OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BYRON LEFTWICH

(On what has to happen for the running game to get going)

"First and foremost, we've just got to get connected.  We've got to get in our run lanes, and we've got to get more downhill with our run game, to be honest with you. Obviously – I don't even know how many attempts we had, six or seven, something like that – the game got away from us so we had to chase the score. In general, we just have to do a better job of getting connected on the second level, running, getting to the right landmarks so we can get to the right spot. We're working on it, we'll be fine."

(On if there are any technique issues on the offensive line that are hurting the running game)

"It's just [that] there are some great defenders on the opposite side, you know? It's [not] easy to push the big guys around. We're working on it, we'll get there – we'll get to where we need to be to be effective the way we need to be."

(On if the team hasn't been running outside the tackles as much because of the way defenses are lining up)

"Some – we go into the game, like I tell you guys, we want to win the game that day. Sometimes it may not be in the gameplan that we're going to be outside the tackles because of who we're up against and the opponent we're up against. That's a gameplan thing, really – a week-to-week thing, from what we need to do from that standpoint to win that day."

(On if last week's offensive performance is closer to the team's expectations)

"Oh yeah, that's what we are. That's what we are, that's what we've been sine we've been together as a group. It was good to see."

(On there not being as many plays of 20-yards-or-more compared to last season)

"It's really the way teams play us. The teams know who we have from a personnel standpoint, especially when our guys are out there. So they try and get us to throw underneath – we don't care, we'll take the completion. We don't care what defenses do. We're going to make the right play all the time – if it takes us 12 plays, if it takes us five plays, it's really irrelevant to us. We're not trying to play a certain way, we just want to attack the defense – keep attacking the defense and score points. That's really our process – it depends on what we get from a coverage standpoint to determine if we get over the top of people, but if they don't want you to get over the top [and] play soft coverage, we'll take everything we can underneath."

(On how well QB Tom Brady is performing at age 45)

"Yes. It's hard to imagine somebody playing at the level that he's playing at if you're 26, let alone when you're 45. You're 45, you see the ball come out of his hands – you guys see it – it's special to be able to throw the ball that way. He's still got that much velocity, that much accuracy in his football. That's unique, man. That's a special thing. For him to be able to locate that ball and put that ball where [it] needs to be, that's why he's Tom Brady. It's just special and unique to see on a day in, day out basis."

(On if the touchdown to WR Mike Evans in Week 1 is an example of Brady's arm talent)

"Yeah, I mean there was just one place to put that ball, right? One place to put that ball. Him and Mike got a great opportunity – you couldn't find two better guys to be in that situation."

(On RB Rachaad White's performance in Week 4)

"He played well, he had a smile on his face the whole time. Unfortunately for him he had the turnover early, but that's part of being in the National Football League – he can learn from that. But to come in on offense and to help us the way he helped us, it's going to be good for us because of what he can do from a skillset standpoint. He can do a lot of different things – a lot of things that 'Lenny' [Fournette] can do from a skillset standpoint, so it was good to get him out there."

(On White being able to put his turnover behind him and continue contributing)

"That's the game. That's the game [at] this level. I don't know what that was, but it's the game, right? [Good] things happen, [bad] things happen within a 60- [or] 70-play game, right? You've got to be able to move on from each play [and] try to play your best down."

(On how WR Julio Jones looks)

"Yeah, he looked okay. We'll see. We'll see on Sunday."

(On if QB Tom Brady is any different this season compared to other seasons)

"No. [He's] the exact same guy."

(On if wide receivers Russell Gage and Julio Jones have been helpful in creating a gameplan against the Falcons)

"Well, we know these guys well because they're in our division. We know these guys well. Obviously Julio was in Tennessee last year, Russ was there last year – it helps, but I think within the division, when you play divisional opponents, people know each other well enough. You get any information you can get but most of the times, teams know each other well."

(On the Falcons defense)

"They're playing hard, they're playing tough. They've got players that are just making plays, right? You watch and they're just making plays. It's the National Football League – each week is tough. Every time we play these guys, it's tough. It's tough every time we play them. Any time you play within the division, it's tough. We expect a good football team to show up. We're trying to prepare and make sure we're ready to play our best."

(On if Falcons CB A.J. Terrell is one of the better cornerbacks in the league)

"Yes. Yes."

(On if last week's loss against the Chiefs could be viewed as a positive, similar to the loss to the Chiefs in 2020)

"It's not that we found something, it was just good to have our guys out there. It's good to have your guys and get the continuity back of being in a gameday huddle. The first four weeks, we've had a bunch of guys in and out of the huddle. It was good to have your main guys in the huddle so they can start developing what they need to develop. That's what I took from that game. If we can just get our guys out there, that's what I think we can do offensively."

(On how surprised he was to see WR Cole Beasley retire)

"It caught me by surprise, but that's the game. I always say this: players know first. Most of the time, it's hard for us to get to that point, but players know before anybody else. When you get there, when you start having that feeling, the best thing to do is to probably get out. It's a tough game to play halfway in, halfway out. It was great to have him for two weeks, to be around him for two weeks. I actually learned a lot from him, just picking his brain. Players know first. Players know first and you've got to respect that when players do that."

(On if TE Ko Kieft will start getting the ball more)

"He's probably seventh or eighth on the list with the guys, but that's why I don't see him as a fullback as I said earlier in the year. I don't just see him as a fullback. He has certain skillsets that he can bring from a tight end position. But you can put him in the backfield and you can put him at the line of scrimmage. Ko [has] a skillset that's unique to Ko – he can do more than you really think he can do. It's good to see him get his first catch."

(On TE Cade Otton overcoming a difficult personal loss)

"Yeah, and you watch these two guys (Kieft and Otton) that we're talking about – you wouldn't even know that they're rookies. These two guys are rookies in the huddle, playing at a high level [and] able to get the job done. That's a special, unique thing – to get two guys in the same position, rookies, on the field at the same time and being able to trust in them. The way that they practice every day, they don't have [mental errors], they don't do the wrong thing – they always do the right thing. That's what's special about these two – you can put them in the huddle and feel comfortable that they'll do the right thing. That's unique, especially when you're talking about rookies and tight ends because that's a tough position to be a rookie at with all of the different things you've got to do from a position standpoint."

RUN GAME COORDINATOR/DEFENSIVE LINE COACH KACY RODGERS

(On knowing that the Falcons will want to run the ball)

"And they're hard-headed about it. You know, that's the thing, when you look at them – we see in this league a lot of offensive linemen, tackles up in a two-point stance – and when you look at [the Falcons] everybody's down in three-point stances [and] you know they're coming off. And they're doing a pretty good job of it. What's kind of amazing is, you look back and getting ready to play them last year, they finished 31st in the league in rushing offense, and right now, they're fourth. So, you can see what they've committed to in the offseason."

(On the Falcons' running back depth)

"Well, they had a one-two, and what we say, a two-and-three punch because they keep running the same plays. It'd be different if you said, '[Cordarrelle] Patterson would run these plays, with [Tyler] Allgeier we run these plays…they all run the same plays and get downhill. What's amazing is, when you look at third down, there's not a whole lot of them because they are converting a lot on first and second down, and third down is very manageable because it's third-and-one, third-and-two, so they're staying ahead of the sticks and doing an outstanding job."

(On what needs to be fixed on the defensive line to slow down the Falcons' run game)

"Everything. Everything. For one, just getting off blocks better – everybody fitting the way we need to be. We just need to play a heck of a lot better than we have been playing."

(On if that's an easy fix)

"The easier thing is – it's just going back to fundamentals, playing together, and it's what happens when one guy's wrong here, one guy's wrong here and it snowballs. We just all have to get on the same page and get 11 hats to the ball."

(On if the Falcons do anything different schematically in regard to their run game)

"Their run game is primarily inside-outside zone. The good thing about it is that everybody's going together, they're all on the same page, so a lot of people try to stunt and everything while the zone sucks it all up. And they do a good job – they're really running off the ball and they're getting push and the backs are hitting it downhill. You look at a lot of them and you watch their games, look at second-and-five, second-and-fourth, they're coming downhill, then you throw in the quarterback running element. There you go – he's booting and if it [isn't] there, he's taking off. Then they also have those zone-read elements, so you add this up and you got 80 [yards] from the running backs, 40 [yards] from [Marcus Mariota], you got 30 – next thing you know you have 150 [or] 160 yards rushing and that's where they want to be."

(On if the linebackers have a lot to watch for)

"No question because they have the flashes and the jets with the receivers coming across and you've got the inside zone. Then, you have the quarterback keeping it out here… It's a nightmare."

(On the changes he's seen to the Falcons' offense now that they have QB Marcus Mariota)

"It looks like…from our standpoint, it looks like he's faster than we've [seen] him before and he is really moving with this play-action to get the running game going, so it opens up the action to get him on the perimeter and if it [isn't] there he takes off. And you know, [with] the play-action pass, the routes are so deep, if he gets out, he's running for a while. It's a very problematic scheme because when you look at it, it's like they're blocking them up – they're not letting him get hit – so they block him up and the routes – they take the top off with these spear routes and these deep-overs, buying a lot of time for him and he's doing a heck of a job running their offense."

(On how to approach a quarterback like Marcus Mariota who throws on the run)

 "With Marcus, his pocket is constantly moving, whether they're spreading him out, they're rolling and then they will drop him back and throw it deep, but the pocket is constantly moving. And then, you've got the threat of the option game – that's always a problem, so every defense you call, you've got to make sure – who's on the quarterback, who's on the pitch – then stop the inside zone. So, their scheme really creates a lot of problems."

(On the mentality of the defense after giving up 41 points last week)

"Well here, first of all, Todd [Bowles] has a 24-hour rule, so we put it to bed, and we put it to rest and move on. And like I told the guys, sometimes the bear gets you, sometimes you get the bear. You've got to move on – it's the National Football League. There's a lot of great players and people have their day, but what we've got to do is work on getting better and going on to the next one."

(On if he would prefer going up against a top five running offense to show that the defense can improve)

"The good thing about it is, one – we have another challenge this week and [the Falcons] are very hard-headed about running the ball, so it will be a good test for us because they want to come off and push us – that's what they want to do. There's no question – 35, 40 times – if I'm not mistaken, [in] the Cleveland game, they ran it 14 straight times during it. And that's hard. Just thinking, I told the guys that we're looking at it from the mentality – they're running, and you know they're running and there's nothing you can do about it – that's the most demoralizing thing that can happen to you in football. That's what we're getting into this Sunday."

(On how the Falcons' offense has improved)

"The thing with it is, it's just like continuity. This is year two [or] three for them in the same system and you go back the year before in the past, they're running the same stuff, but now, you add a quarterback running element. But they've still been running the scheme, they're just doing it a heck of a lot better. They're doing a great job, they really are."

(On how much of a difference there has been with this week's preparation compared to last week's preparation during Hurricane Ian)

"Well, really for us, the standpoint with everything going on is that we have to go do a job, and last week, we didn't get it done. We've just got to move on and go from there."

(On if coaches move on from games in the same way)

"Yes, we have to. We have no choice. It's such a long season, and we put it to bed, move on to the next one."

(On what NT Vita Vea has to do to get back to being a dominant and destructive force)

"Just get back to playing his game, [and] not trying to do too much. Just do what he's asked to do, and his natural ability will take over from there."

(On if Vea trying to do anything extra or fill a void)

"No – it's just with this and that – he really just has to play better. No excuse for him – he knows it and he wants to fix it."

(On if it's a function of not having DL Akiem Hicks up there with him)

"Not at all. It's part of working on it and getting back to the level we expect him to play at."

(On what he's seen from defensive linemen Logan Hall and Rakeem Nuñez-Roches)

"Actually, those guys have stepped up. Logan actually should have played more in the game – hindsight 20/20 – than we played him. Looking at the way the game was unfolding, I probably did him an injustice by not putting him in there more. We expect a lot out of him and 'Nacho' (Rakeem Nuñez-Roches) – couple of years ago, he stepped in for us and filled in admirably, and now, we're moving him all around. He will step up and he will do the job."

(On how important it is to get back on track after two consecutive losses)

"Well, for us to look at it, one – it's the next game, so that's the most important. Then, it's a division game, so we're battling for first in the division, so that makes it an even more important game. For us, we just want to play a complementary team game."

(On if he feels that they may need to look outside of the organization for some help stopping the run)

"No. We have total confidence in the guys in this building to get everything fixed and corrected."

QUARTERBACK TOM BRADY

(On how his shoulder is feeling)

"Good. [It] feels great, thanks for asking. I'll be there Sunday."

(On if his level of play has reaffirmed his decision to come back for a 23rd NFL season)

"I just enjoy playing with the guys I play with and I think the biggest reason to come back is the guys that I'm in there with, and represent the organization and try to do a great job."

(On how challenging it has been to keep a singular focus on football)

"Football always has its challenges in different ways for everybody at different times. It's work, and everyone has different challenges. You deal with it the best way you can."

(On if it's challenging to have a productive offense with a struggling run game)

"I think you've always got to try to stay balanced over the course of the season. A few games we've done a better job. We've just been getting behind quite a bit and it's been frustrating that we haven't performed very well early in order to keep us more two-dimensional. When you're one-dimensional, it's tough. I think we – even last year – you kind of fall back to the pass game because you know we're successful with it. But at the same time, you've got to play with the lead and you've got to keep the other team playing both. We're going to try to work at all those things to make us a better football team, for sure."

(On having more of his main receivers healthy and in the game)

"That's important. I think we are trying to get everyone out there so we can build on certain things. I think when you have those guys out there, obviously they're great players, they're going to make a lot of plays. Mike [Evans] is going to make a lot of plays, Chris [Godwin] is going to make plays. We've just got to keep doing it. I think it's…2-2 is not where we want to be. We've got to do a lot of things a lot better."

(On how much his preparation was affected last week by the team's relocation to Miami)

"Last week was last week. This week is a different challenge and we've got to have a great week. This is important for us. It's a division game at home against a team that's playing good football, and they have a unique style and they're tough to beat this year, even the [games] they've lost and the teams they've lost to it's been close games. We've got to play good football, and I think we've got to prepare well. 0-2 at home, that sucks and that's the reality. So, there's no excuses. We haven't got the job done and it's a production business – you either win or you lose."

(On what makes the Falcons difficult to go up against)

"They're good. I think they have a good scheme and I think they're very athletic. They're physical and they play well together. They're well-coached. I think their offense does a good job with their defense, good complementary football. They run the ball a lot, so therefore their defense isn't out there as much. They're doing a good job. They're a very different team than the one we played the last two years."

(On tight ends Cade Otton, Ko Kieft and Kyle Rudolph)

"I think they're like everyone else – trying to work hard to get better and make improvements. Football is important to both those young tight ends we have, and Kyle's done a good job, so that position is providing some consistency and dependability for us, which is important."

(On coming off a loss to the Chiefs)

"Anytime you lose at home…every loss feels horrible for a certain period of time. The faster you can learn from it and move on, the better. Two [home] games into the year, we've lost two in a row. We can look at the film and understand why. You turn the ball over, you get behind, you don't play well on third down, you don't score points in red area – it's all the same stuff. It's stuff you've got to work on. I think every year the challenge in football is everyone starts at the bottom and you've got to work your way up. There's a lot of new players, a lot of transition, guys come and go, the team's strengths are different. That's why everyone tunes in to watch football every week, because you never know what you're going to get."

(On if there is a sense that the Buccaneers haven't played a complete game yet)

"Yeah. I think we feel like we certainly have not played our best football. That's very true."

(On there being a lot of 2-2 teams in the NFL right now)

"I think there's a lot of bad football, from what I watch. I've watched a lot of bad football. A lot of poor quality of football – that's what I see."

(On getting a chance to get back in a rhythm with wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin)

"Yeah, I think it's really important. Again, the more you're doing stuff together and working at things and going through the reps and the practices and games and live competition, the better you're going to be. I've just played with a lot of guys over a long period of time. This is only my third year with Mike and Chris, especially, and there's other players – Cam [Brate], Leonard [Fournette] – and there's a lot to learn. It's a tough sport. There's a lot of coordination that goes into an offense and defense and special teams and getting everything right in order to consistently win."

(On what he learned from the two losses the past two weeks)

"Well, why we lost. You understand why you lost and what you need to do a better job of, and who's going to be in there and who's dependable and consistent, who you can count on and who's doing the right thing consistently well. We're making the changes we need in order to put us in a better position to win."

-BUCCANEERS-