HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On if he is tired or energized)

"Energized with a full 90 minutes of sleep [laughs]."

(On a glimpse into the mind of an NFL head coach)

"Obviously, you have pregame thoughts, and you worry about everything. Once you win, you're very happy, and as soon as you get through a press conference, you [have] to get started on the next week, so it goes kind of fast. It goes from high to low, to even keel to worrying about everything else, and you [have] to prepare for the next week and you move on. It doesn't last long."

(On what sticks out to him about the loss to Detroit in Week 6)

"We were where we were at that time of year. I don't wish we had done anything differently — we wouldn't have learned from it. Very good team. They have a very good team, coach very well — very fast, [and] very physical. The electric crowd is going to be up there. [I] wish we hadn't done anything different, because we wouldn't have learned from it with any of our losses from that matter. We're a different team now. We're mentally tougher. We've gotten stronger from it, and we learned some things. We're still piecing it together, but we're happy with where we're at."

(On if there was lesson learned against the Detroit Lions in Week 6)

"There [are] no lessons in losing but losing. You learn situational things that come with it, but that's really about it." 

(On how much he changed things up when playing the Philadelphia Eagles the second time around)

"It was completely different from the first time we played them. All the way around from a game plan standpoint — base, sub, different packages. The guys were communicating better. We could do more since they had some more experience over the course of the games, and we tweaked some things around, because what we did the first time, we didn't prepare it well."

(On if he thinks the changes confused the Philadelphia Eagles)

"I can't speak for them, but it helped us defend some of the things that we gave up the first time."

(On the origin of the six-man defensive front)

"No, it didn't come up until game plan week, really. We thought about it, we looked at it, we compared it to the passing game, and thought we could get away with a few things there. [We] added some things to it and tweaked some things. The guys, with the exception of the first play, they played it well." 

(On LB K.J. Britt's contribution)

"Well, he was on that package, and they came out in it quite a bit more than they had in the past in 12 personnel. K.J. is probably our best downhill thumper. It was very good to have him in there for that, and like I said, K.J. is a good football player. We think we have three starting linebackers in there, and he is a big part of that. He's earned his right to play. He still a leader on our team and he did very well."

(On if he saw one thing in particular that led to having a better outcome this time vs. the Eagles)

"No, I didn't. I mean, the six down linemen helped, I guess. It might have deterred some things. Zyon [McCollum] moving around from nickel to safety, to corner, to not really knowing what he is, is kind an enigma right now, and we just have to make sure we don't confuse him. I think that helps in coverage when we're trying to play a little more man, because now we have our three best cover guys out there. Other than that, the guys… we're letting our elephants be elephants and our giraffes be giraffes, meaning our blitzers blitz, and our cover guys cover."

(On how meaningful it is to see QB Baker Mayfield be successful under his leadership)

"Well, I'm not an offensive coach. Under my tutelage from a game plan, from a managing standpoint, I think the offensive coaches, Thad Lewis and Dave Canales do a great job getting them ready, along with the O-line coaches, marrying up the run game and pass game from that standpoint. It's great seeing Baker be Baker. He looks like he's having fun like he was in college. He's very relaxed, very intense in learning the game plan, and mastering everything. He's going out there playing free and playing carefree. It's really helping him and it's really helping us."

(On what impresses him the most about OC Dave Canales' game planning against the Philadelphia Eagles)

"Well, we stayed in attack mode most of the time. We had a little bit of a lull in the third quarter, but, you know, we were in attack mode [in the] run game and pass game. We hadn't had that working in quite a bit consecutively at the same time, so that was great to see."

(On the younger players stepping up)

"It was huge. [Trey] Palmer, [David] Moore, and Cade Otton, you know, they came up huge when they defended Mike [Evans] and Chris [Godwin]. Those guys… the catch and run plays that they made were outstanding."

(On WR Mike Evans taking on the role to occupy the attention of the defense)

"Well, he's going to work no matter what. I mean, he had his opportunities yesterday. One of [the] deep balls, I thought we could have come down with, so we did go to him, but he's going to work not matter what. He knows if he's drawing a double team and we're helping elsewhere, he's very happy with that as well."

(On why he thinks Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff gives defenses a hard time)

"He's a good quarterback. It's real simple – he's a good quarterback. He can play, [there are] great players around him — [they have an] outstanding offensive line, they have two very good running backs, they have speed at the receiver [position], they have shiftiness at the receiver [position] and they have two great tight ends."

(On what he liked about the unbalanced line play offensively)

"They've been crowing the middle. [It's] something they saw on film we thought we could get away with. We blocked it well. I mean, we blocked it well. They did a good job blocking the third-and-short stuff. They did a good job at four-minute again, just like they did the other week. We're getting better. We're getting better."

(On what he means by Baker Mayfield being Baker again)

"Well, he didn't come in here as the No.1 pick, expecting to carry the team, with all the expectations on his shoulders. We just asked him to drive the car. The car was built. We just asked him to drive it. We didn't ask him to put in a new engine. We wanted him to be himself, because his personality would expand upon the team and then they would see him for who he is and not for who anyone else was. Then, they would gravitate toward him faster, and that's exactly what he did. In doing that, he invited all of the attention to him from the guys. They really look up to that, and they really see the grit, toughness, and preparation that he does. He's integrated himself with the team that way, and that's all I really mean by him being himself."

(On preparing to play in low temperatures against the Detroit Lions)

"They [have] a dome. No, nothing planned. We're indoors and we only have to be outside for 20 seconds getting off the bus going under the thing, so we'll be okay."

(On what it has been like having patience this season)

"You're going to go through adversity in the NFL. You're not going to go through unscathed. Very few teams go through 17-0, win every playoff game, and go to the Super Bowl. You're going to have to learn some lessons, you're going to have to get mentally tougher, and that comes with chemistry, the culture we created here, the chemistry they developed in training camp, mini-camp. And, as long as you go through the downs together, [you will] come out of it together. These guys have stayed the course. The owners have been great encouraging us [and] Jason [Licht] has been great encouraging us. The culture has been great with the players, the leaders have been great with the young guys, and we stayed the course. We stayed the course, we knew the things we had mistakes on, we knew the things we had to correct, and we just kept tugging the chain, pulling forward, pulling forward, and you're seeing the results at the end."

(On how gratifying it was for him personally to not only clinch a playoff berth, but also, win a playoff game)

"For me, I know what I signed up for when I started coaching football. You win, you're great, [and] when you don't, you're not. It's not even about me. I'm just happy to see the smiles on guys' faces, and results from all the hard work they put in. The hard work the coaches put in and seeing it pay off and seeing them reap the benefits of it right now. We just [have] to continue it."

(On OLB Anthony Nelson's safety celebration and his 'I Dream of Jeannie' dance)

"Is that what it was [laughs]? You're showing your age there. Nelson has a lot of more personality than you think. It was a great job by Calijah [Kancey] forcing them out there that way. Nelson happened to make a heck of a play there and his 'I Dream of Jeannie/ Major Nelson' dance was very nice."

(On how much the rookies have grown)

"Quite a bit. At least 30%, because they're all playing. I mean, Cody Mauch was a day one starter. [Christian] Izien started day one from a nickel standpoint once the season started. Calijah [Kancey started] when we got back from injury. Yaya [Diaby] came on pretty early. [Trey] Palmer has been playing very consistently, and you forget we [have] a lot of first year guys. Rachaad [White] is only in his second year. [There are] a ton of guys, Logan [Hall] in his second year. We have a ton of guys playing. Zyon McCollum is only in his second year. We [have] a bunch of puppies out there right now. Rachaad is in his second year – you would think he's three, four [or] five years in. The maturity of all the guys from the lumps we took is really starting to come through now. It's more so the mental toughness, understanding the grind, and I think that's helped us out." 

(On how being considered the underdogs impacts the team)

"We knew that in the summer, so it doesn't surprise us all. We don't even worry about it anymore. We kind of laugh when we see it. We get ready to play, we line up, and we get ready to play on Sunday."

(On if the team has embraced being the underdogs)

"It's been embraced really good with a lot of guys. We don't expect anything, we don't expect any compliments. We don't expect anybody to give us anything. We are going to go out there and earn everything we want to get."

(On how important it going to be to finish plays against the Detroit Lions)

"It's going to be huge finishing plays up there. It's going to be loud. We know it's going to be loud. They're going to be hyped up and they should be. They're in [the] playoffs. Dan [Campbell] has them playing good football right now, so finishing and not trying to let the crowd get into it too long is going to be important for us."

-BUCCANEERS-