DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR TODD BOWLES

(On 'not missing a beat' when players like outside linebackers Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Cam Gill step up after losing key players)

"I don't know that we don't lose a beat. We do some different things with them, but those guys have stepped up all year and they've come in and made some plays. Obviously, it's bad when you lose any starter for a long period of time [let alone] a week, but those guys have come in and made some plays and really showed themselves worthy of playing."

(On the way S Jordan Whitehead played on Sunday against the Panthers)

"Jordan plays hard. When he's healthy, he plays very hard. He is very tough. He shows up for practice all the time, a very heady football player. He's one of our energy guys and we needed it last week."

(On feeling Whitehead's energy on Sunday)

"I think he plays like that all the time. It was no big deal for me to see it."

(On Whitehead's ability to run through people despite his size)

"He's tough. You can tell he's tough. He's mentally tough, he's physically tough and he loves to play the game. He takes it very seriously. He studies. He understands what he has to do, and he takes a lot of pride in everything he does. You can see that on the field."

(On the key to earning a strip sack)

"It's just timing, especially from behind. If you can see the ball, the ball is better than the hit. You still earn the sack regardless, but we have to make sure we can wrap up and make the tackles in case we don't get the ball. There is a lot of drill work that goes on with it. We emphasize it quite a bit and those guys do a good job."

(On being considered for the head coaching opening with the Jacksonville Jaguars and managing staying focused with the Buccaneers)

"You just said it – I'm just focused on the team right now."

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BYRON LEFTWICH

(On being considered for the head coaching position with the Jacksonville Jaguars and being among that group)

"I really think it's disrespectful to the Jets and whoever you're playing that week when you're talking about things that really has nothing to do with Sunday's game. I'm completely focused on this football game on Sunday. Obviously, as a coach anytime your name is thrown around, I guess it is what it is, but it really means nothing at this point. It really means nothing at this point and I kind of think it's disrespectful to the guys that you really work with every day. That's really how I view that. If I'm ever fortunate enough to be in that situation that's when I'll handle it, but as of right now, I'm really focusing on the opponent we're about to play and getting us ready to try and play our best football."

(On if he would rather have the interview process be after the regular season or even the postseason)

"I don't even think about it."

(On losing WR Chris Godwin and WR Mike Evans and how this can affect the passing attack)

"We're not really out there trying to throw touchdowns. We're trying to win games and score points. It doesn't matter to us how we do that. We're just trying to score points. I never really count touchdown passes, how many throws throughout a game or how many it has been in the past couple of weeks. I really want us to just try to score points, put our team in position and try to help us win football games. That's really how I see it."

(On the way WR Antonio Brown performed on Sunday against the Panthers)

"I don't know how much more he needs to do in this league to prove his greatness. He walked in this league really with it all over him. As a rookie, you knew that this was coming. He's been this type of player since the second he walked in this league. You just don't expect nothing else from him for really at this point. I've known him so long, that's just what I expect out of him anytime he's out there on the football field."

(On figuring out the strength of the team after losing key offensive players)

"We lost like 60-70 percent of our offense in like 10 plays. Anytime you're in that situation, you have to do what you have to do and that's my job. My job is to put these guys into position. My job is to take whoever is coming in, put them in what they do best and let them try to execute the best way they can. It's not to make it more difficult. I can't ask anybody to come in and be Chris Godwin or to come in and be Mike Evans. Who are we kidding? But I can ask them to come in and be your best self because that's good enough for us. That's good enough for us. That'll help us and that's what you get from the guys. That's why I love this group. You guys hear me talk about this week-in and week-out. I have love for this group because of the way they approach it. The way they approach it is the right way. Everybody has their hand in the pile trying to get us better, trying to help us win football games and they're all waiting on an opportunity. When the opportunity comes, it's not an accident that they're doing those things and making those plays because we believe in it, they believe in it and it's just happening, it's just football. All of these guys can play football. They wouldn't be here if they couldn't."

(On the wide receiver group stepping up knowing WR Chris Godwin will be out the remainder of the season)

"I just think it's opportunities. The problem is when you have AB (Antonio Brown), Chris, Mike [Evans], 'Gronk' (Rob Gronkowski) – the fifth and sixth guy are always going to have a problem with the ball coming his way. It's just opportunities. The fact that these guys were down [on the depth chart] and now they're in different spots. Now, they might not be the fifth or sixth guy in the progression. They'll be the first or second guy in the progression. Get ready for that moment so when it does come and the opportunity does present itself, you're ready for it. All of these guys have been ready for it with their preparation, with the way they go about the game during the week. All of these guys are out here trying to be better week-in and week-out."

(On how the flexibility to rely on other guys helps him as a play caller)

"We had games where we had those personnel packages out there. It was just probably different numbers. We try to be multiple. I say that over and over again that we want to be multiple. We want to have different ways that we can help as an offense. Sometimes it's going to be throwing for 400-something yards. Sometimes it's not going to be. Sometimes Tom [Brady] is going to have four or five touchdowns. Sometimes he's not. They key is for us to be able to execute at whatever we're trying to execute to help this football team win games."

(On how often he talks to Head Coach Bruce Arians)

"I talk to him like every morning, but nothing is really different. Nothing is really different. He always let us do what we see anyways. Nothing is really different. We're just hoping that he gets well. Hoping that he gets better. Can't wait to see him back out here."

(On the development of WR Cyril Grayson)

"I think BA (Bruce Arians) was talking about him three weeks ago. I think he's the most improved player we've had here from where he came from to where he is at now. I think he really put the work in. He worked his butt off every day. He's one of our most improved players since we got here [with] this group of coaches. I think when he first came here, he was just fast and now you see him developing into a wide receiver in this league. That's fun to see too. That's fun and fortunate to see when you have the belief in somebody, and he has the belief in himself. It's really about the belief in himself. You really begin to see him grow as a player. He believes that he belongs now and that's a good thing for us because he does belong."

(On what allowed Grayson to make the successful transition from a track star to a wide receiver)

"Well, for most guys who have been playing football all of their lives it's hard to get here. There have been guys that have been playing football their whole life and it's still hard to play at this level of football. For a guy that used to run track – but I think it's something different – he's an eight or seven time All-American. That's not an accident. It was a different sport, but I think all sports of some sort you can compare them in some way from a preparation or mindset of what you have to be as an athlete. I think that helps him to accomplish what he accomplished on the track."

QUARTERBACK TOM BRADY

(On if Offensive Coordinator Byron Leftwich has the qualities needed to be a successful head coach someday)

"Oh absolutely. I've been around a lot of great coaches over the years and it's just a matter of time for different guys when different opportunities come up. Byron has been amazing for me to work with, and I know he will have a lot of opportunities. He will do a great job."

(On the opportunity to become the second player in NFL history with back-to-back 40-touchdown seasons)

"I think just winning the game Sunday will be what I'm looking forward to. We've got to go out there and earn it. All the individual stats and so forth – ultimately, it's a team sport. That's just a credit to everybody. I think winning is the thing that I concern myself with the most and I feel like that is the most important thing for any quarterback is to win games."

(On slowing down WR Tyler Johnson in motion on the touchdown scored by RB Ronald Jones II in the Week 16 win over the Panthers, and the teaching moment that came from it)

"It's just important for all of us to be on the same page. The quarterback naturally says a lot of things. I have a lot of experience with different situations. We had two people moving at the same time, and we had a couple guys moving with Tyler in motion and Tyler wasn't really sure because he was just going across. I saw that we had multiple guys in motion, which is a penalty, so it's the quarterback's job to figure those things out. I just wanted to explain to Tyler in the moment when it's fresh in our minds."

(On the importance of addressing those teaching moments in the regular season to hopefully avoid them happening again in the postseason)

"I think it's important just because any time you do it in the moment there is awareness with it. There are a million things that happen on every play, so you could wait to address things, but when I see things at practice, I try to tell him right away like, 'Hey, this is the route. This is what we are thinking. This is the depth. This is the angle. This is the throw.' In football, you've got to be on the same page. All of us have to see things the same way. It's all about constant communication. If you don't communicate, you're not going to get any better at it."

(On if there is potential for the offense to return to its level of production despite losing some key players)

"Yeah, that's going to be important. I think everyone is going to have to play a role with different people in and out of the lineup. We've had a lot of people in and out the last [few games]. At different times you've got to adjust. Different players – Leonard [Fournette], Chris [Godwin], Mike [Evans], A.B. (Antonio Brown) has been out for a while, 'Gronk' (Rob Gronkowski) – you've just got to try to get guys to play a role and provide the level of production that allows you to go down and score points. Every week is going to be a little bit different. Again, I don't think it's production. It's just a matter of score points to me. If we have to go 80 yards, we've got to go 80 yards to get the ball in the end zone. If we get a turnover on the 10-yard line, it's still about scoring points. We don't have to produce as many yards to score points because the defense helped us out a lot. It's really the ultimate team sport in that respect. You have to do the best you can do based on the circumstances and opportunities that you are provided. Each week those are a little bit different with different players. Depending on how the defense plays, how the special teams plays, how the other team plays – all of those things factor in differently to the overall outcome of the game."

(On how well he knew John Madden and what he meant)

"I obviously got to know him for a long period of time just being in the sport. [I did] a lot of production meetings with him and [we] shot commercials together. I just had a lot of respect for him and what he meant to the game as a head coach and as an analyst. He's kind of just an amazing football legend. He meant a lot to the game. I think he entertained a lot of people and brought a lot of joy to people's lives. He was a great man, and he lived a great life."

(On how his family reacts when he shows his frustrations on TV)

"Probably not great. I think that's probably not the best thing to do. I probably should control my emotions better. I can do better than that."

(On his memories playing at MetLife Stadium)

"Yeah, it's a great stadium. They always have a good crowd. It's a really beautiful stadium, great locker rooms and with how you drive in and so forth – it's very spacious. I remember being at the old one for a long time and then the new one came – it was a long time ago, maybe 2010 was the first year of that stadium. I've just played a lot of games there over the years – preseason games [too]. Always very competitive games against the Jets – a lot of hard-fought games. It's a great stadium, depending on the conditions and so forth."

(On the trickiness of the winds at MetLife Stadium)

"It was a lot trickier at the old stadium because they had one tunnel that used to come down one end and the wind would come from the outside and go up into the stadium. It's closed off now. It's a really high stadium so it's hard to get a ton of wind in there like it used to be. It used to be really tough. It's not quite as tough anymore. I probably just jinxed myself – we are probably going to get 15 degrees and sideways winds."

(On if he had ever talked to John Madden about going for the win in Super Bowl XXXVI rather than playing for overtime)

"I never did but I remember it kind of set the stage for us that he thought, 'Okay, [they] should not go down and try to score.' It was pretty cool to be able to do it. That was a great time in our life. That was a long time ago. That was a great memory, and again, I think he was such a monumental figure in the league. Any time you had a production meeting with him, you were on your stuff. You wanted to go out there and help him do the best he could do too." 

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER ANTHONY NELSON

(On the increased opportunities that he has had due to others' injuries)

"When you get in the game, Will [Gholston] always tells me, 'Don't count the reps, make the reps count' It's unfortunate but injuries are a part of the game. It really sucks to see your friends and guys that you work with every day to go down like that, but we're a team and we just need to step up, makes plays and keep this train rolling because we have a bigger goal."

(On how much OLB Shaq Barrett and OLB Jason Pierre-Paul help him during the week)

"They've been a huge help. With them being out, they're in the training room and they have to work less on their individual plans and they're able to actually give that time to helping me, Joe [Tryon-Shoyinka] and Cam [Gill] to prepare and see it from their eyes and see it from a veteran's perspective. They've been a huge help through this whole process with understanding the playbook more and just understanding how to rush and how to make plays."

(On the defense's success generating sacks this season)

"It starts with Coach [Todd] Bowles. He always puts us in great positions. He always has something dialed up and we've just been able to make plays with the mentality we have that we just installed as a defense to attacking always. We're trying to make plays and the sacks have been a result of that."

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER JOE TRYON-SHOYINKA

(On the benefit of being a starter rather than coming off the bench for a game)

"It's nice because you get into a rhythm in the game. You get a feel for it. I don't mind being the starter or coming off the bench. They have their benefits both ways but starting is something I like doing."

(On feeling the momentum after the defense recorded 7.0 sacks in Week 16)

"Most definitely. When we have a lot of success from the whole group, it just makes everything smoother. People are in place where they should be. It should happen like that. Seven sacks are pretty much our standard. That's what we need to happen going forward."

(On what it says about the defense still being able to perform after losing OLB Shaq Barrett)

"It just shows that we have a lot of people up next – a lot of young dudes, a lot of people to find their role when injuries, COVID and situations like that happen. It just gives us that extra confidence in our team. We know we're good but when you have dudes coming off the bench that are good, it just helps a lot."

SAFETY JORDAN WHITEHEAD

(On his hard-hitting style of play)

"One, it's a mentality of how bad you want it. Two, I'm not the biggest guy, but I pride myself on [being] one of the strongest guys. I really love to be in the weight room and taking care of that."

(On if there are any players he emulated playing football)

"When I was younger, I always watched the offensive side of the ball – running backs and things like that. On the defensive side – being from Pittsburgh – I always watched Troy Polamalu. I would watch him just flying around, making tackles, making interceptions. I didn't know strong safety and free safety then. I was just like, 'Troy Polamalu' is making every play. That's kind of who I watched."

(On what it means to be complimented by CB Richard Sherman)

"That was another team, when they were the 'Legion of Boom' that I used to watch. Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas – I enjoyed watching them two – and then Richard Sherman, everybody knew about him. Him coming here and just talking the game a little bit to us – you look back and it's like this was a blessing because you never knew you would be playing with Richard Sherman. Him coming here and saying, 'You remind me of Earl a little bit' – those are positive things that motivate me."

-BUCCANEERS-