HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On if there's an update on the status of G Ben Bredeson)

"Not yet. I know he's got a sprain. He's going to get an MRI either later today or tomorrow."

(On whether RB Bucky Irving's injury issue is now more shoulder than ankle)

"Yes."

(On if he expects RB Bucky Irving back soon)

"Hopefully. We'll see if he can take a hit."

(On if he can expect WR Chris Godwin Jr. or OLB Haason Reddick to return to practice this week)

"Not this early in the week. I don't know."

(On clarifying if he said it's possible that RB Bucky Irving practices this week)

"No, I didn't say that. I said hopefully we get him back soon. I didn't say he was practicing this week."

(On if he knows whether or not RB Bucky Irving could practice this week)

"Not right now, no."

(On his assessment of guards Dan Feeney and Mike Jordan against the Patriots, and whether they would remain the starters moving forward)

"They had some good plays. I mean, they had some plays you'd like to have back where they gave a little bit of penetration, but they fought and they battled in there and that's all you can ask of them. They've both been in the league for a while right now. So, we've got to get some continuity there and they've got to get some practice reps in and they'll be better."

(On whether backup tackles could be moved to guard, or if he will stick with the combination of Dan Feeney, Mike Jordan and Luke Haggard that have started games at guard already this season)

"We'll stick with the three right now."

(On QB Baker Mayfield's postgame comments about accountability and lacking a killer instinct)

"We encourage our players to have accountability. I don't think we had any killer instinct yesterday. I thought we played like we had a Bye Week from an energy standpoint. We have it when we get rolling. It's good for him to speak up and say those things. He's one of our captains, as well as Vita [Vea], 'Tae' (Lavonte David), [Antoine] Winfield Jr., Mike [Evans], and all those guys. So, guys listen when they speak. They listen when they speak, and accountability is making sure the guy next to you is doing their job. He's one of the guys that advocates that. He's the lead example on offense. Lavonte [David] is the leader on defense that way, and we've got to follow suit."

(On whether anything he saw in the film review session mitigates the four explosive plays allowed against the Patriots)

"No, nothing mitigates that."

(On whether Sunday's loss was more about the Patriots' performance or Tampa Bay's own shortcomings)

"Anytime you have an opponent, it's always them winning the football game, and then you have to look at yourself and see the things you did to not win a football game. We definitely had our share in it. You give them credit – they did a heck of a job. They made the big plays, we did not. We've got to make more big plays and we've got to stop big plays."

(On if there's any concern that teams might target CB Benjamin Morrison when he rotates into the game)

"Yeah, we understand that. I mean, that's anybody that goes in the ballgame as a backup at any position on either side of the football. But we have full confidence in [Benjamin] Morrison – he's been playing well, and he's been doing a lot of good things for us. He just didn't have a good day yesterday."

(On whether more prep work during the team's Bye Week would've helped)

"Really, all I gave them off was Wednesday. We usually have victory Monday. And, Tuesday…They're mandated four days off, and we were so banged up we got Wednesday off, so that made it an entire week and we needed every bit of those days. We came back and we practiced and had a good week of practice. We just did not execute well."

(On the difference between a good team and a great team, and where the Buccaneers stand)

"The difference between a good and a great team is preparation on a daily basis. I don't think we're great. We prepare. Most of the time, we're very good. It's just one or two guys that have a blank or a [mental error] here or there that costs everybody else, and it's a different guy each time, and we've got to get that fixed."

(On the failed fourth-down play in the fourth quarter, and if he can identify where the mistakes were on that play)

"We've got to design it better for the receivers to get open, and then we've got to block it better. So, it was all-inclusive."

(On how losing WR Mike Evans has affected the offense overall)

"I think you saw that the next week that we lost him. When you have a guy like that that you've got to prepare for, it's always going to be different when you lose that kind of production."

(On whether QB Baker Mayfield missed a few reads or checkdowns towards the end of the game)

"There were some plays he'd like to have back, yeah. But I don't want to say he turned down a bunch of things. It's all-inclusive offensively when we mess up. Like I said, we can call it better as coaches and we definitely can execute better."

(On if they were trying to eliminate New England's returners by kicking for touchbacks)

"No, we were not trying to kick it in the end zone."

(On whether the touchbacks were just coincidence)

"Yes."

(On his assessment of the punt and punt-coverage performance)

"I thought it was pretty good yesterday. They had a heck of a returner going into it. I think it's gotten a lot better over the recent weeks. [We] didn't get many yards covered yesterday from a punt standpoint. We had some hang time and we got down there and got some fair catches, which was great to see, but again, they had a heck of a punt returner yesterday. I thought special teams, from a coverage-standpoint unit, had gotten better each week."

(On the challenge of going to Buffalo next)

"We worry about us. We're not worried about Buffalo until we play on Sunday. At this point, every week's going to be a round-robin tournament. Everybody's going to be playing for desperation, as we see it anyway. So, we've got to take care of the things we've got to take care of, correct our mistakes, come out and put our best foot forward, and execute like we know how to execute."

(On QB Baker Mayfield's health status and whether injuries limit his effectiveness)

"No. I think in the middle of the season right now, everybody is playing with something. Everybody is playing with something. So, we just have to make sure we keep him upright and don't get him hit as much. I thought he came out and had a good week of practice. He looked better than he did before the Bye Week. All of our guys are playing with something. If you're at 75%, you're at 100%. If you're at 50%, you're functional. So, he's functional."

(On S Tykee Smith's interception in the end zone and his instinctive play)

"It's a heck of a play by him – very instinctive. [He is] one of our top three instinctive guys on defense. [He] makes plays all over the field. He made some great plays in the run game. He's a very sharp guy. Heck of a play by him – it gave us a chance."

(On RB Sean Tucker's production vs. New England)

"He did a good job. I mean, he bounced it outside. He's got the speed right there and they had the holes for him. But Tucker – he's got a very thick lower body – he bounces off things very well, and as he gets more carries you're seeing what he can do."

(On whether RB Sean Tucker has earned more carries and how he compares to running backs Bucky Irving and Rachaad White)

"I don't think [Sean] Tucker' is like Bucky at all. I think they run differently. I don't think they're very similar. I think all three are very different in the way they run the football. He's gotten a lot more reps and a lot more plays and a lot more blitz pickup, and we're going to need all of them coming down the stretch. So, we're good where he's at right now, and the hot hand usually gets more reps."

(On his assessment of OLB Chris Braswell Jr., and if there's an update on the status of OLB Haason Reddick's health)

"Haason – he's getting better. We don't know where he's at right now. We'll see later in the week. As far as 'Bras' (Chris Braswell Jr.), he's a very aggressive, physical football player, so when he comes to take on blocks and everything, he's fine. He's gotten a lot better in the passing game, as well. He knows how to set the edge and he just needs a chance to play more."

-BUCCANEERS-