OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DAVE CANALES

(On if WR Mike Evans' 75-yard touchdown on Sunday was a called play or an audible)

"It was a play call. It was a great read by the quarterback. He's got his cues on that play, took it, threw a perfect ball, Mike ran a perfect route – something we've been stressing all year with the guys. [It was] very similar to 'Rock' [Rakim] Jarrett's catch against the 49ers – having the discipline of footwork there. We were really stoked about that play."

(On how nice it is to have a quarterback that can read coverages and exploit defenses)

"That's the design of it. Again, we try to put our best guys in the spots and based on what the defense does, the ball finds our guys. Again, just the execution and being able to really test Mike's legs out on that play right there. He showed he can finish. What a fantastic dive right there to have the presence of mind to keep that foot in bounds. How close was it, that they didn't even call it a touchdown? We were thrilled about that."

(On WR Chris Godwin scoring a rushing touchdown despite not having a catch)

"What a huge reminder for me, right? The guy is just magic with the ball. I have to do a better job. I come up here and say it every week – I'm not satisfied with how we're using Chris in our offense. He's a huge part of what we do. Again, just speaking to that point, a lot of the ways we get the ball [out] quick has been going a lot to Trey [Palmer] and to 'D.T.' (Deven Thompkins). Some of those things that are designed to them, Chris [can do]. He's averaging about 10 yards when we get him the ball behind the line of scrimmage on things that he's done well in the past. I've got to be more aware of spreading those types of touches out because he does have such a knack with the ball after the catch."

(On where he falls on the assertion that the reason Godwin had zero catches last week was because he was in and out of the game because he was nicked up)

"Well, the numbers show like 82% of the snaps – that's a full load. I think we had reinforcements ready, because he was on the injury reports working through some things throughout the week. We had David Moore, Ryan Miller prepared, ready to go to just see what happened. To Chris' credit, he prepared his body, he prepared his mind right, he stayed focused and engaged throughout the practices as we were working some of those things. Then, he was just a stud on gameday and battled through it and still had the opportunity to make a play and he did. Back to my point, knowing that I can trust that, throughout the season, that he'll work through things and still be available for us in a big way as we need him."

(On if he'd like to have Godwin run the ball more)

"Yeah, that would be great. We had the one in Buffalo – I think he got 11 [yards] on it, and then that one. He took it all the way to the house. [It is] another thing for me, another piece of the puzzle that we can say, 'Okay, when we've got Mike [Evans] and Chris out there with two tight ends, there are some other cool things we can do with the run game for Chris,' as well as the quick screen stuff that I know all of you are used to seeing to get him going."

(On getting Godwin more opportunities on deep shots)

"I think it's a chemistry thing. There were a couple of shots early on in the season with the 'me-to-you' factor with Baker [Mayfield] throwing to Chris, seeing how he wins, how he holds his surface, the angles that he takes on those. That's something that we have to continue to improve to find ways to get that done. [We had] some near misses, you know? Balls out of bounds, a little bit just out of his reach and stuff like that."

(On the running game being improved as of late)

"'Goodie' (Harold Goodwin), Joe [Gilbert], Skip [Peete], John Van Dam, Coach [Tom] Moore, Jordan Somerville – those are the primary run pod guys that try to make sure that we're getting the right combinations against the right fronts, having answers for, 'What if they do this, what if they do that,' and just becoming us as a run game. Those guys have done a fantastic job giving us variety. Some of our runs have been static, but we do have our gun runs that give us a little bit of option outside. I can't be more thrilled with the direction that we're going there. You're just seeing, really, a lot of improved fundamental play from a group that now has games upon games stacking together the communications. All the verbal and non-verbal, the physical communication within a combo [block] that happens as you continue to commit yourself to trying to run the ball. I love where we're headed. Rachaad [White], Chase [Edmonds], all of the guys continuing to learn where these runs hit and having patience with it."

(On facing a divisional opponent for the second time)

"I think it's really important after we play them the first time to kind of go back through what wasn't called that we liked – first and foremost – and then the things we thought we liked, how did they counter it? How did they take those things away? Or [did we] wish we would have had this pass on this situation? [Do we] wish we would have started off with these types of runs early as we kind of learn how they're playing and how they're hitting their combo [blocks]? That's kind of how we approach it there – what can we carry over? What can we build off of what we did the first time? I thought they played a fantastic game against us. We had a couple of big runs come away from us because of holding calls that [we] had. As you guys remember, early in the season, we were a little bit sloppy with the cadence and with alignments and things like that – thing we've cleaned up for the most part. It's not been perfect, but [with] a lot of those things, a young group just coming and playing cleaner ball will help us be more efficient this time. I really respect the job that Coach [Ryan] Nielsen did in that game and really making it hard for us to run the ball."

(On which player is most improved from Week 1)

"Cody Mauch, for sure. I would say Cody Mauch. Just being thrown into the fire and just kind of battling his way, like we've talked about before – working through the issues. I think there's a depth to his person [where] he doesn't get shaken. A lot of times you get a rookie and all of a sudden, they start losing confidence. You start thinking about, 'Should we be playing a veteran in this spot?' I just saw him stay steady. He's got that hard work ethic and he's just a really even-keeled guy, and he's really smart. So, to see him process those things, but not overprocess it to the point where it was crippling to his performance – I can't be more proud of the progress he's made."

(On if he thinks the San Francisco 49ers game was a turning point for Mauch)

"Yeah. First and foremost, just his fundamentals – his footwork and his hand placement, where he puts his helmet at. I saw him really take a leap in that game. For him to have success against a great player in [Arik] Armstead will do a lot for your confidence. We've had similar situations in Seattle with J.R. Sweezy going from defense to offense and his first career start against Darnell Dockett from the Arizona Cardinals in his prime – just a monster three-technique. Again, the same type of character with Cody, was being able to work through those things, stay on the course, and just keep improving weekly, to the point where he became a really good player in an offensive line that took us to the championship the following year. I love the fact that Cody is able to do that."

(On if WR Chris Godwin has expressed his frustration with his utilization)

"He and I had a great conversation. I like to keep most of that between us, but I think the one thing that I can share is [that] we share equal frustration with this thing. By no means has he not been productive. Last game, I've got to do a way better job being able to get him involved in a game like that with the matchups we had. He's still getting targets, he's still in the 50s in receptions. He's a big part of what we do. If you compare that across the league, versus other No. 2 receivers, he's still a big part of what we do. I would love to see more because I know there's that great player that all of you have seen firsthand. I want to make that come to life for us – to help us on what our goal is, to win the division and to set ourselves up long term."

(On how much injuries have hindered Godwin)

"I think that Chris wins in his own way. The bottom line with Chris is he's such a stronger catcher. He just needs a surface. He's consistently doing that – setting guys up, making himself available. Talking about the play of the offense, in general, for the quarterback, by no means am I going to go into this game and say, 'Baker [Mayfield], you've got to force this ball into Chris.' I want Baker to see the shell, I want him to see the matchup, I want him to take it all in and take the ball where he feels the most confident about what the look tells him to do. That's kind of something I just wanted to share with all of you – I can't go do the other thing and try to start forcing balls to guys. I want the system in the offense to continue to grow and fit in that way. I hope that answers it."

(On if Godwin moving between the outside and the inside has contributed to the variance in his production)

"I'll talk to that, too. If you really talk about first and second down, when we have multiple tight end sets, that's going to put Chris outside a lot. Why? Because Chris and Mike [Evans] are our two best receivers. We do have some slot combinations, but we love getting these matchups. We take a look at these weeks and we say, 'Okay they've got these two corners. Where is my matchup at? I'd love to take advantage of it in '12' [personnel] with Chris out there.' That's where a lot of the outside [comes from]. If you do look at how we play Chris on third down, how we play him in the redzone – he ends up in the slot quite a bit. Whether the letter on the picture says 'Z' or 'F,' which is traditionally the slot letter for us in our offense, we put him in there [and] we try to utilize him inside to get those matchups. He's always a physical matchup on whatever nickel DB or safety they put inside. I think, just the volume of how much he's out there, too, he's going to end up outside some, as well. The challenge, too, is I want to continue to challenge him and push him as he grows as an outside receiver, to be able to be that big, reliable target out there, as well."

(On if he thinks QB Baker Mayfield might be paying more attention to WR Mike Evans)

"Everybody in the stadium, right? Us, the defense, Baker. You look at some of the catches that Mike has made for us this year, that's an understanding that we all have. I think that 12 targets for Mike – that's a really good day for us. I always [say], 'Guys, whenever we have Chris [Godwin] or Mike running full speed after the catch, we did our job because we designed a play that attacks a certain defense. If they're screaming and running afterwards, that was a really cool design. I think we're all tied into where Mike is at. The whole football world is. I don't think there's anything wrong with saying that.  I would love to get Chris going in a real way."

(On how he's seen Evans' game evolve in his offense)

"We're just giving him new toys to play with, that's all. He's run every route you can think of in the route tree. Talking about what they did before and the pass game that was so prolific here, [we are] just trying to give him some different things in our play[-action] pass game that they might not have had before, or some of the RPOs that [weren't] really big around here. Those are some of the cool things that he really just showed [that] he's got a whole other part of his game that he can do. I love what he's been doing with that. He'll be the first one to tell you, too, he's still learning some of these routes and the details of how to do it. The seam route – the 75-yarder – was a classic point to that right there, of him kind of buying into the depth of it, the footwork of it, the surface coming out of it and stuff. I'm glad it happened for us."

(On if there's anything in particular Evans has improved on)

"I wasn't here before, so I don't have all of those things banked in my memory. I do see him having a plan after the catch and having that free hand ready to break tackles."

(On how he thinks he's improved as Offensive Coordinator as the season has gone on)

"The cool thing about my job is I get to watch around the league and learn from a bunch of really experienced play callers. For me, it's like every week is a lesson. We play the Falcons the first time, we got a little bit over a minute left and I throw the ball three times and give them a chance to go back down and get a field goal. We've made gains in that regard, in terms of just clock management – can I sneak in a run or a screen right here and still be able to function without being in a hurry up? That's kind of one of the ways – just balancing some of those known pass situations, whether it's a draw or a screen, and then also just being able to be disciplined for myself on when we do have a big play designed for a specific coverage, not to get so excited that I'll prematurely call it in a place it doesn't quite fit. Really, being patient for those 70%-or-better type of situations to attack the coverage. That's one place I think for sure, for me. Then, of course, dealing with all of the other things that come with this job. Dealing with the different conversations, different pressures and all of that. Being able to take it all in and really just get myself back to the basics of, 'Okay, fundamentally we can still just improve here,' and having that type of discipline."

(On what this week of preparation is like)

"Hopefully I've conveyed to them the gravity of preseason on, throughout. That's the way I was raised, the way I was trained under Pete [Carroll]. Every game is a championship opportunity and I truly believe that. I was just as nervous before any of our preseason games as I was last week, knowing how big that game was for us for a lot of different reasons. What I don't want is for guys to go, 'Hey, but it's the Falcons, so now we've really got to go.' Because what does that say about the rest of our preparation? All of the hard work that the coaching staff and the players have put into all the other games? They all matter. I know that's cliché, but I'm hoping that we can convey that to our group. Let's always be prepared like it's a championship opportunity so when they come, we're right up on it. We're playing for the division championship every single week here – it's nothing new for them. They can wear that load comfortably and still continue to do our work and stay focused on a day-to-day basis."

(On what his message to the team is this week)

"No different. Our goal is 1-0 and we're in pursuit of the division championship. It's the same 'M.O.' How are we going to do that? By taking care of the ball, by having great effort, playing smart, and having answers for different things that they do. If we stay focused on that, trying to convince the guys. We've had a couple of turnovers – even in the last Falcons game, we had two – but if we can really focus on having the right play design, then it does help minimize those interceptions or those fumbles because it's a leverage game. If you haven't won by leverage on the route, can we go to the next one? For the run game, if we run it into bad leverage, the running back is in peril. I think just staying consistent on some of those principles so the guys can feel, 'This is the consistency I want you to know you can expect from us, from myself, from our staff.'"

RUN GAME COORDINATOR/DEFENSIVE LINE COACH KACY RODGERS

(On how the expectations for Atlanta's offense change with RB Bijan Robinson likely playing a much larger role than he did in the last meeting)

"Well, it's just another explosive player they're putting on the field. They do a great job in the running game, but he adds another additional element to it because of his speed and explosiveness. If you misfit a run here, he goes 75 [yards], not 25. It will be critical that we are on point about that."

(On the situation at inside linebacker in the last game vs. Carolina)

"This would have to be a first. You go back to the typical, 'Next man up [mentality],' but I've never really actually seen it happen, and we were living it. Then K.J. [Britt] gets hurt on the second series and it's like, 'Here we go now.' But my hat really goes off to those guys and what they were able to do. I remember making a comment in our staff meeting that usually guys are making the comment, 'We aren't getting the calls in,' but not one time did they complain about that, so it was a relatively smooth operation, which is a credit to those guys."

(On potentially having some more inside linebackers available for the game vs. Atlanta on Sunday and the importance of that when facing Atlanta running backs Cordarrelle Patterson and Bijan Robinson)

"With those guys, you'd ultimately like to be at your best at all times because it's going to take all hands on deck to be able to corral what they do. They're hard-headed about what they do and committed to what they do, so we need every able body we've got to try to slow them down."

(On if the inside linebacker situation calls for the coaches to be more creative defensively and who the next options at inside linebacker would have been if anyone else had gone down)

"We had a corner, then we had an outside linebacker that was going to move inside – just the different packages. But a couple of things worked to our advantage because when they got into some nickel, we had a package already in place that we bring in Joe [Tryon-Shoyinka] and extra guys, so that kind of helped us a little bit, but we were hanging on."

(On how often they work on those emergency situations in practice)

"Well, a couple of times we had to use it last year. Joe [Tryon-Shoyinka] came in and was kind of that guy when we were banged up inside. I think Lavonte [David] was down and we were short and this and that. In base we could get away with a little bit more than when it got to sub. But now, having Ryan [Neal] – because of his coverage ability – that helped us a lot, but you're rolling the dice."

(On the sense of urgency due to where the team is at in the season and first place in the division on the line)

"The thing is we started a couple of weeks ago saying, 'This is the way we're going – one game at a time.' Everybody in that locker room knows how big this game is for us, so we've got to put our heads down. It's a tough matchup at their place, and they beat us already this year, so now it's time to put our best foot forward."

(On if TE Kyle Pitts is made more effective because of how well the Falcons run the ball)

"Well, the way they utilize him. When we come to play an opponent, we have maybe two or three personnel groupings, but the way they use Pitts, they have eight-to-12 groupings. Now, we will get the same plays, but it forces us to make some decisions. Are you going to go nickel versus this? Are you going to play base here? They just put you all over the place, and then they're in and out, so they're running people on the field and off the field. It just creates a lot of problems with the way they use the personnel and the matchups. Now you're worried about the matchups. If you put a corner on him, he's going outside. Now if you put a linebacker on him, now he can't keep up and cover. So, you're going to be playing a guessing game."

(On what the defense is looking to get corrected this time around vs. Atlanta)

"The thing is – we looked back at it, and we got some takeaways, but those takeaways, they were going into the end zone to score, so you can look at it like that could've been another 14 points. One, we need to try to take the ball away. We need to take care of the run game. Then we've got to survive the explosive plays because with [Drake] London out there and [Kyle] Pitts out there, those could be some major problems. And now, you've got '7' (Bijan Robinson) – who is covering him? They create a lot of problems."

(On DL Logan Hall's development)

"He has kind of just been steadily, steadily making improvements. That's the thing we were just talking to him about when we met earlier today. You've just got to keep taking steps. Some of those plays he made in the game last week were some of the best ones I've seen him make since I've started coaching him. That's a credit to where he is, and he is just so close. We've just got to get him to the next step from making routine plays to making splash plays, which we feel like he has the ability to do."

(On DL Calijah Kancey coming into his own)

"We need to fix his run technique [laughs]. He has been a joy to coach. This guy has oodles and oodles of ability and he's like a sponge being such a young player. Some of the stuff that he has been able to do coming in right now and making the plays and the impact he has on the games is impressive. It's just we're still throwing a lot at him after missing as much of training camp as he did and missing the preseason. He's still in catch-up mode, where everybody else is in end-of-season mode. We need to speed him up on some things, but I'm glad he is with us."

(On OLB Yaya Diaby's emergence)

"He's another one of our young players that is getting better and better each week. We kind of said that at the start of the year, "I know we're talented, but we've got a lot of young guys. We don't know where they're going to go, but we know we've got some young talent.' He's kind of along the same mold. He has just kind of bought in and his physical tools allow him… On the first play of the game, he knocked the tackle up-field and came back and made the tackle. He is a physical specimen, just young. Young players are going to go through growing pains, but to see the growth he is making… we have a complex defense for a young player, so seeing what he is able to do and what Calijah [Kancey] is able to do – our young players are picking up our scheme, but you're going to have the growing pains."

(On if playing meaningful games in December is what makes the NFL fun)

"No question. If you're playing meaningful games in December, it's big. I've been on some teams where you're kind of just coming up with something to say, 'We've got to play for pride this week. You've got to play for the name on your back.' I've heard all of those before. To be playing meaningful games at this time of year, that says something. Everybody has injuries, everybody has this, everybody has that, but if you're playing for something, that says a lot this time of year."

(On facing an unbalanced line and what he coaches guys to do when they see that)

"It's funny that you mention that because every time we play Atlanta, they go [with an] unbalanced line against us, so it's something we constantly have to prepare for. It's a thing [where] if you don't line up correctly, they get a free play. Since we've been here, every time we play – we just worked on it today – they have shown us the unbalanced line. It's a great tool. And, a lot of times, people use it worth hurry-up. So, not only do they race up to the line, they don't give you time to see that it's an unbalanced line and then they quick snap you. You've really got to be locked in and say, 'That tackle went over there when they broke the huddle.' So, we've got to work to get lined up. It is a problem, especially if you're late or you don't get lined up. Then, you'll see the problem."

WIDE RECEIVER CHRIS GODWIN

(On if he felt disrespected by Head Coach Todd Bowles saying that he was subbed out more than usual on Sunday due to being nicked up)

"I don't know that disrespected is the right term. I think it's tough. It's tough getting to the game and we all go through different things, physically. Being out there and trying to put everything on the line for the team and just trying to be [as] available as I can. You want to contribute. Obviously, that didn't happen to the effect I would have hoped. [There are] things that you live and you learn from. At the end of the day, I was still there. I was able to contribute in some capacity. I don't think that Coach [Todd] Bowles had any malice in what he was saying."

(On his conversation with Offensive Coordinator Dave Canales and if he feels better after that conversation)

"100%. I think we had a really, really good talk. It was very productive. At the end of the day, we both see eye-to-eye on it. I think, at the end of the day, it's going to be a lot better for the team, moving forward. I feel comfortable with it. Now, it's just a matter of putting the work in and going and executing on it."

(On if being a game time decision factored into the offensive game plan at all)

"I don't know if it directly factored into it. I know, for me, even though I was a game time decision, when I felt comfortable enough to go, it's like, 'Let's lock in and give it our best shot.' You all know me, I'm going to go out there and give it my all – run game, pass game. It didn't impact my mind at all."

(On if he's happy with his usage)

"I think anybody in my position, leaving a game with zero catches, I don't know if they'd be too pleased with that. But I think that's just the competitor in me and the competitor in anybody in that situation."

(On Offensive Coordinator Dave Canales saying he blames himself for Godwin having zero catches)

"It's tough. It's tough being in his position. It's tough being an offensive coordinator. You've got a lot of things on your plate and all you can do is call the plays the best way you can see it. I think it's something that we all learn from. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes from here, though."

(On if he thinks it's been a challenge moving between the slot and the outside)

"That's a great question. I don't know if it's just a slot to the outside kind of deal. I think it's a completely different offense. Obviously, we've had our growing pains in trying to develop the offense. It takes time to build the chemistry and to develop over the course of the season. The overall scheme itself is way different. If you look at the previous couple of years, we were probably throwing the ball 40 or 50 times a game. I don't know if we've done that once this year. Just by sheer numbers, targets are definitely going to go down."

(On if he looks at his production relative to other players around the league)

"To be honest, not really. I don't really be checking stats on other guys. I think everybody is different and everyone's situation is different. For me, I just look at it as trying to be as productive as I can for the team. I think that when I'm being productive, I think it adds tremendous value to the team. I think it also makes life easier on Mike [Evans] and makes life easier on Rachaad [White], on Cade [Otton]. I think it all plays a big role in the big picture. For me, it's not just necessarily, 'I want targets, I want targets, I want targets.' I'm trying to be able to provide the most value that I can, and that I know I can."

(On having two of the biggest games of his career at Mercedes-Benz Stadium)

"It's a nice field. Obviously, it's a beautiful looking stadium, right? Indoors helps, but I don't know if that helps with the production of the game. Sometimes the flow of it is just impacted by gameplan or personnel or just how guys are feeling on a given day."

(On if he feels like his relationship with Offensive Coordinator towards Dave Canales is healthy moving forward)

"I've never had any malice towards Dave or Coach [Todd] Bowles or Baker [Mayfield] or anybody. I think I have a really good relationship with these people. We're all part of the team. I consider them to be close people to me. We're just trying to figure out how to move forward and how to make this the best that we can make it. That's all we want, at the end of the day. We want to win and we want to go to the playoffs and keep it pushing."

(On his wife's social media post)

"We talked about it after the fact. Obviously, Mariah, that's my best friend. We've been together for – what year are we in? 2023? For 11 years now. She's been my biggest supporter through the whole thing. I know that she's always going to support me, she's always going to have my back. Naturally, there's some frustration when things don't necessarily go how you would expect it. I think her intent of the whole thing was just simply…It wasn't like a play count thing. That wasn't the reason why things didn't play out like we had hoped and [she was] making sure people understood I work my [butt] off – which I do. I work my [butt] off to make sure that I'm ready to play, to make sure that I'm able to give my best for my teammates and that I'm not a liability out there. That was it. It came from a place of love. I'll always love her. That's my dawg. I'm always going to have her back the way she is for me."

(On what it's like for family members when things aren't going well for him)

"I would imagine for everyone, it's very tough. They're there to support you through everything, but they have absolutely zero control over what happens. They can't will anything to happen for you. All they can do is be there to support you. Mariah is the closest one to me – that's my person and she sees it all. All of the pain, all of the things that I go through, she's right there helping me through it. It's the same thing with successes. She's obviously very invested in it. If you asked any other guys, whoever their closest person is, they probably feel very similar ways."

LEFT TACKLE TRISTAN WIRFS

(On if he thinks the team has changed since the last time they played the Atlanta Falcons)

"Yeah, I think across the board. All of us are totally different from the first time we played them. It just comes with growing throughout the season, taking strides, doing our best to get better, but I think all of us are excited for another opportunity to go out and put some good stuff on tape."

(On if he has to keep his emotions in check knowing what's on the line)

"I don't really get too high or too low. It's the next one, we know what's at stake. Whether you need to keep your emotions in check or not doesn't change what needs to be done or doesn't change the outcome. You [have] to go out there and do your job to the best of your ability, and then that's all you can do as one person. So, go out there doing your job, that's how you can help."

(On RG Cody Mauch's growth)

"Him coming in as a rookie playing how he has played, you know, he went through a gauntlet of three [techniques]. I mean, Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner in back-to-back weeks, and he did fine. That's not an easy thing to do by any means. Cody's been balling. It's really good to see that. I don't think his confidence has ever waivered, and he's pretty even keel. [He] just comes out everyday knowing what he has to do and tries to get better. Cody is awesome."

(On what he has seen on the offensive line in the past few weeks that has showed him the run game has improved)

"I think just a little bit more strain to finish, strain to stay connected. It's hard, these guys get paid too. Just trying your hardest to keep your hand on your guy, not letting them reach out, maybe snag an ankle or something, but we put a big emphasis on being better in the run game for a long time now. It's starting to pay off a little bit. Just keeping our foot on the gas and trying to finish as best we can is going to help us in the long run."

(On the importance of Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons)

"Every game is important, but then you have really important ones that you [have] to get taken care of. I don't think anyone is making it bigger than what it is because, like I said a little bit ago, nothing is going to change the outcome except for us doing our job. I think everyone has been great. I think today was a great day of practice. It's just about finishing the week up strong in the film room and everything and coming out Sunday as best we can."

(On RB Rachaad White's performance the past two games)

"It's awesome having Rachaad back there. All three of those guys, but Rachaad has kind of taken off. It's nice to see. He keeps plays alive. Like there are sometimes we're running to the left something, I hear the crowd start cheering, and he's freaking on the other sidelines. He wants to keep stuff alive and if something is not there, he'll find a place to put it in, so it's great having him back there and watching him ball out these past couple of weeks."

-BUCCANEERS-