicks. That's a significant step for both, but Dillon was as calm about it as you'd expect a seventh-year player to be.

"In my experience, at least for me in my time in the league, I've been able to really just kind of compartmentalize what I'm trying to do and focus on what I need to do to help the team," Dillon said this week. "And for me, the outside noise, all that stuff doesn't really matter; you never get too high, too low, or anything like that.

"So since I got here in OTAs, I'm preparing to be on the field as much as possible, help out in whatever role that is, unfortunate situation, obviously, but now being here. And presumably having a bigger role this week, and looking forward to the opportunity and going to do my thing."

While the sight of him causes people to pigeonhole him as a power back, he's got the ability to do more than just slam it up the middle. Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik admitted this week he was pleasantly surprised by Dillon's ability as a receiver, which was always part of his game in Green Bay.

"One of the coolest things that I didn't know that AJ had, he caught the heck out of the football all training camp," Idzik said. "He did a phenomenal job. He does a really good job in pass pro and catching the ball. So I don't feel like we lose the catching-the-ball element with AJ in the game. Tre also has a little bit of that element to him. He's got some cool, quick twitch and space.

"He's obviously a little less experienced in regular season games, but the attitude that he runs with, it fits our mold for sure. They all kind of march like Chuba does and, and saying, hey, you're carrying the torch of what we want the attitude of our offense to be, how we want to finish runs, and get downhill, when we have the opportunity to do so."

Those opportunities have been few for Tyus, who signed to the practice squad last season. But he led the team in rushing in the preseason (31 carries for 127 yards), though he hasn't been able to put on a uniform on Sundays until today, after being called up from the practice squad so they'd have a third.

Dillon called him "my wingman," and Tyus laughed and responded in kind by calling the 28-year-old "unc,"  but these two have a lot in common.

One is that matter-of-fact nature, as he described this week as "just an opportunity."

"Obviously sending JB a text, a lot of prayers," Tyus said. "We have a close group, a great running back room. But coach said, 'Trey, you ready? You know you've been working,' and obviously I'm ready, ready."

Tyus admitted a bit of excitement from his family in Michigan, who were trying to make quick travel plans to see today's game. His middle brother XaVior is a running back at Eastern Michigan, so he can't make it, but his little brother Vaughnzell will be there.

"Oh, they were happy for me," Tyus said of that call home when he told them the news he'd be up this week. "They were thrilled. They're excited, especially my little brothers, you know, they look up to me being the oldest in the family.

"I'm just ready to perform, ready to help this team in any way I can to, you know, go 1-0 this week."​

That's a very Chuba Hubbard kind of answer, and it's another sign that Tyus fits into this room, because he takes it extremely seriously. Idzik saw that from him this offseason, when he came back from his year on the practice squad with an intentionality and a focus he picked up on from Hubbard.

"I think it's when he came back for training camp and he showed an understanding of our schemes; He started to hit the whys," Idzik said. "Anytime you have a guy coming in, and he's just working scout team, you're really just looking at the physical traits. What is he like as a runner? He shows some burst, he showed some good size, showed some attitude, but that really only fleshes out when you get into the preseason, and you see him in live action.

"And I think we all, for everyone who's watching our preseason games, you saw Tre finish runs and try to grind out those 2 or 3 extra yards, turn his feet. So that part for us was really exciting to see him come alive as he gained more confidence with our schemes."

Today, he finally gets to put that on the field.