HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On if there's an update on the statuses of G Ben Bredeson or S Tykee Smith)

"Ben [Bredeson] is going to get an MRI this afternoon, so we'll see about his knee from there. Tykee [Smith] finished the game okay – [he is] pretty sore right now, so he'll be day-by-day."

(On if WR Mike Evans or T Tristan Wirfs will be able to play on Thursday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons)

"It's a short week, but they didn't play yesterday, so we'll continue to work them in, and we'll see where we are on Wednesday."

(On if the team chose not to play T Tristan Wirfs or WR Mike Evans in Week 14 against the New Orleans Saints in hopes they'd be ready to play on a short week in Week 15 against the Atlanta Falcons)

"That wasn't something in the thought process, it was just the way they got hurt and they weren't ready yet. If [they] get better in a couple of more days and [they're] in play, we'll play them."

(On if WR Jalen McMillan could be back for Thursday Night Football this week)

"Jalen [McMillan] is in play as well."

(On struggling to convert on third and fourth downs this season after doing well in that area in 2024)

"It didn't have to be at the strength it was last year, but we do have to execute it better, especially. We [have] to execute fourth downs better as well, especially the fourth-and-shorts, the fourth-and-1's. You want to come out on the plus side of most of them, and we understand that as a group. [On] third down, we are shooting ourselves in the foot. Sometimes it's the pressure or the rush, sometimes it's things that we [get] wrong, but we [have] to get that fixed."

(On if QB Baker Mayfield's injuries are affecting his throws)

"I think he's a lot better now than he was. I don't think it's affecting him in that way. It's all-included – it's offensive line blocking, it's running routes and getting open, it's play-calling. It's all-inclusive – it's never just on one guy. Offensively, we just haven't done a good enough job, especially on third down and getting loose on first and second down."

(On if the "misfit" plays from the Saints game are due to recurring issues or if they're new mistakes)

"They're not new, they don't happen every week, but when they do happen, it's a misfit. It happened earlier this year, it happened in the middle of the year, and it happened yesterday."

(On LB Deion Jones playing 17 defensive snaps on Sunday, and if he's entering more of a rotational role with LB SirVocea Dennis)

"'Voss' (SirVocea Dennis) was pretty banged up, as well, so we'll see where he is Thursday. He got banged up pretty good in the game."

(On the injury LB SirVocea Dennis is dealing with after the Saints game)

"Hip."

(On how the team is approaching a short week going into Week 15)

"Professionally. We lost yesterday and we've got to get over it. We've got be big boys, we've got to get over it and own what we did, and we've got to get better at things we need to get better at. We've got to look in the mirror – we understand that as a group we've been through this before, but it's different every single year and every time [we] do it. Nobody likes to lose, and you're coming on a short week, [we have] a chance to get the bad taste out of your mouth, but they should be upset. They should own what they do, we as coaches own what we do, and as a team own what we do, and we've got to come out Thursday and we've got to correct them."

(On how he moves past the loss against the Saints)
"Work. Nothing but work. You [have] to put your head down and you have to work. We're all in this thing together."

(On if it takes one win to get momentum for the rest of the season)

"You've got to take it one at a time. You cannot even look past this next one."

(On going up against Atlanta Falcons' QB Kirk Cousins)

"I don't consider him a backup quarterback, I consider him a starter, and he has [been] for a long time. [He] knows where to go with the football, [is] very accurate, knows the offense inside-and-out, so it's going to be a challenge for us, especially everyone needing to be where they need to be. The challenge is just facing the entire team. The entire team, we've got to learn from what happened last year – we did some good things the first time, but that was a long time ago, [it] feels like since Week 1 or Week 2 that we played them, and this time around, we just [have] to make sure we execute and make plays."

(On three straight years of starting the seasons fast and then having a 'bumpy' mid-season)

"It's a little bit of everything. If I knew it, I'd definitely try and correct it, but I don't."

(On if he takes any solace in having been able to correct the mid-season lull in each of the last two seasons)

"We take solace [in] that we trust each other in the room. We trust each other and we understand each other, and we know what it takes to get out of it, but you still [have] to execute and prepare to get out of it."

(On WR Emeka Egbuka's recent dropped passes and how he can get his confidence back)

"[We can] just get him some quick throws early, get him some easy catches and try get him in a groove and get him in a rhythm. He's got to get himself in a rhythm, as well. We trust him completely, he's a great player for us. When your great players drop the ball, you just [have] to live with it, but he's hard on himself and he'll come back from that, and he'll play better."

-BUCCANEERS-