ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/RUN GAME COORDINATOR HAROLD GOODWIN
(Opening statement)
"Good practice today. Guys came out and practiced well. Obviously, everybody knows we have a big game coming up – Falcons are doing well [these] last two weeks. We [have to] make sure we match that energy and get this win."
(On why the run game hasn't been what it was Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys)
"Well, I just think we have to do a better job of blocking. Whenever runs are called, we've got to execute and whenever we get those opportunities, we [have] to take advantage of it – try to get positive runs, not negative runs or zero runs. But, whatever's called we [have] to execute – whether it's run or pass – so we'll try to do our best."
(On if it's a blocking issue)
"Not necessarily – [we] just have to get the opportunities. [If] we get the opportunities and we'll be alright. The first two games, we ran [the ball] a lot. Sometimes the game dictates something different, we just have to go with it – whatever's called is what we do. But yeah, [with] me as a run game coordinator, I'd like to see something better."
(On if he saw any technique issues or if players were just getting beat at the line of scrimmage)
"Yeah, I just think last week, the way the game went, [it] just kind of maybe dictated something different. If you go back the week before, versus Green Bay, we actually had some pretty decent runs. I think we only had twelve or thirteen [carries], so that was all they allotted to us. Last week, I think there [were] six – three were on the goal line. The two out of the three that were normal were okay, not great. But, we have to do a better job of blocking, running – all of it, it's all tied in together. [Offensive] line tied in with running backs, we've just all got to do a better job. But, the run game is going to be fine – there's no need to panic. We just need to keep plugging along."
(On if WR Cole Beasley's retirement caught him by surprise)
"I don't know what's going on because I just heard of it, that's [probably] an issue between him, Jason [Licht] and Todd [Bowles]. The only thing I know is basically he made a personal decision and he's just got to talk about it with Jason and Todd – we'll move forward from there. He was a good guy – did a nice job while he was here – if that's what he's doing."
(On the overall health on offense)
"[It] seems pretty good. I don't think I've heard of anything that would put us in a different direction. We just have to stay healthy. We know right now injuries have cost us a lot early on, offensively. Hopefully, we can keep these guys healthy, keep trending in the right direction. So, last week was a little bit – but obviously you guys already talked about it – we have to get the run-game going as well to match that throw-game stuff."
(On facing so many good defensive fronts to start off the season)
"It's some of the best of the best – the Saints, you talk about Green Bay's front, talk about last week, Chris Jones and those guys up front. It's been tough, just seeing those guys, but it's also been good for us to have some tough opponents, some grimy opponents. We've got to fight tooth and nail to get the win and we've just got to continue trending in the right direction when we're playing these type of teams because every week is going to be a grimy match. This week, it's going to be a grimy match versus Grady Jackson and the rest of his crew. But hopefully those first four weeks will teach us for the long run as far as the things we've got to do, the things we can't do, as far as us continuing to grow in the right direction offensively, defensively and on special teams."
(On C Robert Hainsey and G Luke Goedeke understanding the expectations of going up against some of the best players early on)
"They've got to pick their games up – the expectations for the position. Luke is battling every week – I don't think Luke has had a week off yet. Every time he's been lined up, he's had a decent, Pro-Bowl type player standing over him – from Kenny Clark to last week to Chris Jones. He's going to get Grady Jackson this week. Hainsey has done a nice job of replacing Ryan [Jensen] and I don't have time for you to tell me you're young. We've got a game to play and when the ball's put out there, we've got to play. We've got to execute and we all know that we've got to keep '12' (Tom Brady) upright."
(On how T Donovan Smith looked after returning from injury)
"He did okay. He had some shaky plays here and there when he couldn't use that arm the way he wanted to. But, for the most part, he was fine. It was good to have him back out there. He did his job, and that's all we can ask of him."
(On how he would grade the offensive line so far this season)
"I would say Tristan [Wirfs] and Shaq [Mason] have done an excellent job and have been playing to the level we expected them to. You know, obviously with [Robert] Hainsey and Luke [Goedeke] there's a couple of growing pains, but they've been consistent, so that's all we care about. 'Donnie' (Donovan Smith) – when he's played, he's been fine and those replacement tackles have been fine for the most part, but we don't want to go through three or four tackles anymore on the left side. But yeah, I like the way they're trending right now."
(On how T Justin Skule is coming along on the practice squad)
"He's coming in – he's doing fine. He's still trying to learn the offense, trying to get adjusted to how we do things around here. But, he's been a professional – I like him a lot. I like Dylan [Cook], our rookie from Montana. Just two guys to work with to try and get better. You know, obviously – knock on wood – the way things have been going early in this NFL season for all teams, [you've] got to have guys in the bullpen ready to go."
(On if Todd Bowles will be back tomorrow)
"Yes. He's fine, he just had to take care of a personal issue, but he's fine."
(On how different this week has been compared to last week)
"Yeah, it was just tough all around – just from the last-minute travel because at the end we really wanted to stay. The decision was made to leave town and thank God – unfortunately for other people, they didn't have that same thing that we had as far as not getting hit – but to come back home was good. But last week was a little weird from the standpoint of traveling with your families, trying to get ready for a game. But that's not an excuse – we still have a game to play, we're all getting paid as players and coaches. We didn't do a great job of executing."
(On if Hurricane Ian had an effect on last week's game)
"Not a big part, just a little. It's just that kind of getting out of your normal routine – a lot of guys come in post-practice, get in the cold-tub, get in the hot-tub – you lost all of that stuff. Being able to go to the weight room and getting stretched out – you just lose little things like that. And just your normal preparation routine was out [of] the window and that was a little bit hard, but it's no excuse. We didn't play well enough."
(On if this week is about resettling and reestablishing that routine)
"It's good to be back – good to be back. Just more than team meetings – I talked about, "Hey, let's get back in our routine, let's get back to the way we play, the way we prepare and try to get this [win] this weekend.'"
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER SHAQUIL BARRETT
(On if it hurts losing the first two home games of the season)
"It most definitely does, man. Being in front of the home crowd is supposed to do something to us – inspire us and make us come out there and play the way we're supposed to play but we fell short the last two games. I'm excited to be able to get back there and get things going the right way."
(On if last week's defensive performance was an anomaly)
"Yeah, it should be correctable [very] quickly. We've got to sit there and look at it because we played like that so if we're capable of playing like that, we've got to address that problem so it won't happen again. I would have never guessed that we would have [given] up 41 points at any point of the year this year. That hurts as a team that prides ourselves on good defense and wanting to be one of the best units in the league. Giving up 41 points diminishes that."
(On going up against the Falcons)
"It's going to be a little difficult this week because they don't really do too much drop-back passing – it's going to be bootlegs, roll-outs, stuff like that. [I've] got to be disciplined in my assignments. If I get the quarterback, I get him – but I'm worrying about stopping the run and shutting the run down first because, as you [saw] last week, they can do it really well if we allow them to."
(On the Falcons losing RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson)
"Oh yeah, they're going to be [really] different but they've still got some younger guys who [have] been carrying the load pretty well, too – splitting time with them. I think they will miss him but the young guys are going to try to step up and leave their mark on the game."
WIDE RECEIVER CHRIS GODWIN
(On the biggest challenge in facing the Falcons)
"I think one of the biggest things is that they're playing with a lot of momentum right now. They won two straight and they've got a lot of talented guys over there – they've got a lot of talented young guys that are hungry. It'll be a challenge for us – add on top of that, it's a divisional opponent. I think everyone understands that we're all fighting for first place in the division and they're going to come here and give us their best shot."
(On if last week's offensive performance could be a catalyst moving forward)
"I think it very well could be. It's tough whenever you're trying to put together your offensive gameplan whenever you don't have everybody out there. You add on top of that that we have a bunch of new faces – we've got new receivers, new offensive linemen – it's just tough. Like I said, it's a long season, and I think it can be very easy for people to overreact early in the year. I think the biggest thing for us is just continuing to work to build throughout the season, which is what we've done over the last couple of years. It hasn't always been sunshine and rainbows early in the year – we just kind of slowly get better and better and better. You can't just build chemistry in one day or one game, it's going to take some time."
(On losing back-to-back home games)
"Yeah, you never want to lose back-to-back games. Like I said, it's a long year and we have a lot of prepared guys on our team, so I'm confident in our ability to kind of come together as a team and put it together… We've got a lot of great guys on the team. As long as we stay committed to each other – stay committed to the process – I think we'll be fine."
(On if the lack of offensive consistency is because they haven't been full strength)
"Yeah, it's guys being absent – not only from practice but just from games, we've been banged up. On top of that, we have new guys in the lineup. You can't manufacture chemistry – the only way you get it is to build it day in and day out. It's through making mistakes, it's through the good [times] and the bad times and understanding what Tom [Brady] wants, what we're looking for, and how it all meshes at the same time. It's going to take time, patience. I tell our guys the same thing and we all understand that – it's going to take some time."
(On if his injuries have changed his style of play)
"To be honest, I don't know any other way to play. I joke about it a lot but that's all I know – to go be physical and give it my all. There's no quit in me, and I'm going to keep doing that until it's my time to hang [the cleats] up. When that is, we'll never know – but I'm grateful to be back on the field. I think my absence from the game has given me a brand-new perspective on how much I appreciated it and how much I loved the day-to-day process of being in the locker room with the guys, joking around, being able to work towards something each week and then getting to go out there and put the product on the field – win, lose, or draw. I'm grateful for that opportunity and I'm going to continue to do that, continue to be grateful, and just go out there and have fun doing what I love."
-BUCCANEERS-