HEAD COACH BRUCE ARIANS

Opening Statement:

"Not practicing today if it was a real practice: Cyril Grayson, Ryan Jensen, Ronald Jones, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Breshad Perriman, Jason Pierre-Paul and Tristan Wirfs. Other than that, it was a good walk-through. We got a good start to the week."

(On being fined $50,000 by the NFL for his encounter with S Andrew Adams)

"I'll appeal it. It ain't got nothing to do with the game, so we're good."

(On defending Rams WR Cooper Kupp)

"He's one of the best. I think he and Chris Godwin, to me, are the best all-around receivers in the league because they block, they do everything – inside, outside. They're very comparable, and you know how I think about Chris. Cooper, he's a challenge. You can't double team him all day, that's for sure – they have too many other weapons. You just have to own up your guy and fight him. He's a hard tackle just like Chris is."

(On the consistency of S Mike Edwards being a ballhawk)

"He just has a great knack of reading quarterbacks' eyes and kind of knowing where this thing is going. He either intercepts it or he's going to catch every deflection, that's for sure, because he's always going to be heading in that direction. He's a very heady player and it helps him get to the spot where he needs to be."

(On QB Tom Brady being able to throw the ball under pressure)

"It helps a bunch because they're going to be there sooner or later. You can only hold them out for so long. You still have to take some shots down the field. Everybody is not going to be dink and dunk. You just have to maximize how you're doing it, who you're blocking and who has who. They're doing a good job. They bring five a lot, so it's hard to double team anybody. So yeah, it helps a bunch."

(On what he learned about this Rams team since the last time they faced them in Week 3)

"They've added some more pieces and they run the ball well. They're running the ball more than they did back then. Defensively, they're playing as [well] as anybody in the league right now."

(On how amazed he is with the way Rams RB Cam Akers recovered from his Achilles injury)

"He can probably rehab a hell of a lot harder than I can. It is amazing. Sport science and what's going on in the world today [with] people coming back from ACLs in six months and Achilles and things that [would take] 16 months two years ago. I think it's just going to get better. I think with the things we're inventing and different ways that doctors are doing it – sports science amazes me. I wish I could do it."

(On when he realized that women coaching in the NFL was a door that needed to be opened)

"Oh gosh, back in the early 90s. I don't know if you know the story [about] Hinds Junior College [and] Dot Murphy. Her husband was the head coach, and she was the discipline and receivers coach. I used to clinic with them all the time and she was one hell of a coach, so I knew it back then. It was just who was going to open the door. That was going to be the thing."

(On if he expects RB Leonard Fournette to be on the field on Sunday)

"It's still wait and see. Everybody will open up tomorrow and we'll be full speed tomorrow. [We'll] have a better judge then."

(On how prepared the offensive line will be if T Tristan Wirfs can't play on Sunday)

"We'll be fine. Nick [Leverett] stepped in and played a really big ball game in Indy. We have different guys who can play multiple positions. 'Goody' (Harold Goodwin) and Joe [Gilbert] will have them ready, that's for sure."

(On the team's depth being the main storyline this season after losing many players to injuries)

"Oh, I don't think there's any doubt - next man up and the quality of the depth. We're still looking – we found John Brown last week and he might be on the field this week. You never know. Jason [Licht] and 'Spy' (Vice President of Player Personnel John Spytek) have done a great job of building the roster and our coaches do a great job of getting them ready quickly."

WIDE RECEIVER MIKE EVANS

(On if the depth of the team has been one of its best qualities this season with the way a variety of players have stepped up when called upon)

"Yeah, I think so. I said it when we first got this team together – our depth is crazy. I look at some of the [position] rooms like, 'If this guy goes down, we've got this guy,' going through all the ultimatums. Our depth has definitely helped us get to this point."

(On the Los Angeles Rams defense)

"They have a lot of superstars on that defense, a lot of great players, and they always play really hard. [They] communicate well, tackle well, bring a lot of energy, talk trash – they're a really good defense."

(On playing the Rams again after losing to them in the regular season)

"We know postseason is a whole different ballgame. You get the best of the best, all-out effort. Everybody is straining to make sure they are playing the next week. I've always liked playing a team that beats us. Even in the regular season if we're playing a division opponent that beat us the first time, I want to beat them bad the second time. Like last year, we played the Saints twice and I wanted to play them because they beat us twice in the regular season. I wanted to play them again this year, but it didn't happen that way. I'm definitely looking forward to the challenge come Sunday."

(On the comparison between Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin and Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp)

"That's actually a really good comparison. They're similar body types, as well. I didn't know Kupp was that big – he's got some good size to him, he can run all the routes, very crafty, he's faster than he looks, great body quickness, great hands, contested catch. He's a complete receiver. That's the reason why he got the triple crown this year."

TIGHT END ROB GRONKOWSKI

(On what the addition of OLB Von Miller brings the Rams defense)

"Von is a great player. I played against him many times when he was out in Denver. He's super quick. He can shoot off the ball at any time and just brings another dynamic to that defense. They can set that edge out there with Von and get that pass rush out there. He brings a lot of pressure to the game – a lot of pressure he brings to the offense because he's quick and he can get to a quarterback really fast."

(On facing the Rams for the second time this season and if there are more takeaways going into a game in which you lost to the opponent earlier in the season)

"It depends on the circumstance, but many times when you do lose you can definitely take away a lot of things that you did wrong that you can correct and fix. There's no doubt about that. It also just shows you when you lose to them earlier in the season that you have to go out there and play your best ball because obviously the product that myself and the team put out on the field wasn't good enough the first time around. So, how can we fix that? How can we fix the problems that we had? [How can we] make sure we'll catch all the balls that are thrown our way? That's what you learn from a loss is how can you fix it and how can you correct it. Instead of if you beat a team earlier in the year, 'Oh man, we beat them and we had really nothing to fix.' That's not a good way to go about it when you beat someone else. In this case, they beat us, so it's what did we do wrong? How can we fix it? What can we do? We go out there, we compete, put up points and that's what you have to do when you lose a game. You have to make all the corrections and go out there and play good ball."

(On the importance of having homefield advantage and fans against the Rams on Sunday)

"It's very important. It's a team that's traveling across the whole country. That plays a little bit of a factor so it's always nice to have that home game instead of having a four-hour or five-hour flight going across the country. But you have to give hats off to our fans – the Krewe – they were out there, they were loud, they were cheering. They were electric. They just made that atmosphere while playing the game of football that much more fun. We're excited to go back out there, run through the tunnel and see all of our fans out there again. The Krewe is going to be loud, they're going to be proud and it's going to be another great atmosphere. It'll be another football atmosphere this Sunday. It's going to be a good time."

SAFETY ANTOINE WINFIELD JR.

(On S Mike Edwards' reputation for being a ballhawk)

"Man, that's just what he does. Mike can find that ball. Every time we are out there, he can get 10 plays and he will have two picks. It's crazy. He's a ballhawk, he works hard and he definitely [deserves] everything that he has earned."

(On the pressure that Rams wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Cooper Kupp put on the secondary)

"They have weapons all over. The receivers are good, running backs are good, the quarterback is good, and they have a good offensive line. They have weapons everywhere. We just have to do our job of just making sure we contain those players. That's what we're practicing right now and that's what we're working on, so that's the goal just to contain all those guys."

(On the energy and swagger the defense played with on Sunday)

"I would say since it's playoffs, the energy and all that – everything is up, and everybody is more aware of it. So, when you're out there, everything just feels different because it's win or go home. You have no choice but to bring that energy because you don't know when your last game is. That's something that we kind of felt in practice throughout the week and then in the game it just showed."

(On S Jordan Whitehead)

"An incredible year – he's our leader back there. He's always bringing energy, always doing his job and he just makes plays."

-BUCCANEERS-