HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On if there's an update on the status of OLB Anthony Nelson)

"[Anthony] Nelson has a sprained knee. I'm not sure the severity of it yet – [the results] haven't come back yet. That's probably the only information we have at this time."

(On if there were any other injuries sustained in Week 16 against Carolina)

"There [are] some tweaks. We're waiting for some MRIs to come back."

(On why the offensive game plan didn't call for more pass attempts, as opposed to the idea of "having to get 30 rushes")

"We didn't have to get it. We wanted to. It was a formula for us that worked last year. Last year we had 41 and 38 rushes against them. When you win the game, it's different; when you lose the game, we were right there…We did everything we wanted to do. We controlled every category except for the turnover battle at the end and we lost the ball game. So, we try to get the ball to our stars, but at the same time, we try to establish the run game and make it balanced as well."

(On if Tampa Bay's amount of first-down rush attempts offensively makes it easier for defensive coordinators to game plan against)

"[It] depends on what's working. If they're running the ball and it's successful, then you keep at it. If it's not successful, then it's going to be difficult for you."

(On the overall lack of production on first down against Carolina)

"It's not by design. We're always trying to get first downs. Obviously, some of the things they did kind of stymied some of the things we did, whether it was run or pass. At the same time, we've got to move the ball more efficiently on first down."

(On the lack of downfield pass attempts against Carolina)

"It's not by design. We need more explosive plays."

(On if he's talked with the team about them still controlling their own destiny by being able to make the playoffs with wins in each of their last two games)

"Well, they're off today, but we talked about it yesterday after the ball game. We understand we control our own destiny, but our biggest enemy right now is us and we understand that as well. So, going into the week, that's all we'll focus on and we'll focus on the things that we can do better as coaches and players, and we'll go into the game against Miami."

(On how the team can pull out victories despite players already having said they've understood the urgency required for some time)

"[You've] got to execute. I mean, it comes down to execution. When you go in there, you play your hardest [and] you've got to play your best at the same time. Your best players have got to play great, and your role players have got to play [well]. Then, it comes down to execution at the end. We just didn't execute at the end."

(On if Carolina's final kickoff of the game was a particularly well-executed kick, or if the ball should have been fielded while it was still in the field of play)

"I would like to see [Sean Tucker] try and catch that."

(On LB John Bullock's personal foul towards the end of the game)

"It's a young player that made a mistake and he's got to be a smarter football player than that. He has been. He'll learn from it, but that's a bad play to do at that time."

(On C Graham Barton saying the team plays best when they're playing "free")

"We play best when we're executing. There's nothing wrong with our mental state. We've got to execute and finish plays at the end. It's football – it's a game we've been playing since we were small children and we've grown up now to play professional ball…When you lose, you try to come up with different things and everything else like that, but at the end of the day, you've got to work hard and execute."

(On how much the injuries to guards Cody Mauch and Ben Bredeson have impacted the offense)

"Well, it's always a change. It's a big change in the run game. Pass protection, they do okay for the most part, but they've all got to play well together. It's not just the two guard spots. They've got to play well. The tackles and the center have got to play well as well."

(On his assessment of CB Benjamin Morrison's play)

"I really thought he competed. He did some very good things. He gave up a pass or two, but…[He's] got to train his eyes a little bit in the run game, but I really thought he gave us a chance and he competed. I like the way he played."

(On the last-second touchdown by Carolina at the end of the first half)

"Like you said, [Jamel Dean] could have played it better. The blitz should have got home [and] he should have been in a different position. It was bad technique and play on his part. The ball should have never happened."

(On the position of the safeties on the aforementioned play)

"He was by himself. He should have been off and deeper and we talked about it. He understands that and he knows the situation. We do it all the time."

(On clarifying that the reason for the touchdown was a breakdown in technique)

"Yes."

(On how he is feeling)

"I'm fine. I'm fine. You get pissed off when you lose, but you coach, you've got to get them better each day. That's part of what coaching is for me, that's part of what coaching is for us. You find a way to get these guys motivated and get them going and understand we control our own destiny and we go from there. So, a [coach's] job is never done. It's never easy, but it's never done. So, we're working on ways to get better and we're going to try to win this division."

(On his assessment of OLB Jason Pierre-Paul's play)

"We tried to put him in in some passing situations. We put him inside some and it really didn't turn out because they had a lot of third-and-short plays where they ran the ball, so the passing situations never really materialized. Going forward, we'll get him outside as he gets used to the scheme and we'll get him some work done and he'll help us in the pass rush."

-BUCCANEERS-