For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 2023 postseason is being defined by second chances.

The Buccaneers opened their postseason journey on Monday night with a dominant 32-9 win over the visiting Philadelphia Eagles at Raymond James Stadium. That avenged a Week Three loss – also on a Monday in Tampa – that was equally lopsided, but in the other direction, as the Eagles thoroughly controlled a 25-11 decision.

By beating the Eagles and advancing to the Divisional Round, the Buccaneers earned another shot at redemption, as they head to Detroit to face a Lions squad that stifled them in Week Six by a 20-6 margin. If they can get past the Lions and into their second NFC Championship Game in four years, the Bucs will face yet another team, either the 49ers or Packers, that they played during the regular season. (They lost to San Francisco in Week 11 and won in Green Bay in Week 15).

"To me, it's like we're on a revenge tour at this point," said cornerback Zyon McCollum. "Beating the Eagles and then facing the Lions, who we lost to earlier in the year, this is everything we would want."

The Lions are coming off their first playoff victory in 30 years, a 24-23 nipping of the Los Angeles Rams that set free a lot of pent-up emotions from Detroit fans, who made Ford Field an extremely raucous environment. Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford, who were traded for each other in 2021, engaged in a magnificent duel, with Goff completing 22 of 27 passes for 277 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions and a 121.8 passer rating. Incredibly, the Lions had four players score 10 or more touchdowns during the regular season and three of them found the end zone against the Rams – tight end Sam LaPorta and running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.

"Jared Goff is a really good quarterback," said Bucs linebacker K.J. Britt. "We've just got to make sure we get in our throwing windows, make sure we're taking away what he's really good at. He knows what he's good at. We're trying to make sure that we've got to limit him, because he's a really good quarterback – one of the best I've seen on film."

The one player among the aforementioned quartet that didn't score against the Rams was first-team All-Pro wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown. All he did was catch seven passes for 110 yards after a regular season that saw him haul in 119 passes for 1,515 yards.

"We definitely have to respect everybody that they have, but St. Brown has been playing really, really good ball, so we have to keep an eye out on him in particular," said McCollum. Him, LaPorta…they have a lot of weapons."

This will be the second straight game in which Goff will be matched up against a fellow former first-overall draft pick; Stafford had that honor in 2009, Goff in 2016 and the Bucs' Baker Mayfield in 2018. Mayfield is helping to extend an extremely successful first season in Tampa and his playoff debut on Monday was impressive, as he threw for 337 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 119.8 passer rating. Mayfield says the playoffs require a "heightened awareness" among the players because of the do-or-die stakes, but in terms of execution it still comes down to the details.

"I mentioned it prior to last week – teams in the playoffs don't beat themselves," he said. "The team that makes the least amount of mistakes is usually the one that wins, so [it's] taking care of the ball, eliminating negative plays. Just knowing your job front and back, knowing whatever plays and schemes we have in the gameplan, knowing exactly what looks we're going to be expecting and go execute."

Heading into Monday night, the Buccaneers were sure they could produce a much different result against the Eagles than the first time around because they believed they had developed quite a bit as a team since September. Likewise, the Bucs feel like they have a shot to flip the script against Detroit in a rematch three months later, but they know that will be a significant challenge against one of the NFL's best teams.

"I think we've gotten tougher over the course of the past few weeks," said Head Coach Todd Bowles. "Everybody has finally gotten back and is playing at the same time. We've been subbing guys in and out of there – a lot of guys have been playing. If you add the young guys with that, there was a lot of consternation going on there. The communication has gotten a lot better. Everybody is trusting the guy next to him and they're playing for each other."

GAME AND BROADCAST DETAILS

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-8) at Detroit Lions (13-5)
• Sunday, January 21, 3:00 p.m. ET
• Ford Field (capacity: 64,500)
• Detroit, Michigan
• Television: NBC
• TV Broadcast Team: Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Kaylee Hartung and Melissa Stark (reporters), Terry McAulay (rules analyst)
• Radio: 98Rock (WXTB, 97.9 FM), Flagship Station
• Radio Broadcast Team: Gene Deckerhoff (play-by-play), Dave Moore (analyst), T.J. Rives (sideline)
• Spanish Radio: 96.1 Caliente
• Spanish Radio Broadcast Team: Carlos Bohorquez (play-by-play), Martin Gramática (analyst)

ALL-TIME HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES

The Buccaneers-Lions series dates back to 1977 and is one of the more even ones on Tampa Bay's list of won-loss records against various opponents. The Bucs had pulled to within three on the all-time ledger with wins in both 2019 and 2020, but Detroit fired back with a 20-6 win earlier this season to increase its lead to 32-28. The Bucs' record in Detroit is also nearly even, at 15-16.

This is the second postseason meeting between the two clubs, and the first in a quarter-century. The Buccaneers broke a 14-year playoff drought in 1997 and landed a home game against Detroit in the Wild Card Round, as four different teams from the old NFC Central made the postseason. The Bucs and Lions had split during the regular season but the playoff game in Tampa on December 28 was all Tampa Bay in a 20-10 final that wasn't that close. RB Warrick Dunn and FB Mike Alstott combined for 140 rushing yards and Alstott's 31-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave the Bucs a 20-0 lead that was enough to send them to the next round of the playoffs at the home of yet another NFC Central team, the Green Bay Packers.

Detroit's win in Tampa in Week Six included a strong performance from quarterback Jared Goff, who threw for 353 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, hitting All-Pro wide receive Amon-Ra St. Brown 12 times for 124 yards and a score. Detroit's defense limited the Bucs to 251 yards of offense and Baker Mayfield was intercepted once, marking the only game all season in which he threw an interception but no touchdowns.

Prior to this year's game, the Bucs two recent wins in the series were both blowouts, at least in terms of the final score. In 2019, Tampa Bay left Detroit with a 38-17 win in Week 15, and almost exactly a year later went back to the Motor City for a dominant 47-7 rout. In the former game, the Bucs ran out to a quick 21-0 lead on three long touchdown passes by Jameis Winston, two to Breshad Perriman and one to Scotty Miller. Detroit rallied behind fill-in quarterback David Blough, eventually pulling to within seven points in the fourth quarter, but Detroit native Sean Murphy-Bunting ended any comeback thoughts with a 70-yard pick-six. In the latter game, Tom Brady had four touchdown passes by halftime so he ceded the second half to Blaine Gabbert, who threw two more. Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski were both on the receiving end of two of those scoring passes. The Lions avoided a shutout thanks to a 74-yard Jamal Agnew punt return touchdown, but the Bucs finished the game with a yardage advantage of more than 400 yards, 588-186.

The Bucs have a deep shared history with the Lions because they were fellow members of the aforementioned NFC Central from 1977-2001. Then the NFL realigned in 2002 and the five-team NFC Central became the four-team NFC North, with only the Buccaneers departing to start over in the more geographically accurate NFC South. Despite that split, the Buccaneers and Lions still saw each other frequently in the years that followed. In fact, from 2005-17, the two teams met eight times, with the Lions holding a 5-3 edge in that span. That included the two most recent meetings before the 2019 rematch, a 24-21 Detroit win in Tampa in 2017 and a 34-17 Lions decision in Detroit in 2014. Tampa Bay's best run in the series spanned that 2002 divisional divorce, with the Bucs winning six of the eight games played between 1999 and 2005.

The Buccaneers and Lions spent most of their shared 25 years in the NFC Central punting the series lead back and forth. The head-to-head record was tied at 5-5 after the first 10 games, 11-11 after the first 22, 15-15 after the first 30, and so on. Detroit did pull away a little bit in the first half of the 1990s by winning five straight, at a time when the great Barry Sanders was often tormenting the Buccaneers, but the aforementioned 1999-2005 run evened things back up a bit.

Even though the 1997 game was the only time Tampa Bay and Detroit met in the postseason before this week, it wasn't the first time they played what was essentially an elimination game. The Buccaneers visited Detroit in the final week of the 1981 regular season, with each team owning an 8-7 record. The winner would take the NFC Central crown and a playoff berth; the loser would be eliminated. The Buccaneers won, 20-17, keyed by an 84-yard Kevin House touchdown catch and a 21-yard fumble return by David Logan after a sack by Lee Roy Selmon.

The situation was very similar a year later when the Bucs and Lions matched up in Tampa in the penultimate week of the regular season. Due to a players' strike that shaved seven games out of the middle of the season, the Bucs and Lions were each 3-4 with two games to go. Tampa Bay rallied from a 21-6 deficit to win 23-21, then won again the next weekend against Chicago to sneak into the playoffs. This time, however, the Lions also won their last game and made the playoffs, too, at 4-5.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

• Buccaneers DL Patrick O'Connor was a seventh-round draft pick by the Lions in 2017. He had a brief stint on Detroit's practice squad to start his rookie season but later that year ended up on the same crew with the Buccaneers.
• Tampa Bay Pass Game Coordinator/Inside Linebackers Coach Larry Foote played 13 seasons in the NFL, including one with the Lions. Foote started all 14 games in which he appeared for Detroit in 2009, recording 99 tackles and two sacks.
• Buccaneers Senior Offensive Assistant Tom Moore has spent more than four decades coaching in the NFL, and unsurprisingly that included a stint in Detroit. From 1994-96 he served as the Lions' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Wayne Fontes' staff, working with the likes of Barry Sanders, Herman Moore and Scott Mitchell. The Lions made the playoffs in two of his three seasons with the team.
• John Spytek is in his first season as the Buccaneers' assistant general and his eighth season overall with the team. His first job in the NFL was as an operations intern with the Lions in 2004.
• Lions Wide Receivers Coach Antwaan Randle El began his NFL coaching career in Tampa, serving as an offensive assistant for two years (2019-2020) and winning a Super Bowl championship ring to pair with the one he won as a player with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

SENIOR COACHING STAFFS

Tampa Bay:

• Head Coach Todd Bowles
• Assistant Head Coach/Run Game Coordinator Harold Goodwin
• Offensive Coordinator Dave Canales
• Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach Kacy Rodgers
• Pass Game Coordinator/Inside Linebackers Coach Larry Foote
• Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong

Detroit:

• Head Coach Dan Campbell
• Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson
• Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn
• Special Teams Coordinator Dave Fipp

2023 ROSTER ADDITIONS

Buccaneers:

• LB SirVocea Dennis (fifth-round draft pick)
• OLB Yaya Diaby (third-round draft pick)
• TE Payne Durham (fifth-round draft pick)
• RB Chase Edmonds (FA)
• G Matt Feiler (FA)
• DL Greg Gaines (UFA)
• CB Josh Hayes (sixth-round draft pick)
• CB Keenan Isaac (UDFA)
• S Christian Izien (UDFA)
• DL Calijah Kancey (first-round draft pick)
• G Cody Mauch (second-round draft pick)
• QB Baker Mayfield (UFA)
• K Chase McLaughlin (UFA)
• S Ryan Neal (FA)
• WR Trey Palmer (sixth-round draft pick)
• RB Sean Tucker (UDFA)

Lions:

• K Michael Badgley (FA)
• S Brian Branch (second-round draft pick)
• QB Teddy Bridgewater (FA)
• LB Jack Campbell (first-round draft pick)
• J. Gardner-Johnson (UFA)
• RB Jahmyr Gibbs (first-round draft pick)
• QB Hendon Hookier (third-round draft pick)
• TE Sam LaPorta (second-round draft pick)
• NT Brodric Martin (third-round draft pick)
• LS Jake McQuaide (FA)
• RB David Montgomery (UFA)
• CB Emmanuel Moseley (UFA…currently on injured reserve)
• WR Donovan Peoples-Jones (T-CLE)
• LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (FA)
• T Colby Sorsdal (fifth-round draft pick)
• CB Cameron Sutton (UFA)
• RB Zonovan Wright (FA…currently on injured reserve)

ADDITIONAL 2023 CHANGES/DEVELOPMENTS OF NOTE

Buccaneers:

• Todd Bowles enters his second season as the Bucs' head coach with a new offensive coordinator on his staff. Former Seahawks Quarterbacks Coach Dave Canales takes over for Byron Leftwich, who spent four seasons in that role, the first three under Head Coach Bruce Arians. Canales helped quarterback Geno Smith go from journeyman to the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year in 2022 and has roots in the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay systems.
• The Buccaneers made a number of other changes to Bowles' staff after the 2022 season, bringing in George Edwards (a former Vikings defensive coordinator) to coach outside linebackers, Brad Idzik to tutor wide receivers, and Skip Peete to take over the running backs room. David Raih and Jordan Somerville also joined the team as senior offensive analyst and assistant quarterbacks coach, respectively. With the arrival of Edwards, defensive Pass Game Coordinator Larry Foote switched from the outside linebacker room to the inside linebacker group. Thaddeus Lewis, who spent the previous two seasons as an assistant wide receivers coach, was promoted to quarterbacks coach.
• After winning a Super Bowl and two division titles over the past three years, the Buccaneers saw an era come to an end when quarterback Tom Brady announced his retirement in late January. To move on at the game's most critical position, the Buccaneers brought in former number-one overall draft pick Baker Mayfield to compete with 2021 second-round selection Kyle Trask. Former Ram John Wolford was also added for experienced depth in the quarterback room. Mayfield was named the opening-day starter by Bowles between the second and third preseason games in August.
• After largely "keeping the band together" for the 2021-22 seasons after their Super Bowl LV victory, the Buccaneers parted ways with a number of prominent players in 2023. Donovan Smith, who occupied the Bucs' starting left tackle spot for eight seasons, was released in March, as were tight end Cameron Brate, running back Leonard Fournette and kicker Ryan Succop. Safety Mike Edwards, quarterback Blaine Gabbert, cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, safety Keanu Neal, defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches, wide receiver Breshad Perriman and tackle Josh Wells all found new homes in free agency while defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, wide receiver Julio Jones, outside linebacker Carl Nassib, tight end Kyle Rudolph and safety Logan Ryan were not immediately re-signed. Jones has since signed with the Eagles.

Lions:

• After ranking 30th in pass defense in 2022, the Lions overhauled their secondary during the 2023 offseason, as partially indicated above in the list of roster newcomers. While Gardner-Johnson, Moseley and Sutton were added in free agency and Branch came aboard in the draft, the team let safety DeShon Elliott and cornerbacks Mike Hughes and Amani Oruwariye walk in free agency. Later, a couple weeks before the 2023 draft, the Lions traded cornerback Jeff Okudah, the third overall pick in the 2020 draft, to the Atlanta Falcons. Moseley is currently on injured reserve.
• Detroit also completely revamped its offensive backfield. Running back Jamaal Williams, who led the team with 1,066 rushing yards and led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns, was not re-signed after hitting free agency and ended up in New Orleans. Instead, the team signed a different free agent back, former Bear David Montgomery, to a three-year deal. During the second day of the draft, the Lions traded D'Andre Swift, their second-leading rusher in 2022 and a former second-round pick, to Philadelphia for, essentially, a fourth-round pick in 2025. That move was telegraphed the day before when Detroit picked Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th pick of the first round. The Lions also signed former Jets back Zonovan Knight off New York's practice squad in September, though he is currently on injured reserve.
• The Lions used the 12th-overall pick in the 2021 draft on blazingly-fast receiver Jameson Williams, knowing that the former Alabama star would still be recovering from the knee injury he suffered in his final college game. As such, Williams spent a good portion of his rookie season on the reserve/non-football injury list and only caught one pass, albeit a 41-yard touchdown. The Lions obviously expected much more production from Williams in his second season but had to wait a while to get it because he was suspended for the first four games of 2023 due to a violation of the league's gambling policy.
• As is the case with any NFL team over the course of a long season, the Lions have made a number of alterations to their active roster since they were in Tampa in Week Six. Detroit released veteran wide receiver Marvin Jones in late October and a week later filled that spot on the depth chart by trading a fifth-round pick to the Browns for wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. Two thirds of the Lions' specialists spots are filled by different players than the ones who faced the Bucs in October. Placekicker Riley Patterson in mid-December and eventually brought Michael Badgley up from the practice squad to take his place. Detroit had to put its original long-snapper, Scott Daly, on injured reserve at the end of October so they signed Jake McQuaide to take his place. Rookie quarterback Hendon Hooker, a third-round draft pick, started the season on the non-football injury list due to a knee injury he suffered in his final college season, but he was activated to the 53-man roster in Week 16. The Lions also recently activated two defenders from injured reserve in safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and defensive tackle Alim McNeill.
• After Detroit's breakout season in 2022, both of its coordinators – Ben Johnson on offense and Aaron Glenn on defense – landed interviews in the head coaching market but neither left. Both Johnson and Glenn then got contract extensions with the Lions. Detroit added another very experienced football mind to its staff by naming former Panthers/Broncos/Bears Head Coach John Fox as a senior defensive assistant. Other additions to the coaching staff included Jim Hostler (senior offensive assistant), Scottie Montgomery (running backs coach), Dre' Bly (cornerbacks coach) and Steve Heiden (tight ends coach).

INJURY REPORT

Key:

DNP: Did not participate in practice

LP: Limited participation in practice

FP: Full participation in practice

NL: Not listed

Buccaneers:

• OLB Shaquil Barrett (ankle) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: DNP; FRI: LP. Game Status: Questionable.
• OLB Yaya Diaby (shoulder) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: LP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Not listed.
• RB Chase Edmonds (toe) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: DNP; FRI: LP. Game Status: Questionable.
• WR Chris Godwin (knee/personal) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: LP; FRI: DNP. Game Status: Not listed.
• QB Baker Mayfield (ankle/ribs) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Not listed.
• QB John Wolford (illness) – WEDS: NL; THURS: NL; FRI: DNP. Game Status: Questionable.

Lions:

• LB Alex Anzalone (shoulder) – WEDS: LP; THURS: FP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Not listed.
• CB Brian Branch (knee) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Not listed.
• LB James Houston (ankle) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Questionable.
• S Kerby Joseph (knee) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Not listed.
• TE Sam LaPorta (knee) – WEDS: FP; THURS: LP; FRI: LP. Game Status: Questionable.
• C Frank Ragnow (knee/back/toe/rest) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: FP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Not listed.
• WR Kalif Raymond (knee) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: DNP; FRI: DNP. Game Status: Out.
• TE Brock Wright (hip) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP; FRI: FP. Game Status: Not listed.

WEATHER FORECAST

Domed stadium. Outdoor weather: Sunshine and clouds mixed. High of 24, low of 14, 7% chance of snow, winds out of the SW at 9 mph.

GAME REFEREE

Head referee: Bill Vinovich (18th season, 15th as referee)

BETTING LINE

• Favorite: Lions (-6.5)
• Over/Under: 49.0

INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS (regular season)

Buccaneers-

Points Scored: K Chase McLaughlin, 120

Touchdowns: WR Mike Evans, 13

Passing Yards: QB Baker Mayfield, 4,044

Passer Rating: QB Baker Mayfield, 94.6

Rushing Yards: RB Rachaad White, 990

Receptions: WR Chris Godwin, 83

Receiving Yards: WR Mike Evans, 1,255

Interceptions: S Antoine Winfield Jr., 3

Sacks: OLB Yaya Diaby, 7.5

Tackles: LB Lavonte David, 133

Lions-

Points Scored: RB David Montgomery/K Riley Patterson, 80

Touchdowns: RB David Montgomery, 13

Passing Yards: QB Jared Goff, 4,575

Passer Rating: QB Jared Goff, 97.9

Rushing Yards: RB David Montgomery, 1,015

Receptions: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, 119

Receiving Yards: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, 1,515

Interceptions: S Kerby Joseph, 4

Sacks: DL Aidan Hutchinson, 11.5

Tackles: LB Alex Anzalone, 129

TEAM STAT RANKINGS (regular season)

Buccaneers-

Scoring Offense: 20th (20.5 ppg)

Total Offense: 23rd (313.0 ypg)

Rushing Offense: 32nd (88.8 ypg)

Passing Offense: 17th (224.2 ypg)

First Downs Per Game: 25th (17.6)

Third-Down Pct.: 10th (41.5%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt Allowed: 14th (7.04%)

Red Zone TD Pct.: 30th (45.8%)

Scoring Defense: 6th (19.1 ppg)

Total Defense: 23rd (344.2 ypg)

Rushing Defense: 5th (95.3 ypg)

Passing Defense: 29th (248.9 ypg)

First Downs Allowed Per Game: 21st (19.8)

Third-Down Pct. Allowed: 23rd (40.9%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt: 17th (7.86%)

Red Zone TD Pct. Allowed: 3rd (42.6%)

Turnover Margin: 9th (+8)

Lions-

Scoring Offense: 5th (27.1 ppg)

Total Offense: 3rd (394.8 ypg)

Rushing Offense: 5th (135.9 ypg)

Passing Offense: 2nd (258.9 ypg)

First Downs Per Game: 5th (22.1)

Third-Down Pct.: 11th (41.5%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt Allowed: 3rd (5.12%)

Red Zone TD Pct.: 3rd (64.1%)

Scoring Defense: 23rd (23.2 ppg)

Total Defense: 19th (336.1 ypg)

Rushing Defense: 2nd (88.8 ypg)

Passing Defense: 27th (247.4 ypg)

First Downs Allowed Per Game: 22nd (19.9)

Third-Down Pct. Allowed: 12th (37.1%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt: 22nd (6.97%)

Red Zone TD Pct. Allowed: 29th (66.0%)

Turnover Margin: t-16th (0)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

• Wide receiver Mike Evans has 562 yards from scrimmage in his postseason career, all receiving. He needs 11 more to surpass running back Leonard Fournette (572) for the most yards from scrimmage in the postseason in franchise history.
• Evans could also tie Fournette on the Bucs' all-time playoff touchdown list with two, to get to six, and could tie Mike Alstott for the top spot with three more.
• Outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett has 4.0 sacks in the playoffs as a Buccaneer. Two more would move him past Warren Sapp (5.5) into second place in team postseason annals, and three more would tie the record currently held by Simeon Rice (7.0).
• Seven players on the Buccaneers current roster have played in all eight of the postseason games the Bucs have had since 2020: Evans, Lavonte David, Carlton Davis, Jamel Deal, Will Gholston, Anthony Nelson and Zach Triner. All seven now have a chance to tie John Lynch, Warren Sapp and Karl Williams for the fifth most playoff games played for the Buccaneers. Derrick Brooks is the all-time leader at 11, just ahead of Mike Alstott, Rondé Barber and Shelton Quarles at 10.

NOTABLY QUOTABLE

• Head Coach Todd Bowles on if the Lions have adopted the grittiness of Head Coach Dan Campbell: "You can see the mental toughness. It started last year when they hit a stride midseason when they had lost a lot then they won a lot of ballgames. It carried into this year. They never looked back. Dan is that type of guy."
• Quarterback Baker Mayfield on how much fun the ride has been with this team to reach the NFC Divisional Round: "It's been great. Obviously, our backs [were] against the wall, like I mentioned after the game. Just the stretch and the run we had to go on, it makes it even more enjoyable to get to the point that we're at right now. Like I mentioned, as well, we're happy, but we're not satisfied. We have bigger goals, so we have to keep working."
• LB K.J. Britt on the defense playing well over the last seven weeks: "It's just communicating. Learning how to fly around, communicate, and play together. It's coming together as one. We know what it takes to win in this league. We know no matter what the offense does, we know that if [the opponent] can't score, they can't win. We're just trying to come together as a defense, communicate, fly around and make plays."
• Cornerback Zyon McCollum on playing in Bowles' defense: "Yeah, you never know what to expect with Bowles. Every week the game plans change, and there's so [many] different guys in the room and versatility. You just kind of have to roll with the punches, and the biggest thing is just trust. I trust in him, he trusts in us, so he's going to put us in the right position."
• Bowles on trying to replicate the crowd noise that the team might face on Sunday at Ford Field: "It's going to be tough. We can turn it up as loud as possible, music-wise, and have noise brought in and everything else, but Sunday is going to be at a whole other decibel [level]. We're preparing for it and we've got to have a few silent [count] things ready. The best way to do that is to try and make some plays and keep them quiet."