Below is a selection of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quotes from today's earlier media availability. Full video of press conferences can be found on Buccaneers.com.

Offensive Coordinator Byron Leftwich

Defensive Coordinator Todd Bowles

Outside Linebacker Shaquil Barrett

Offensive Coordinator Byron Leftwich

(On how the offense kept answering when the Rams continued scoring in Week 4)

"That's kind of our job. You can't really determine what's really happening in a game. What you can control is the next play, and we just wanted to keep trying to execute at a high level, whatever the situation was. We felt as though if we can just continuously do that every play, we'll live with the score that comes with that."

(On the offense responding after throwing a pick-six in the fourth quarter)

"I kind of expect that of the guys. This is what they've shown throughout OTAs [and] throughout training camp – you guys just had an opportunity just to see it on a Sunday. I see the work that that these guys put in and the way that they approach the game, and how these guys really want to be better, so they work their tails off for moments like that. It was a good moment, it was a good win on Sunday, but now we're on to the New Orleans Saints."

(On the offensive line's performance)

"We all know that was one of the better fronts in the game, but I really like where we're at up front offensively [from] an offensive line standpoint. We've been doing a heck of a job of just getting a hat on a hat, protecting Jameis [Winston] the way that we need to protect Jameis. Those guys, really throughout the year, have been doing a really good job of the things that they did last Sunday."

(On what challenges the Saints' pass rush presents)

"You go from one really good front to another really good front who has really good players. We'll respect that [and] we understand what they have from a defensive standpoint. It's always a tough out. Every Sunday, it's a tough out for every position group, but we do understand how good their front seven is and we'll give those guys the due respect."

(On RB Ronald Jones II performing well in the stadium where he played college football)

"I joked with him all week. We knew he was going back into a stadium that he played college ball at. This kid's just been really getting better every day. Every day, every week, he's getting better, he's approaching the game the right way, he's attacking things that we're asking him to attack so he can become a better football player, and as a coach, that's all you can [expect]. He's attacking the game of football the way he should attack the game of football. You like to see that."

(On how much WR Chris Godwin or WR Mike Evans' success helps set up the other)

"It all goes hand in hand. Mike sees a lot of the doubles so Chris is winning his one-on-one matchups and these guys are just making plays. Like I said, they're not doing anything on Sundays that they don't do every day, that I haven't seen them do throughout OTAs [and] throughout training camp – it's just the rest of the world getting the opportunity to see these guys execute and play at a high level."

(On what QB Jameis Winston saw on the pick-six he threw in the fourth quarter)

"It's really irrelevant once you get out of the stadium with the win. We'll learn from that. You don't want to see that happen in that moment, but that's the game of football. There were a lot of interceptions thrown last Sunday. That's part of the game when you throw the ball – we threw it 41 times, so that's always a possibility. I just think he's protecting the ball well [and] he's putting the ball in the right space, so I like where he's at also."

(On if Winston is just starting to scratch the surface of what he's capable of)

"I don't know – I know he's getting better and he's working on it every day. That's all we can ask. You don't want to have this up-and-down flow. You guys see the touchdowns, so now you guys are recognizing – like I said, he's another guy that's been getting better right in front of your guys' eyes every day, and sometimes it takes games like this for people to see it. But for him personally, we're a 2-2 football team, we're a .500 football team that's just trying to get better. We've just got to [be] continuously getting better. We've got the first quarter of the season done. We've got a long way to go before we start thinking of that nature, so we've got to go day in and day out, play in and play out, doing what we need to do to put ourselves in the best position to have success, and that's what our thought process is."

(On what's contributing to Winston completing deep balls more often)

"It's a guy that worked on his game [and] that's continuously working on his game. It says a lot about the guys around him – he's not out there playing by himself. It says a lot about the guys up front, it says a lot about the guys who [are] catching the ball [and] it also says a lot about the guys who we can turn our back and hand the ball off to. We're just trying to get better week in and week out with the understanding that yesterday is yesterday – we've got to continue to get better."

(On G Alex Cappa making the jump from Humboldt State to playing at a high level in the NFL)

"I don't even know where that school's at. I've never heard of that school [laughs]. But that doesn't matter. We don't care how you get here – we're going to accept good football players. We like the way Cap (Alex Cappa) comes in and works. We don't care what school you went to, what round you were drafted, if you were a free agent – we appreciate the guys that come to work, put their hand in the pile and try to help us get better, and he's been doing that from day one. So, I don't see it that way, personally. I don't care what school a guy really goes to – I like the way he's playing, though."

(On what led to him calling the play that led to WR Mike Evans' 67-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter)

"You never really call a play just to call a play. It always has meaning behind it. But to be honest with you, we just executed the play well. That's what play calling is all about – it's execution. We just did a great job of executing Sunday. Hopefully, we can continue to execute each Sunday."

(On if he knew Evans would have a chance to get the ball on that play when he saw how the Rams lined up)

"I knew it was a possibility, so I kind of told Jameis [Winston] in the head set – I just knew that [there] was a possibility of that. I'm not saying that it had to happen that way – it did – but it was a possibility."

(On if the young receivers have to step up on Sunday with WR Breshad Perriman potentially not playing)

"They're in a good place. All our guys are ready to play. We have no young guys anymore – that's what I'm preaching to these guys. Four games into this thing, there's no such things as rookies anymore. These guys have got a lot of reps at what we're asking them to do, so I don't see it that way. I see it as the next man gets the opportunity to play, he comes in and [the] next man up tries to play as good as he can and give us his best effort. We understand what they can and can't do from a personnel standpoint – their attributes [and] how they can contribute to us. I have an understanding of that, so I just want guys to be their best selves. I don't want anybody to try to be anybody else. Just come out here, get on the grass and be ready to play good football."

(On how being fearless is reflected in his play calling)

"We're going to play. It's the game of football – you're trying to win every game, every second, every minute, every play when you play the game on this level. So, why not? Why wouldn't you? This is the wrong time to get to this level of football and get scared or nervous when you've been dreaming your whole life to get to this point. A lot of these guys dreamed this stuff for 20 years, so they're just living out their dream."

(On how much he can still learn as a first-year play caller)

"I've got a lot to get better at – me, myself personally. I think I can do a better job of continually getting these guys in position to make plays. As a play caller, that's what you do – you hit yourself in the back of the head sometimes when things don't go [your] way, but you understand it's all a process. I'm learning, and there's no such thing as ever doing it enough to learn too much. You're always learning because you're doing it with different guys – in this league, there's always different guys probably year in and year out. Nobody really has the same team year in and year out, so you're probably always doing it with different guys anyway. It keeps you on your toes [and] it keeps you always working on your game."

Defensive Coordinator Todd Bowles

(On what it meant that the defense came up with a big play when its back was against the wall in Week 4)

"It [means] a lot. Every time you go out there, your back is against the wall. It's what defenses do. We just have to find a way to finish games and we did this time."

(On what kind of challenge Saints RB Alvin Kamara presents)

"It's no different – he runs hard, he's quick, he's fast, he's elusive, he catches screen passes, he runs angle routes, he runs like wide receivers run. It's going to be a tough challenge because he can see the hole, he can cut it back, he can do a lot of things and he just doesn't come down with an arm tackle, so we've got to get everybody around the ball to try to contain him."

(On his assessment of the cornerbacks in Week 4)

"When they throw 68 passes, you're going to give up some yards. For the most part, I thought we were fresh. The ball went in the air quite a bit. They made some plays. We left some out there, obviously, [that] we'd like to have back, but they made some plays to win the ball game. We've got a few things to work on."

(On how tough it is to defend Saints WR Michael Thomas)

"It's tough to defend all of them every week, but Michael brings a lot to the table – he's physical, he's big, he can run by you, he can run over you, he's a polished route runner, he's got great hands, he's got tough hands, so he's going to be a challenge. But, they've got a bunch of other guys that are going to be a challenge, as well."

(On his assessment of the defense's tackling)

"We've been better. We can still work on tackling every week, which we do every time in practice. We can wrap up a few more we're giving away. They're not big misses, but they're misses to where they get three or four extra yards. We've got to make sure we secure the tackle and make it second-and-medium or long as opposed to second-and-short. So, we've got some things to work on."

(On what makes Saints Head Coach Sean Payton's offense challenging to defend)

"Sean's very smart in the way he utilizes his personnel. He makes you check your fundamentals and your technique on every play. They can tempo, they can slow it down, they use a lot of different personnel groupings, so he's going to test you a bunch of different ways and if you're out of your gap or if you don't see something you don't see – and he can line up and play fundamental football as well, so we have to play group football and play together and understand what we're seeing, but Sean's a challenge for anybody. That's why he's one of the best in the league."

(On preparing for Saints QB Taysom Hill in addition to QB Teddy Bridgewater)

"He can throw the ball too, so it's a little different than most wildcat guys where they use running backs. He is a true quarterback at times, he's a wideout, he's a fullback, he's a tight end, so we've got to just understand when he's in the ball game – that's all. We've got to make sure we understand they have two of them in the ball game."

(On what he remembers from Payton when they were both on the Dallas Cowboys' coaching staff)

"He was just like he is now. He's one of the brightest coaches I've ever been around from an offensive standpoint. We had the staff back in Dallas way back when – and coach [Kacy] Rodgers as well – so he learned from the best. Bill [Parcells] was one of the best – if not the best – and he took it with him and added his own twist to it. He got to New Orleans and he got those guys on a roll. Sean's always been a great friend to me every time in the offseason, so it will be great to see him, hopefully on the winning side of it. But, he's sharp. He's a sharp guy."

(On OLB Shaquil Barrett being named NFC Defensive Player of the Month)

"Shaq understands the game. He's a very savvy player. He understands the game very well, he works on his technique, he's done a great job against the run, which goes unnoticed – obviously, that sets up his pass stuff. He has an arsenal and a toolbox that he uses and he strives to get better every day and that's just a credit to him."

(On what the linebackers have done well to help stop the run)

"They come downhill. Really, Carl [Nassib] and Shaq [Barrett] have been setting the edge, keeping the ball tight and inside. We've got some big bodies on the inside and between Lavonte [David] and Devin [White] and Kevin [Minter] and Buc (Deone Bucannon) helping out, they've done a pretty good job of coming downhill."

Outside Linebacker Shaquil Barrett

(On how to continue his production after earning NFC Defensive Player of the Month honors for September)

"Just keep doing the same thing I was doing. Just play football – go out there and read and react, look at my keys and just play football. That's behind me. I love all of the recognition, but I just want to play football. That's all this is about for me – winning and playing football."

(On how gratifying it is to be playing at this high of a level after betting on himself in the offseason)

"This level is ridiculous, like it is blowing my mind as well. I always knew I could play in the league and could produce, but at this rate it is going right now, it is really good. I am very appreciative for my agent. He did a good job. I am coming in here [and] doing a good job playing, so it is just working out perfectly for everybody – for the team, for me. It's like a match made in heaven right now."

(On if we are seeing him make the most of his opportunity)

"Yeah, and it's the scheme [and] the guys surrounding [me]. It's not just me. We've got the back end playing good coverage. They've got Carl [Nassib] at the other end getting pressure. The middle guys – [Ndamukong] Suh, Vita [Vea], Will [Gholston and] Beau [Allen] – everybody in there is just getting the job done. I'm just beating my one-on-ones at the right time."

(On if he has heard from former Broncos teammate Von Miller in the last couple of weeks)
"Yeah, we've been reaching out to each other. I congratulated him on his 100 sacks. He congratulated me pretty much every week [laughs]. I still talk to [those] guys – I talked to [Bradley] Chubb about his injury and he congratulated me on my stuff too. We're still cool and we still talk. I learned a lot from them and I'm pretty sure they learned something from me, as well."

(On how many different moves he has when rushing the quarterback)

"[It] should just be a feel. I've [been] setting up stuff in the game. I have a lot of moves but winning on them is a different story. You actually have to set them up to get the move going, like [in] the third [and] fourth quarter I'm like, 'Coach, I've got two moves I've been saving the whole game against the Giants. I've got two moves, coach.' One of them got me a sack and the other one was when they scored the game-winning touchdown, so it didn't work. I've got a pretty good amount of moves; I've just got to use them at the right time and just set them up."

(On how long he has been working on his various moves)

"I came into the league with a bull rush and a double swipe, so I've been developing ever since I got into the league – just trying to study film from the guys in front of me. And then I was on the practice squad, so I was able to work my moves against the starting tackles and stuff. It hadn't really been until maybe year four or five when I really felt like I developed and I'm ready to really contribute. The roles I was in my first four years, I think that was perfect for me. I wasn't ready to be a consistent starter, but now I feel like I am ready now and everything is just working out."

(On the guys who he learned from off of film)

"My first couple years it was just Von [Miller] and D. Ware (DeMarcus Ware), just watching them in practice. We had a guy Lerentee [McCray] and Quanterus [Smith] – guys you probably wouldn't know of, but I was just watching everybody because everybody looked better than me when they were pass rushing because I only had two moves. I was just trying to develop moves from those guys, and they were very willing to teach. Everybody was an open book. We had times where coach was like, 'Hey, show these guys how to do these moves,' or they would just pick it up and take it on their own and show us. That helped me out a lot."

(On his interception in Week 4 off of Rams QB Jared Goff)

"We all just pretty much knew a screen was coming. We said it before they play, 'Alert the screen, alert the screen.' My tackle went out, so I pretty much just followed him, and the ball just came right there. I tipped it and it came down right in the right spot."

(On if he is starting to feel that opposing offenses are lining up differently against him due to his recent production)

"I don't think so much last game, I think they stayed to their game plan. It worked pretty good for them. I mean they didn't win, but I didn't do as much as I did the previous weeks. All I want to do is impact the game – I don't have a certain amount of numbers or stats I want to get. I just want to impact the game, so that people know I played."

(On saying previously that he is blowing his own mind with his recent performances)

"It's crazy, it's surreal. I mean [when] I just think about it. I know that I was able to play and produce, but this level that I am doing it right now is unseen. It's just crazy. Then everybody is talking to you about it and stuff and it just makes it that much bigger. But, I just want to play football – I just want to keep it down. I know it's going to come with the way I'm playing, but I just want to play football, keep my mind on football and try to do everything the same way I've been doing it – this year anyway."

(On if his teammates have been teasing him)

"No, it's fun teasing. It's a lot of fun. They make you feel good as a team should. Whenever somebody does something good, we always rally around [those] guys and let them know that they are playing really well and producing really well. It's been a lot of fun."

(On if he has had taken on any superstitions with how well he has played this season)

"I have no routines. I do everything different every week. It just depends on how I feel. The [second] week against the Panthers, I missed the Friday [and people were telling me], 'Hey, you don't need to practice on Friday anymore.' But no, practice is really good for me. I need practice. So no, there is nothing I am doing consistently. Just watching film – that is the only thing I am doing consistently."

(On how much creativity is a part of being a good rusher)

"It is – you just have to see what the tackle is doing and be able to work off him to make him do what you want him to do. Or if he's not going to do it, you've just got to play his game, but there is a way you can win either way. That is why I watch film. If he continues to do what he's [doing], I've got moves in place for that. But I try to get him off his game so I can work my moves, work my game and get him playing my game."

(On if he has been surprised by anyone who has reached out to him to congratulate him on his recent success)

"Trent Cole sent me a message on Instagram. Chandler Jones sent me a message. It was just like, 'Dang.' It's unbelievable to me because I told Chandler Jones I was watching his film earlier that week. I didn't watch [any] Trent Cole film, but we do like a similar move that he was talking to me about. It's just crazy to be in the position I am now coming from where I started from. I'm loving it, but I know it's all because of the hard work I'm putting in, the hard work the team is putting in and it is all just working together [well] at the right time."

(On the rush in the fourth quarter of the Week 4 matchup with the Rams, in which he caused a sack fumble that was recovered for a touchdown by DL Ndamukong Suh)

"I just knew the spin should work at that time because I hadn't been over there that much. The way he sets – I still watched him on film even though I wasn't rushing that side – the way he set and punches, I knew if I made him think I was going up the field, he was going to punch, which would just leave the inside open for the spin."

(On if anyone said anything to him on that play)

"No, but 77 (Andrew Whitworth) said something one time. I came inside and then I heard him scream Jared's name like, 'Jared!' You're going to let him know I'm coming [laughs]? That was the first time I've ever heard that."

(On if he is waiting to see extra help on him from opposing offenses)

"I'm very surprised that it's not coming, but that motivates me more like, 'Alright, y'all are going to keep sleeping? I'm going to go out there and just keep playing the game I've been playing.' Hopefully my numbers keep going the way they are going."

-BUCCANEERS-