HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On if the 'lack of tackling' against the Arizona Cardinals was due to fatigue)

"It wasn't a lack of tackling. We've got to wrap up. I mean, it's not fatigue. We just have to wrap up and finish the plays. It happens, but it can't happen like that."

(On how much wide receivers Jalen McMillan and Mike Evans were able to do during practice on Wednesday)

"It was a walkthrough, so they didn't do too much. We'll be interested to see them tomorrow when we're running."

(On his assessment of WR Mike Evans' physical readiness to play)

"Physically, he's fine. He's been running and everything. I can't tell you he's hit anybody, so we've got to see him in a football atmosphere – running routes, pattern-wise, getting acclimated to that. So, it'll be good to see tomorrow."

(On if he has any 'mixed feelings' towards Carolina Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales and his success in Charlotte)

"[He is a] very good friend. I'm very happy for him. I'm very happy for him. He's done a great job since he's been there. He's turned the team around. He's come a long way. I don't want them to beat us once we play them, but obviously I'm happy for him."

(On the key to beating the New Orleans Saints on Sunday)

"Anytime we play them, it's always who wins the turnover battle – every time. The records are out the window. They play hard, we play hard, we both know each other pretty well. Whoever wins the turnover battle wins the game."

(On what WR Mike Evans' return means for the offense)

"Well, [his absence] forced us to do other things and see how other things work. So, if we can do that and acclimate Mike back into the things he does, it only helps us going forward."

(On what it's been like seeing WR Jalen McMillan's recovery from a 'scary' injury)

"It was great to see him get cleared. You can see the smile back on his face and him moving around a lot better and him looking great. You can tell he got his weight back up, he's been running quite a bit, so just to see him back out there…I'm happy for him."

(On Brian Hartline being named the University of South Florida's new head coach)

"He's a great coach. He's a hell of a coach. He was a coach when he was a receiver [and] didn't even know it. He's very smart, very intelligent. I'm sure he's going to keep that program going."

(On how he feels about the team's position heading into December)

"You want to control your own destiny. You don't want to sit and look at scores every Sunday. If you can control your own destiny and get guys back in the process and acclimate them the right way and they can help contribute, that's all you can ask for."

(On if there is a timetable for DL Calijah Kancey to return to practice from Injured Reserve)

"Not until [our medical staff] tells me, no."

(On what he's learned about New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough since the last time the Buccaneers played the Saints)

"He's faster than I thought. He plays with a lot of confidence, has a very quick release, very accurate. He's a hell of a competitor."

(On what it's like trying to motivate a team that has already been eliminated from playoff contention, in his experience)

"Everybody in this league plays for pride. There is nobody that's just going to give you any ballgames. Everybody has their name on their back and the name on the front, and you play for that. They play for it, we play for it – everybody in the league plays for it."

QUARTERBACK BAKER MAYFIELD

(On WR Mike Evans and WR Jalen McMillan having their 21-day practice window opened to come off Injured Reserve)

"[We] talked about it to [an extent], but Mike [Evans] just attracts so much attention. His playmaking ability is great to have, obviously, I can trust him [and] know where he's going to be. He just attracts so much attention; it really affects how a defense is going to play you, how a coordinator is going to call it. We'll see how they progress continually, but yeah, getting him and 'J-Mac' (Jalen McMillan) -- for 'J-Mac' it's been a long time coming, going back to training [camp] and preseason games. He's worked his tail off to get to this point, so hopefully he keeps heading in the right direction. It will keep getting better for us, but like I said last week, we have all we need to win right now. Those pieces will be bonuses for us, but we need to execute with what we have right now."

(On how important WR Mike Evans and WR Chris Godwin Jr. are to redzone offense)

"Yeah, especially Mike [Evans]. Whether it's the run plays where they'll load the box up and you have a one-on-one with him, time and time again we've thrown it to him, so things like that. [With] Chris [Godwin Jr.], just understanding zones down there [and] knowing how to beat leverage, so yeah, you feel it."

(On WR Chris Godwin Jr. having a strong performance in his second game back from injury)

"Even the practice leading up to it, he looked better than he did earlier in the season. He just looked more confident, I'll say that, and just looked more explosive. For him, just translating it and it was good to see him back out there."

(On WR Chris Godwin Jr.'s first catch against the Arizona Cardinals)

"Yeah, [he] still looked explosive. Contact-balance, Chris [Godwin Jr.] is never an easy guy to bring down. He's got great balance, he's strong and [it was] just a good play overall on that one that we made, and Tez [Johnson] got a block to truly make it explosive."

(On playing the New Orleans Saints for the second time this season, and wins against the Saints not coming easy)

"Against them, it really never does. We don't like them; they don't like us. They play hard, you can see it on the tape based on the other games that they've played since we've played them last and it shows. We know what to expect; record doesn't indicate how physical this matchup is going to be [and] what a tough matchup it is. They know us, we know them well, so it's one of those, who can execute better and be the more physical team?"

(On if the Saints defense has evolved since their last meeting and what they are expecting out of it)

"[They have] some minor changes here and there. They still do what they do and do it well. I'd say the pass rush is getting home a little bit more. They're trusting Demario [Davis] in coverage, letting some of the other linebackers blitz. [Demario Davis] is still a matchup nightmare when he lines up [on] the line of scrimmage. [We have] to be aware of where he's at, but I think [Carl] Granderson and Chase [Young] are also playing really well on the edges,"

(On how he is feeling physically with his shoulder injury and if it is affecting his throws)

"It's getting better. I didn't take any direct hits like I mentioned to you guys, which is great. [It is] still one of those things that's going to take time, so hopefully I can put two of those in a row together. For practice reps, we'll see how it progresses. [I] take as many reps as I can possibly get, but if not, then just do the mental preparation like I did last week."

(On what he would say the team's offensive identity is)

"It's been a resilient group, no matter who's in there. We've asked a lot of everybody to step up and do their job at a high level. I think a ton of people need to get credit for that. 'Grizz' (Josh Grizzard) having to adjust the play-calls for people who are in there, the position coaches for getting everybody that's stepping up and getting in there ready to play. It's a resilient group, and that goes for [all the] players, the staff [and] the training room, everybody that's involved in that. It takes everybody."

(On Carolina Panthers' Head Coach Dave Canales' success this season)

"We've got the Saints this week. [Head Coach] Dave [Canales] can do what he wants."

(On playing the Panthers two more times later in the season)

"Yeah... not yet. We play the Saints this week."

WIDE RECEIVER CHRIS GODWIN JR.

(On playing the New Orleans Saints earlier in the season and what they need to focus on this matchup)

"Honestly, I think it's just going to take a lot of communication by us. We [have] to be on the same page offensively and we [have] to make sure we're playing with the right effort and energy as well. It's a divisional game, they're going to bring their best game, and we have to do the same."

(On WR Mike Evans and WR Jalen McMillan having their 21-day practice window open to return from Injured Reserve and what kind of morale boost they give to the team)

"We know what kind of playmakers they are. Mike [Evans] is one of the best players of all time, right? 'J-Mac' (Jalen McMillan), he's a young guy, but he's shown incredible promise for us [and] you know what kind of player that he is as well. Anytime we're able to have the full room together, I think it's going to be pretty sweet, but just like anything else, you can't really control how fast things move for guys."

(On having a great support cast around him during his journey coming back from injuries)

"First off, I appreciate that. Unfortunately, I've been through this a couple of times. To your point, I've been very fortunate to have a ton of people in my corner, most notably my wife, Mariah. She's seen the thick of the dark of it -- when I've been at my lowest and when I've been at my highest as well. She's been an incredible rock for me to support me throughout the entire thing and just taking everything off my plate that I don't really need, she takes care of everything at home but also supports me in a ton of ways. I couldn't be more thankful for her and also just all the other people I have in my corner."

(On if his most recent injury was a reaggravated injury or a new injury entirely)

"It was a different injury. The first injury impacts the next one, right? It makes things a little bit more vulnerable. It was unfortunate, but we don't really control the things that life throws at us, we can only control our response to it. I take a lot of pride in being able to do that even though it's not easy at times."

(On OT Tristan Wirfs' praise of his resilience in rehabilitation and the difficulty of coming back from a major injury)
"There are very low points. To what Tristan [Wirfs] was saying, you are very, very alone during rehab. I think the reality of it is nobody can do the rehab for you. People can encourage you; they can support you as much as they want to, but at the end of the day, it has to be you that puts the work in. It directly translates to how fast you come back and how well you recover, also the mental space that you're in. If you don't have the right people around you to support you to help you in your mental space, it can be even tougher. But again, you [have] to take it one day at a time, and fortunately or unfortunately, I've been through this a couple of times, so I kind of understood what I was getting into even though each rehab was very different. I think the biggest thing I've taken from it is my overall sense of gratitude -- every time, it goes up. This is an incredible privilege to play in the NFL. It's something I worked my entire life to be able to get to this point. I'm fortunate that I've gotten to do it at a high level and that's all I'm focused on is getting back to that high level. Being able to be around the guys, being able to impact my team in a positive way, this is what I want to do the most."

CENTER GRAHAM BARTON

(On where the offensive line is at in terms of where they want to be coming off of a win against the Arizona Cardinals)

"I thought we did some pretty good stuff on Sunday. The Cardinals… with what they do with Budda Baker, who's a stud, it's a hard defense to game plan for. Communication is vital; their third-down looks are very exotic, and they get to [Baker Mayfield] on second-and-long, so that was not an easy game… know they haven't won many games, but they're a good defense and their scheme is well put together. That was a big mental challenge for us, and I thought we executed pretty well [for] the most part. I thought we had some good blocks, had some great run plays. Obviously, [we] would have liked to see a little bit more. I think a couple of the penalties we need to clean up, just cadence things and stuff like that, but I thought overall, we did a solid job."

(On WR Jalen McMillan's 21-day window to practice being opened to return off Injured Reserve)

"Yeah, it's awesome that he is healthy and everything is healing up properly. It's great to see that [because] that can be pretty discouraging going down in a preseason game like that, missing so much time. [I am] happy to see him moving around again. I'm not sure on his timetable or anything, but just happy he's healthy and back out there being around the team more and stuff like that."

(On OT Tristan Wirfs' receiving touchdown and the celebration after it)

"I'm glad I wasn't a tackle because it probably would've clanked it off both my hands. I'm glad it went to Tristan [Wirfs], I'm good, I'll just stay there in the middle. It was fun, we didn't really have anything planned…To be totally honest, I didn't think it would ever get called. We practiced it once or twice, so I'm like, 'Yeah, right,' and then it gets called and I'm like, 'Alright, here we go.' He makes a great catch and like I said, we didn't have anything set in stone, so I don't know...I just ran over and I was like, 'Jump, I'll lift you like a receiver,' and it worked, and we got a great picture out of it. Ben Bredeson was like, 'You planned...You knew what you were doing,' I really didn't, I just reacted that way and we had a good time with it, so glad it worked out."

(On having RB Bucky Irving back from injury and what he does for the offense)

"Bucky [Irving] is a massive add because I think going back to 2024 statistically having so much success in the run game being revered as one of those offensive lines, but -- I think we did a great job, not taking away anything from us -- you look at some of those plays… [where] someone might've missed a block or we didn't have it all blocked correctly, but Bucky makes a couple of moves and he's gone. So, having a guy like that who can just bail you out and make a few guys miss, you never know when he's going to take one 30-40 yards, and it can be any run-of-the-mill play where he does that. I think just having that dynamic is really awesome and we're super happy to have him back. I thought he did a lot of great things on Sunday; thought we could have helped him more on certain plays, but [we're] just happy to see him out there flying around again."

(On run plays when RB Bucky Irving reverses direction suddenly and what that's like for an offensive lineman)

"We just always say you [have] to strain through the whistle. Until you hear a whistle, you don't know where Bucky [Irving] is or what he's doing, so just find a hat, block someone and just pray your blocking is helping him and not throwing someone right into him, because you really don't know where he is. That's kind of the mindset there is to just find a defender and get on them when the play breaks down like that."

WEEK 13 NFC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK PUNTER RILEY DIXON

(On his final punt in Week 13 against the Arizona Cardinals – a 59-yard punt that pinned the Cardinals inside their own 10-yard line)

"Yeah, [it was] a big part of the game, just inside the two-minute [warning] there. We tried to grab as much field position as we could. [Greg] Dortch is a really solid returner. I think above all, we covered really well."

(On if playing in games where field position is a bigger factor than normal weighs on his mind as he prepares to punt)

"No. I mean, we've got a job to do – the game doesn't really change that. We try to do our best every week and try to help our team win and secure as much field position as we can."

(On Tampa Bay's punt coverage unit's performance in Week 13, specifically WR Kameron Johnson)

"Yeah, Kam played really well, Josh [did] as well – I could go down the list. Our gunners played really well. The punt play is such a unique play and there's a lot of statistics around it, but it's a unit deal. I only take care of one part of it. You can punt the ball as good as you want but if you don't make tackles or down the ball, then it's worthless. Like I said, I think we played, as a unit, really well. We've just got to keep stacking days like that going forward."

(On if he's changed his approach to punting the ball at all this season, or if it's mostly remained the same)

"[It is about] just staying within yourself. Sometimes you try to do a little too much or try to go for the superhero shots when, really, this game just calls on you to be your best and put your team in the best position to secure field position – especially in this stadium, you know, there's wind [and] there's a lot of factors going into how much you really want to bite off on each play and how much you're capable of…Then, also, taking what it gives you at certain times. It takes a little bit of patience."

-BUCCANEERS-