Head Coach Bruce Arians
(Opening statement)
"Not playing will be Justin Evans and Blaine Gabbert. Mike Evans missed today with that bug that's been running around. I thought it has been a really good week of preparation. [It was a] good tempo today. [We're] ready for a ball game."
(On if the team is going into Week 1 healthy)
"Extremely healthy, yeah, from where we were three weeks ago."
(On what he has seen out of DL Vita Vea from a conditioning standpoint)
"He's fine. He's stayed in shape."
(On if Vea stayed in shape despite not playing)
"Yeah, he came in great shape and maintained it."
(On if the players who have gotten the bug going around have been able to recover in 24 hours)
"Yeah."
(On if Vea will be on a snap count)
"Nope, nobody that is playing will be on any kind of snap count."
(On who would be the team's emergency quarterback)
"That's still up in the air. It's not going to matter anyway if he's in there."
(On if the excitement is building for him after being away from coaching for a year)
"A little bit, yeah. It will be more Sunday morning. This is still polishing up, finishing the last bit of touches and then meetings tonight and tomorrow night."
(On if the bug that is going around a concern)
"Hopefully it doesn't hit anybody more Saturday. There's always a concern when this stuff starts running through, but it hasn't hit the locker room yet. I think it's just coming from outside."
(On if it is more of a concern with the short turnaround after Sunday's game)
"Yeah, we don't want to hit it Tuesday or Wednesday, that's for sure."
(On how the players who filled in for Vita Vea during the preseason will be rotated in on Sunday)
"They earned playing time. We will have a good rotation now with all the guys that did get to play – Beau [Allen] and [Rakeem Nunez-Roches] and Will [Gholston] – they'll all be rotating through."
(On if the heat will be an issue on Sunday)
"Heat shouldn't be a problem. It's always going to affect you, but we're used to it. We know how to stay hydrated, and whatever we have to do at halftime, we will do."
(On if that's where he leans on the sports science personnel)
"Totally."
(On the difficulty of rehydrating the day of a game)
"No, you've got to have it two or three days in advance."
(On what his message will be to QB Jameis Winston before the game on Sunday)
"I always say to all my quarterbacks, 'Play great.' Great players do."
(On if he knows who the primary punt returner will be)
"No, not yet."
(On how CB Jamel Dean and CB Sean Murphy-Bunting fit into his game plan for Sunday)
"Heavily – they've earned the right to. All of those rookies on defense should have a big, major role."
-BUCCANEERS-
