OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BYRON LEFTWICH

(On his thoughts on WR Cole Beasley)

"Well, he's got fresh legs. He's got fresh legs. Cole is a veteran guy. When you first see him, you understand that he's been around football a long time. You see why he's had the success [that] he's had. He's very detailed – he's come in and actually had two good days of practice. Obviously, it's the first two days but he looked good the first two days. We're trying to get him caught up on the system, the wording, everything – where he'll need to be, if he's needed. We're just trying to get everyone ready."

(On Beasley adjusting to the warm conditions in Tampa)

"Yeah, it was hot out there today. He'll get used to it – it takes a little time to get used to it down here. I didn't see anything in practice – a game and practice are a lot different. He [would] be getting more reps in a game as opposed to what he did today in practice. It takes a little time to get used to this down here, but he will. He's a veteran, he's a pro – he knows how to do that."

(On what to expect from Beasley this Sunday)

"I don't know yet, really. I can't really answer that question. We're just getting finished, really, with day two. I want to look at the film, grade the film – but he's been doing well since he got here."

(On QB Tom Brady expressing frustration during games)

"Normally when he gets like that, he's not really mad at [anybody] else – that's how he gets on himself, really. If you know him well enough, when he really goes, he's really talking to himself most of the time. We know Tom, we know Tom – everything is fine, this is what he [does]. That's the good thing about having Tom on your team – if things aren't going well, you're going to get that reaction out of him. [It] normally gets the guys going, so that's excellent when you can get that from your quarterback."

(On the most important improvement the offense can make)

"We're just trying to win. We're just trying to win. There's no such thing as a bad win in this league, right? We've played well a lot and lost a lot of football games, but we'll switch any day of the week. We're trying to do what we can right now to win football games. I love where we're at though, honestly, I love where we're at. We're improving in a lot of places that a lot of people don't know. We'll get healthy and we'll get going, but health is not an excuse for us. We're supposed to play well every time we go out. We're just excited for the next opportunity to go out and see what we can do."

(On how the team is improving)

"I think we're doing a better job of getting a hat on a hat in the run game. [There's] a lot of things, to be honest with you – I could stand up here all day, but I've got a job to do. We're just getting ready. Obviously, everything hasn't gone great for us early, but that's understandable. We'll be fine, we'll get ready to roll here."

(On the challenges that not having everybody healthy poses)

"Any time you don't have your guys – you want to go out there and participate with your guys, your main guys – but I believe in these guys. That's why they're on this squad, that's why they're on this team – they all have a skillset that can help us win football games. I believe in that. When a guy is out there, I've just got to do a better job of putting guys in position to have more success. That's really how I view it. It's the way we're approaching games – we're approaching games…we're doing a lot of things that we want to do, we're just not executing in certain situational football moments that [are] biting us right now. I think we'll clean that up and fix it up though."

(On the improvements that WR Breshad Perriman has made)

"I don't think [any] rep is easy in this league. I don't think [any] rep, [any] touchdown – everything you do in this league – we beat a really good football team last week, so everything counts. But, it's 'B.P.' – that's why we trust him, that's why I trust him. He's a guy that can play multiple positions. Since 2019, he's been making those plays for us. We trust in 'B.P.' [and] we understand what 'B.P.' brings to the table. We're just happy we have him for moments like this. When you have so many guys down, you've got a guy in the huddle that you can trust, Tom [Brady] trusts. As you guys see, each time he gets an opportunity, he makes plays – big plays – for us to win ballgames."

(On Perriman continually making the most of his opportunity)

"That's all I know of him, that's all I know of him. Like I said, since 2019, he's come in here [and] has made big plays for us – huge plays for us. We expect that from him every time – that's what we really expect from 'B.P.' Especially when he's healthy, he's capable of going out there and helping us. [If] he gets the opportunity, he always stands tall for us and finds a way to make a play."

(On how the team can improve in the red zone)

"We'll count them up at the end – I always tell you guys, 'Count these things up at the end.' We're in the first two weeks of the season – we'll take all the numbers that come with it. Once we get to Week 17, we'll see where we're at. Right now, we've just got to execute. We've got to execute in every phase of the game right now – short yardage, red zone, third down. I think we could be better at a lot of situational spots in the football field and we're working to get that done."

(On how RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn has improved this year)

"Everything I've asked of Ke'Shawn – from the beginning of the summer, I said, 'Hey, these are things you've got to work on' – he's gotten better at. He's gotten great with the ball in his hands, he's gotten really good with the ball not in his hand. That's always the key for young running backs – to be good on the grass when you don't have the ball. He's done that since he got back this summer. 'Sneak' has had one of the best camps out of anybody, really – all year, all summer – his summer was great. He had a big improvement. We'll see what that means – we'll see what that means going forward – but 'Sneak' has done a great job for us.

(On why the team has struggled with short-yardage situations)

"Well, one of them, we fumbled – one of them we fumbled and put on the ground – one of them was a bad call by me, the other one we did a horrible job of executing. That's what it really comes down to – you've got three different reasons why we didn't convert those three third downs. I wish it was one singular thing that we could fix, but that's part of being early in the season. That's part of being early in the season. Having a bunch of new guys in the huddle – that's a new squad out there, really, in the huddle communicating in two tough environments – two environments where you couldn't hear anything and mistakes happen. We're anxious, excited to be at home. We'll improve, we'll get better week in and week out – but I really do love where we're at right now as an offense, even while we're not healthy."

(On if he thinks the limited training camp and preseason physicality is contributing to early injuries)

"Yeah, it's part of the game, really. It's really part of the game – regardless of how you look at it. We've just got to get ready to roll, that's really how I see it. I don't put too much thought in that – young, old, whatever – the way I view it, we just want to go out and have the next opportunity to go out there and try to play well."

(On if running the ball was a point of emphasis coming into the season)

"It's this year's team, right now. It's this year's team right now – it's where we're at right now. That's what we feel as though is the best thing to do to have the best chance to win these football games. We'll see – obviously with the injuries that you have, we can't be what we were last year, going into the end of last year – but we're not expecting to be – we're expecting to be the 2022 Buccaneers. We'll see how it all turns out, but I like the direction we're headed."

(On RB Leonard Fournette's workload)

"It's been a lot, it's been a lot early. Two tough ballgames. The thing with 'Lenny,' you trust him so much in [those] ballgames – it's tough to take him out. It's tough to take him out of the ballgame because he [does] so many things well. He does so many things well and you can trust it in those environments – in those types of environments. Like I said, 'Lenny' had one of his better games here as a 'Buc' last year – the stats won't show that, nothing will show that – but we know as we watched tape, what we asked him to do…that was an A+ game by Leonard Fournette. We're just happy to have someone so multiple that can do so many different things for us. It's a blessing to have 'Lenny' but we do have to work more guys in to give more guys more opportunity, understanding it's a long season."

(On if TE Kyle Rudolph can be a factor given that he has played Green Bay so much)

"I think he's been with New York, so I don't think he's been in that division. I think he was with the Giants last year, so I don't know if playing a team a bunch of times with a different defensive coordinator really matters. He may have played those guys a bunch, but [there's] a different defensive coordinator. The defensive coordinator has only been there two years and last year [Rudolph] was in New York. I don't know if that would help him, that's probably a question you would have to ask Kyle."

RUN GAME COORDINATOR/DEFENSIVE LINE COACH KACY RODGERS

(On if the Green Bay Packers will be the biggest test for the Buccaneers' run defense)

"I would say so. If you look at what they did last week in their game – I think they had 38 attempts for over 200 yards. They were hard-headed about running the ball, and I think they will keep that going this week into our game."

(On the opening drives)

"Well, our opening drives, and speaking of our rush defense, it's really not where we need it to be, right now. Right now, we feel like we need to – they're going to come in and, we believe, hard-hit at the run; we've got to blow up and try to stop the run."

(On what he thinks isn't clicking on defense)

"We've played some really good rushing teams and if you look right now, I think Green Bay are top-10 in several rushing categories, especially after last week's game. I know [they] got an excellent one-two punch in the backfield – inside runner, outside runner – and they have a triggerman, if you load the box, that can get the ball out so it poses a great test for us."

(On the threat that Packers QB Aaron Rodgers poses when he gets outside of the pocket)

"We just had our pass-rush meeting this morning and that's one thing we pointed out. We've got four guys who are responsible for basically six gaps out there. But this guy is mobile, he moves to buy time and his receivers do a great job uncovering, and he can throw it a mile, so it poses a huge test for us."

(On what's clicking on defense right now)

"I'd rather be lucky than good any day of the week. No, actually the guys are trying really hard, and the thing is, they're going out and trying to go out and execute the game plan, and so far it's worked out for us."

(On how DL Akiem Hicks' responsibilities will be delegated to other players)

"Well, I think you just made a good point – most of our guys upfront are very interchangeable and I think that's kind of the way our roster is built. Now, 'Nacho' (Rakeem Nuñez-Roches) will have to come in and play a little bit more, Logan [Hall] would have to play a little bit more, Will [Gholston] does his job and we've added [Deadrin] Senat, then we have Pat [O'Conner] that's there and can play all three positions, so everybody's role just has to increase until we get him back."

(On what he's seen from DL Logan Hall)

"The thing with him is he just keeps growing. The veterans keep commenting and we think it's really getting close to starting to click for him. We can see his rep count going up and he's really hungry, you know what I'm saying. Especially now with Akiem [Hicks] down, his jump has got to come faster."

(On what has impressed him about DT Deadrin Senat)

"When we had our meeting right before our final cut, and I was saying, 'You guys have made it tough for our personnel' – because sometimes you go into the meeting like, 'These guys are not really good enough' or something – but this year, the guys we felt like we had in our d-line room did enough to warrant a roster spot. So, I thought they were going to have to make some tough decisions. That being said, we look at Senat as a player – as a matter of fact, I told him, 'Other teams throughout this league – you would make their 53[-man roster], hands down. And we're fortunate enough to get you back on our practice squad.'"

(On the area of this defense that he is most proud of performance-wise)

"Right now, they're playing together. That's the thing that's really…nobody's playing outside of their scheme, everybody's stepping up and making plays, the DBs (defensive backs) are covering, the edge guys are rushing, the linebackers are flying around, and you can see everybody contributing and I think that's the thing that stands out."

(On the initiative that players are showing by coming in on their days off to watch film together)

"That's the growth from your earlier years. You see guys growing up and they're initiating coming in – that's not coach mandated. They're initiating all that and that's just the growth and people taking ownership and wanting us to have success."

QUARTERBACK TOM BRADY

(On if there's something special about playing against Packers QB Aaron Rodgers)

"For sure, he's an amazing player, has been for a long time. I love watching him play, and he's from California, too, so I feel like we always have a little bit of a connection. He's an older guy now. He's been a great player in the same place for a long time. There definitely are some challenges with that but he's navigated them pretty well and has done a great job, leads the team. They've won a lot of games since he's been there. And I knew Brett [Favre] pretty well; with those two guys are two pretty great quarterbacks for a long period of time in one place."

(On if Rodgers could play until he's 45)

"I don't know. It's up to him."

(On the Bucs shifting receiver position)

"I think part of the job is to deal with different people being in. It's part of the demolition derby of the game that we play. Guys are in and out and you've just got to adjust within the game in certain weeks. You start a certain way and it doesn't end the way it started – guys get injured. Look at the Dallas game – Mike [Evans] went out, Chris [Godwin] went out, Julio [Jones] went out, 'Donny' (Donovan Smith) went out. You're ending the game in a totally different place than you would've started. You put together the game plan thinking all those guys are in there and you play to their strengths, but you have to adjust throughout the games. Sometimes when you know guys aren't going to be out there during the week, you can plan for it – other times you have to adjust in the game. Every team deals with it. We lost Mike [Evans] in the third quarter last game, or fourth quarter. They lost their corner. A lot of things change. You've just got to try to win the game however you can win it. Fortunately, our defense is playing great football and we'll do the best we can do on offense."

(On WR Cole Beasley)

"I've watched him a long time, too. He's been around a long time and I've watched him play [and] competed against him. He's been on the other team – I think at Dallas once and at Buffalo quite a few times. He's a great player. I really think he's a great player."

(On how he's feeling)

"Great. I feel great. It's football season, so…"

(On the protection he's been getting from the offensive line)

"Yeah, I've been getting great protection. The guys up front have been competing very hard; I think that's part of why we've run the ball so well. We've been able to run it a bunch of times and those guys up front have done a great job kind of coming together, taking the coaching and putting all they can into what they're doing. It's really allowed us to do some good things on offense. It always starts with the offensive line, what those guys are able to do, how they're able to control the line of scrimmage. It's a big challenge…like last week's front, that's a great front. This week it's a very different front, but great pass-rushers, one of the best inside players we'll face all year, Kenny Clark; Preston Smith and Rashan Gary are great rushers. Again, it's another big challenge but we've got to meet it. Every week it's something different. In the NFL, it's tough. Every week you're going against somebody's best and, yeah, you've just got to try to figure out a way."

(On how he gets past frustrating moments in games)

"I can always do better. I can always obviously do better as a quarterback and, yeah, not let my emotions get the best of me. Sometimes they do. It's an emotional sport. It's an emotional game, and we're all out there trying to do the best we can do. And you're right, I think there's a frustrating part for all of us when you get a little older and you expect it a certain way and it doesn't go exactly the way you want. But that's it, that's the way it is, and I've got to do a good job as a leader to be at my best regardless of how I feel about a certain situation."

(On if chasing perfection is part of what fuels him)

"Yeah, always. There's a part of it for all of us that you want to be the best you can be, really not just for yourself but for everyone around you, for the whole team. Everyone's counting on you to be a great player. We've got to reach a higher level on offense. That's part of what our responsibility is."

(On if the offense is in process of building up)

"Scoring points is a challenge for every team. In order to score points, you have to do things consistently well down the field. You've got to be on the same page with communication. Ultimately the game is about making plays and the matchups you have. You've got to win your matchup. You're not going to score points if you turn the ball over. We did that to start the Saint game. We did it on our second drive, we stopped on a fourth-and-one. You can't score points if you fumble the ball, and you can't score points if you miss a fourth-and-one. The only way to score is to do things better and more consistently over the course of the drive, all the way down to the red area, and then ultimately put the ball in the end zone. Settling for field goals, you're not going to score a lot of points – you've got to be good in the red area, but in order to be good in the red area you've got to be good on third down; in order to be good on third down you've got to be good on first and second down; in order to be good on first and second down, you need good play by your special teams to get good field position. And then you need good defensive football. It's a complementary game. I think as we keep going throughout the course of the season, obviously the goal is to score as many points as we can. We know that we're going to have to do a better job than what we've done and we're going to work hard to get there."

(On what kind of impact he thinks the TB12 method will have on schools in Pinellas County)

"You know, I think, amazing…I feel like everything I've learned over the course of 23 years in football has and will allow me to continue to help people in different ways. The things I've learned have been a huge benefit to me and I realize that there are systems that are broken and you'd like to try to improve that the best way you can by giving people the knowledge that has allowed me to be successful. I think a big part of my future life will be that as well. Unfortunately, like everything else, there was a lot of money made in the old system and it's hard because preventive care and preventive maintenance to your body is a challenge because it takes time and energy. But I think starting young is really important, educating people on what works as opposed to the way things have always been. And I think the way things have always been will always result in basically the same outcomes for people. And I think what I've tried to do is challenge that norm by performing over a long period of time, and I've really done it in a way that's, I'd say, been unique. And I've tried to allow my teammates to learn, as wells as tens of thousands of other people that have kind of been educated and adopted a different type of belief system."

(On what responsibility a quarterback has in bringing young receivers along, such as Rodgers in Green Bay)

"It's a good question: What's your responsibility as a quarterback? I'm sure it's different for all quarterbacks, what their responsibilities are. I think as an older player, you've got to…it really comes down and speaks to ultimately what the goal is, to win the game. And to win the game you've got to score points, and that goes back to a lot of things we talked about. How do you score points with young receivers? I don't know, man, a lot of it is up to the young receivers, what they're able to do. I've been in situations with a lot of young players and it's a challenge because they don't have the experience, but maybe they have a lot of other things. We're all challenged. I think that's just a reality of playing sports and being in football. Every team is challenged with different things. Some guys have young, let's say, receivers but a veteran secondary. Some teams have veteran receivers and a young secondary, or you have a veteran secondary and young linebackers. Not a lot of teams are going to have veterans at every position that are healthy all year. You've just got to try to keep managing it the best way you can. If you're the quarterback, try to figure out how to win the game, because that's why we're all here."

(On the decision to have his Super Bowl rings at the World Cup)

"Yeah, a friend of mine asked me, and I had visited Qatar a couple of times and really enjoyed it. There's a great sports museum there, and I wanted to allow a lot of the people that are going to be there to be able to see American football and the impact it's had on all of our lives and how great of a sport it is. For them to see kind of what we play for I thought would be a really cool thing."

(On lending out the valuable rings)

"I just trust people, so I'm like, 'Go for it. Don't lose it.' I'm kind of loose with things like that."

-BUCCANEERS-