HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On if there's any update on the status of DL Calijah Kancey or T Luke Goedeke)

"They both have to get MRIs today later this afternoon, and then we'll have more after that."

(On getting a prime-time win after last season's struggles)

"It feels good to get a win anytime – prime time, early time, late time, no time. It feels good to get a win. It's week two, everybody is trying to find their footing while we find ours. It's good to win while we do that."

(On whether LB SirVocea Dennis was benched at the end of the game or if it was just a unique package, and his assessment of Dennis' play)

"No, we did not bench SirVocea at the end of the game. He didn't play bad. There was miscommunication on the one that was a checkdown that involved quite a few people. As he gets his footing down and plays, we have full confidence in him that he'll play better and he'll be fine."

(On if Houston's offensive style originating from a Sean McVay-style scheme poses challenges for linebackers)

"It doesn't put a lot of conflict on us. The Falcons came from McVay, but the [Texans], even though he [Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley] came from McVay, that was the Patriot system they ran. It didn't put a lot of conflict on us, it was just communication in the back end with a few starters here and there that we've got to clean up. We've started the game off two weeks in a row giving up a big play we have to cut out. Once they settled in, I thought they played well."

(On QB Baker Mayfield's health after taking hits)

"I'm sure he's sore. Baker is a competitor. I haven't seen him yet since it's too early in the morning for him to come in, but I'm sure he's pretty sore. We'll see how he's feeling later today."

(On if he has any concerns with Mayfield's playing style in terms of self-preservation)

"My level of concern is fine. Baker runs when he has to – he doesn't run just to run. He runs when he has to. He runs when he sees something there and we're comfortable with that. We try to work on sliding here and there, but sometimes you don't know if you've got the first down or not. He's been playing that way his entire life. We'd like him to be careful, but we're comfortable with him getting out of the pocket."

(On the success of the team's run defense through two weeks)

"It's the guys up front. The chemistry those guys have – starting with Vita [Vea] and [Calijah] Kancey – they do a heck of a job up front studying and getting things out from a technique standpoint. I think Charlie [Strong] has done a great job with all those guys across the front, as well as Larry [Foote] and Mike [Caldwell]."

(On the strong start from S Tykee Smith, and Smith's sack of C.J. Stroud on Monday)

"Tykee has been playing very well for us. He's led in tackles the last two weeks. I thought he played very physical yesterday, especially in the box. The sack was outstanding because he ran through a blocker, ran through the running back right there, and went straight to the quarterback. He's very strong, very underrated, a tough competitor, and one of our most instinctive players. Right now, he's playing some of his best football."

(On T Tristan Wirfs' practice performance last week)

"He didn't have any soreness. It was just good getting him out there, getting his feet wet for the first time. Hopefully he's able to do more this week and we'll re-evaluate him at the end of the week."

(On role of analytics in fourth-down decisions on Monday night)

"At the end of the game this week, there was really no choice – [Director of Football Research] Zach [Beistline] had no say-so in that one. It was fourth-and-10 with two minutes left, so we had to go for it. He chimes in quite a bit when it comes to what's safe and what's not, and he gives me the numbers of everything. We go over that. It's good to have that in the back of your head as you call plays and as you go on. It's good for 'Grizz' (Josh Grizzard) to hear, it's good for me to hear, as well. He didn't have much say on the last one, but fourth-and-ones are pretty much no-brainers. It's the fourth-and-twos-to-fives that we talk about – where we are, what the percentages are. He's been very effective that way."

(On the improvement in the rushing attack against Houston)

"Those guys played hard. That was a good defensive front we played over there yesterday. For [those] guys to bang holes open, and the way running backs ran through there, taking hits and delivering a lot of hits, themselves. It was a physical ballgame. We knew it was going to be a physical matchup. I thought the offensive line stood [in] well. Obviously, they got some pressure at times, which they're very good at doing, but I thought we opened some holes up and we had some tough runs. Bucky [Irving] and Rachaad [White] did a heck of a job getting through there."

(On his assessment of Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard adjusting play-calling with injuries at tackle and wide receiver)

"The good thing for Josh is he didn't have them at the beginning of the season, so he was used to it. He did a heck of a job coming out aggressive. When they scored, he came right back and got down the field and we scored, as well. He was very aggressive in his play calling this week, a little different than last week when he went out for his first game. He was comfortable. I think he was great with the tackles, understanding what he had to do and knowing what kind of passing game he had to have. He had a plan for quite a few things. I thought the coaching staff on the offensive side did a heck of a job getting prepared, and they executed very well."

(On preserving timeouts to be able to use them late in the game on offense)

"Once you have all your timeouts and you get inside the 20[-yard line], a minute-and-thirty is a lifetime. It only takes four or five seconds to run a play. We figured we had our timeouts, they were playing the pass, so we could afford to run the ball and still call a timeout and still have another one in our hip pocket as long as it was a quick hit-and-run right there. We were confident in that. Again, [Director of Football Research] Zach [Beistline] was very sharp on that, as well, as far as how much time we had and when we could use them and when we couldn't use them. Everyone was in sync offensively, and it was one of our favorite plays, so we went with it."

(On the lack of defensive takeaways to start the season, and if the team is showing the "killer instinct" he wanted to see)

"We're showing a lot of grit and resiliency right now. We haven't had the killer instinct yet, but we're working toward that. As far as the interceptions being dropped, the only one that killed me Lavonte [David's] because he pretty much handed it to him. That kind of hurt my heart a little bit. He'll hear about it all week."

(On the team's confidence with next-man-up mentality)

"With the last two years and having all the injured players that we've had and having to play with a lot of people, it gives the coaches confidence to just do their job and not worry about who's playing, as opposed to who will be playing and doing a great job of doing what they do well and concentrating on that. Once we concentrate on that, we kind of forget about who's playing and just focus on what they do best. The team has bought into it, the coaches know what they're doing, and we kind of move that way. That's how we feel from a confidence standpoint."

-BUCCANEERS-