OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DAVE CANALES

(On if the New Orleans Saints were making post-snap changes in coverage) 

"Yeah, they made it challenging. I've got a lot of respect for Dennis Allen. He had a great gameplan against us. I don't want to give him all the credit for some of the execution and things we didn't get done in the game – we didn't play our type of football that we've been playing for the last month. The balance stuff, the execution, the fundamental things just weren't there on the day. It got away from us and at a certain point, we just had to go, 'Okay let's switch modes and let's go attack and let's see if we can get ourselves back in the game.'"

(On if he felt like the team was 'flat' against New Orleans) 

"Yeah, I think I could feel that, for sure. Even in those types of games, what do we rely on? Our basics – the assignments, the execution – those are things that were kind of uncharacteristic for the way we've been playing football for the last couple of weeks. [It was] really a timely wake-up call for our guys. We can't just show up and expect these things to happen for us. It takes a lot of intentionality. Even with all the holiday season and all of that – whatever that is – we have to maintain our focus."

(On how he approaches the 'all-or-nothing' games) 

"It's the messaging, right? From the beginning. Every single game is big – whether it's a loss in the first four weeks, in the middle of the season, or at the end. All of them matter. I think, not just us in this situation – I'm really proud of the fact that we put ourselves in a win-and-you're-in type of situation over the last month, but there's a lot of teams playing for other things like the top seed and home-field advantage and those types of things, too, where the stakes are high for them being able to play at home or travel. We try to prep the guys that way – every game is a championship opportunity. For sure, that goes without saying this week. This is it – this is a championship moment for us, for our group as a whole. For us to just come back and get right back to the basics and try to put aside any type of other side story other than, 'Guys, let's look at brass tacks here. Let's look at our footwork, our technique, the depths of routes, the throws – all of those types of things that really didn't happen for us last week. [Let's] see if we can get back right on track before that.'"

(On if he's been working with QB Kyle Trask more this week) 

"Oh, for sure. We have a very interactive way that we teach in our quarterback room with our offense. Throughout the whole thing, whether it's Kyle or John [Wolford], we have those conversations [and] we've been working. But, for sure, this week…we have to see what happens with Baker [Mayfield] as we progress through the week. Kyle is ready. He's been working in between drills throughout the whole season. Thad [Lewis] takes him and they go through the whole script to make sure he gets those reps. Those are going to be really important as we go into this week."

(On how QB Baker Mayfield looked in practice today) 

"He had a third down period – took all of the reps in a nice third down period and he threw some accurate balls. He looked pretty good. Again, I don't want to give too much about the plan and the style of what we're going to do, specifically, but as far as throwing, he looked functional today. He ripped a couple of balls down the field and looked okay."

(On what he's learned about Mayfield over the last few months) 

"Some of the big picture things – just the leader that he is, the way that he handles adversity, the way that he takes accountability and carries things. He's not looking to blame, he's not looking to throw anybody under the bus. He really just wants to keep getting better. He's got a [really] cool way of how he relates to the players – particularly guys who might be struggling. He's got a way of talking to them and doing those things. For himself, too, bouncing back off of a bad play here or there. He bounces back with the right mentality. His ability to battle through a couple of things that have happened to him this year. Think about going back to the first Saints game, going [into] Buffalo he was a little banged up and found himself a way to find himself to game day and gave us a chance to win at the end. I'm really impressed with his resilience. And then just some of the things that I've discovered throughout the season about him as a passer and the things that he does well – things that he's done better than any quarterback that I've worked with. [Like] just throwing a lot of those out cuts that we've seen come alive week-in and week-out is going to be a part of what we do. Stretching the field and really learning the success that we've seen in the last month is really the chemistry of the me-to-you factor of learning how to throw to Chris [Godwin], learning how to throw to Mike [Evans], Cade [Otton], Trey [Palmer]. We saw the big fumble that Trey had but that's a play that we've been looking for out of Trey Palmer. Really, it's not just Trey, it's Baker throwing to him. I think the way that he's learned our guys and figured out how to get the ball to them in the right way has been really impressive, too."

(On how involved he will be in determining whether or not QB Baker Mayfield will play on Sunday) 

"Honestly, that's going to be a decision for Baker and if he feels like…I know for sure Baker gives us our best chance to win, so if he feels like he's ready to go, that's a decision that he'll be able to make."

(On what he's learned about WR Mike Evans this year) 

"There's this football intelligence – we call it 'FBI' in the building – this football IQ where he just really knows how to stem routes and get himself open. He's so used to teams double-covering him, triple-covering him at times. For him to be able to find the right stem to get him access in the route and then finish at the top – it's the craziest thing when you see teams double[-cover] and then all of the sudden the quarterback starts to work the other side of the field and try to find a completion there. You watch the film later and he found a way to get open. He gives you confidence that he's going to present himself at the right time. It's all of those things that you can't quantify and you can't really just teach it all in a moment – it's things that happen over time, over a career. The competitiveness of the guy – he just keeps playing. He just keeps finding a way to fight, to scrap. Another thing I learned about him is his willingness in the run game. Through a game last week that was pretty hard trying to find throws, trying to find rhythm…while we were mixing in those runs, he was still working his butt off on the back side to block corners and safeties. And [he is] really just a humble guy, too. There were games [where] he had every right to be frustrated and games that were hard for us and he never turned on the offense. He never made a big scene about Mike and these things. He just kept working and he found a way to get himself back to focus by the next drive. That's been a blessing for me and something that I really respect out of him."

(On if he has a favorite play by Evans this season) 

"There's so many. Probably one of the coolest ones was [against] Indianapolis, the climb-the-ladder catch that goes down to the 1-yard line. We're going to get our first opening drive touchdown and then we figured out a way to screw that one up [laughs]. But, the catch, that was incredible. Some of the go-ball shots where it's like, 'This guy shouldn't let him behind him…He's behind him.' It was [against] Houston, Atlanta the first time, it was Houston twice, actually, down the field on some of those shots. Just his way to find a way to get past the defense. Across the league, you see these guys running 21 miles per hour, 22 miles per hour, he's running his steady 20's-ish but he's running by the guy. It happened at the right time, that speed. I'm sure there's way more that I'm missing."

(On what he remembers about his final regular season game with Seattle in 2022) 

"The first thing I remember is we also had to depend on the Packers losing. You guys remember that big fourth down, Detroit went in…A short story on that, I'm catching balls from Geno Smith and that's a task. Some time during the week, I jammed my pinky, so it's swollen. The family and I were watching the Packers-Lions game at home. [We have] eight foot ceilings, I'm sitting on the couch and I was like, 'Oh, they're going for it here,' and when they got it, I jumped up and slammed my hand on the ceiling and just completely exploded the moment. [It is] a similar situation for them this year. I think the approach of it was the focus on the little things. What I shared with our team early on was something that I heard Richard Sherman say – he just said, 'The bigger the moment, the smaller the focus.' I think that's about details, but also it's about our gameplan. We can't just throw in a bunch of new things. [We have to] dance with who [brought us] – how did we get here, guys? It's these concepts, it's these runs. [Let's] put a little window dressing on it, but this is going to be our offense and we've got to be able to execute. I think that gives us a chance to play fast, to play aggressive, to play physical on the road against a really good defense, too, who statistically, if you look at them – and they played us really well the first time…I know we got all the rain and that kind of slowed some things down, but, again, it's going to call for our focus [and] it's going to call for re-engaging. Also, we can't live and die on any drive. We can't live and die on any single play. You look at the Packers game, we had a sack-fumble and we give them seven points right there and [we did] a great job of the group refocusing on the next drive and then we roll. We have to be able to be resilient [and] to lean on that armor we've built throughout the season to get ourselves back to a point where we can execute at the most basic level and trust that if we do that, we take care of the ball, we eliminate the penalties – another issue we had last week that hasn't been a big issue for us in a couple of weeks – if we can do that, then we'll be proud of what we have at the end of the game. I believe in us, I believe in our ability to finish in four-minute situations, I believe in our ability to finish in two-minute situations, throwing the ball and getting what we need to to score."

(On why he feels the running game has struggled over the last two weeks and why it's important to stay committed to the run) 

"Yeah, that's worked for us is balance. If you go back to the Packers game, this was a defense that saw [we] have run for 100 yards for the last couple of games, so they have to factor in the run game and we have to believe that that balance is going to give us better chances to open up the field [and] to be able to take advantage of some stuff. You go to the Atlanta game and they just said go ahead and run it today and we did and we had a good day there. I think it's really critical to have that balance. Coming out of the half, there was a little shift in gears with what they were doing defensively. They gave us an opportunity to run it. We ended with the fumble on that drive, but we started to get excited about, 'Hey, this is a 14-point game, we're going to play our offense. We're going to run ourselves right back into this thing and at some point, they're going to have to factor for it.' That's when all of the stuff opens up. [It is] really critical for me to be disciplined about the balance of it, and at the same time, to take what they're giving us. I just felt like we were not able to do that last week, where, regardless of what they were doing, we weren't functioning in the rhythm of the pass game [and] we weren't functioning in our runs. There wasn't anything we were making them play to us at any point in that game. At the end, we've got to go, [so] we spread it out and started to attack them down the field and take advantage of that."

(On if it would take a lot to keep QB Baker Mayfield out on Sunday against Carolina) 

"Absolutely."

(On how the team moves past having a season-high in turnovers against New Orleans) 

"I think, for me, as the coordinator, it gives merit to the things we've been preaching the whole time – how important the ball is. If you think about that game – I know it's all phases of it – but for us in particular, we're getting past the 50-yard line and we're turning the ball over. None of the field goals that we normally pick up getting in that area…We have a fantastic kicker and we didn't give him any chances. It allows me to double down on the importance of it in practice. It's about practice. It's about the focus after the catch, the focus of the runners when they get to the second level, the awareness of it. You've got to know when to hold them and know when to fold them in those types of situations. Always, in traffic, that second off hand has to be a factor. It does give me a little bit more weight and a little more juice to say, 'Guys, here's what it is. If we're plus-one in turnovers – our defense, other than last week, had been doing a fantastic job – if we can flip that, it's 70-plus percent win percentage. Let's give ourselves a chance there. Not to mention the penalties, which made it really hard. It makes you predictable in a second-and-20 type of situation where it's like, 'Well I'm not going to hand the ball off here. It's a pass situation.' Now they know they can rush, now they can play coverage and play games. Staying in rhythm, staying on schedule on third down – because a lot of those penalties put us…We had five third-and-10-pluses. In the third-and-6-to-9 area, I think we were 75% - one of them by penalty. We're good on third down when it's not 10+ [yards] – nobody is great in that area. It all ties into that, to be able to play complementary football."

(On if there was any thought to challenging WR Trey Palmer's fumble) 

"I think it [was] a football move as he's trying to gain balance. He took quite a few steps there before he hit the ground. Of course, nobody touched him. If somebody had a hand on him when he hits the ground and the ball comes out, the ball is down right there. I think the ruling of it and all of that was clean. It was really unfortunate. [It was] a max-effort play [and] a perfect throw by Baker [Mayfield] and it was just that kind of day when that happened."

(On WR Trey Palmer's development) 

"It wasn't a perfect game for him, assignment-wise, but I think we've been looking for that other explosive factor opposite of where Mike [Evans] is at. We had a little different formation, putting Mike in a non-normal spot and putting Trey in a single. If Mike gets attention, you're going to get those one-on-one opportunities. I went to him right after the fumble, found him on the sideline and said, 'Okay, don't let this one play take away from what this game has been for you.' [There were] a couple of scramble plays that he made for us. For me, it was kind of a coming-of-age [game] for him, like, 'You're a factor. Believe in this ability right here. We'll finish that play better next time.' I just wanted him to know, let's take care of the ball, yes, but don't lose what's happening here – you're playing yourself into becoming a pro. I wanted to try to capitalize on that in an otherwise really hard day to find bright spots about what we were doing."

DEFENSIVE LINE COACH/RUN GAME COORDINATOR KACY RODGERS

(On how to handle a win-and-you're-in and lose-and-you're-out situation) 

"As we approached it, we knew what our situation was going into last week. We knew if we didn't [win], it would lead to this. From the players' standpoint and coach's standpoint, we knew what was at stake. It makes it a big game. You can say every game is big, but [there is] a lot, lot on the line. We've got to concentrate and go try to win a game on the road."

(On what he took from the first game against the Carolina Panthers) 

"We looked back as far as our game [and] I think they had like 34 rushing attempts against us – maybe the weather had something to do with it, but it was also the week of their coaching change and this and that. They made it a point to run the ball. We got a lot of runs and last week against Jacksonville, they were only able to run it 15 times. You're juggling between what we're going to get, which I think they gave us a good dose of the run. They do a pretty good job in the running game, so you've got to be ready for everything this game."

(On having a fully healthy defensive unit going into this week's game) 

"There will be no excuses because we have most of our guys ready to go. We've got to just go out, go on the road, and try to win a game against a tough opponent. The last time we rolled into Carolina didn't work out so well. We know how they play at home, we know how they play in our division. It's a big game."

(On what he's seen from Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young) 

"The thing about Bryce [is] I can compare him to – we've had the luxury of seeing a lot of young quarterbacks this year between [Jordan] Love and [C.J.] Stroud and I think he's right there with all of them. Watching his scramble tape this morning, he's dangerous when he runs and he can make the throws. We were talking earlier and when you look at young quarterbacks in this league – this is a tough year for veteran quarterbacks – so you throw in someone straight out of college but I think he's got a bright future and he's talented and he's smart. It seems like those guys rally and they play around him. I think the sky is the limit for him."

(On allowing a first-possession touchdown against the Saints) 

"When you look back at the tape, it was the attention to detail. Early in the first drive, I think we had a chance to go to third-and-12 and we missed a tackle – an unblocked tackle – and he went for 13. Now they've got a first down and we didn't do this and didn't do that. It was just the details. If you give a team momentum in this league, that's how it goes. We could never catch our footing from there."

(On if DL Mike Greene might return this week) 

"As of right now, Mike is going through practice right now. We just have to wait and see how it goes."

(On if there was a lack of attention to detail on both sides of the ball against the Saints) 

"I can't speak for the other side of the ball because I have my own problems. I just know when we watch it defensively, we felt like it was an attention to detail [problem]. It wasn't a lack of effort. It's the attention to details in this league. If you're off just a little bit, it's not going to be good, and we were off just a little bit."

(On the team starting slow against the Saints) 

"It just wasn't our day. You look back at some of the games and we look back through our season, we've got a lot of one-score games where I thought we were competitive and didn't come out the way we wanted but were competitive and this and that. For whatever reason, we just didn't get it going. I hate to say it, but it happens sometimes. We've just got to go out there and make sure it doesn't happen again."

(On S Antoine Winfield Jr. not making the Pro Bowl) 

"I've been around. I've been blessed to be in this league for a few years and I've been around a lot of good safeties, but he's going to be right there [at the top]. From my standpoint, this guy should be up for All-Pro, this guy should be in the conversation for defensive MVP and he [doesn't] make the Pro Bowl? We don't get to decide that but we know what he means to us. He does it week in and week out. You can't say he disappeared this game because he's a true soldier. My hat goes off to him. I honestly think it is a travesty."

(On why he thinks Winfield was snubbed) 

"I have no idea. You can see how our opponents attack us. We come off the field and [Winfield] is on the sideline saying, 'When I came down, they said [to] watch 31.' Everybody that we play is watching for him and accounting for where he is, so why doesn't he make the Pro Bowl? If you're not a good player, they don't care where you are. When [No.] 31 comes down, they want to know where he is so [they can say], 'We're going that way,' or 'We're sending the protection this way.' We know we're lucky to have him and we know what he is to us."

(On Winfield making meaningful plays like the game-sealing interception against the Carolina Panthers) 

"We were just looking at it this morning in my group. They had the ball with four minutes to go in the game going down to either tie it up or win the game. The interception he made, they were throwing a take-off route and he took it. Calijah [Kancey] got the hit and [Antoine Winfield Jr.] made the interception and we were looking at it like if we didn't make this play, we might be in a whole different situation right now. That's how this league [goes] – make sure we're ready for Sunday."

(On Winfield being given tough assignments throughout the season) 

"We're still talking about a guy who played nickel [cornerback] last year… Look at all the jobs we've asked him to do, from nickel to safety to this to free [safety] to down in the box – the things we ask him to do, to blitz, to cover, to pick up this. He's a soldier. I couldn't say enough about him. I've been fortunate enough to be around some really good safeties and Hall of Famers – this guy should be right up there. He's a really good player. He deserves the recognition."

(On if he's been in a win-and-you're-in and lose-and-you're-out situation) 

"My first year at the [New York] Jets. 10-5. We go to Buffalo, they've put everybody on [Injured Reserve] and shut the whole team down and they beat our brains in. I've been there. I've got a whole lot to share with the [players] in there. I've been there."

(On what improvements he wants to see from the pass rush this week) 

"We know we've got to take care of the run and get them in passing situations. It's going to be critical if we can put pressure on them. If we can't put pressure on them, it'll be a long day for us."

(On the importance of pressuring Panthers QB Bryce Young) 

"I think he's got 50-something sacks, but I just saw a scramble reel of 90-something scrambles. He's not trying to stay there too long, either. He's getting out if you're not disciplined in the rush. The thing is, you want to tee off and try to pin your ears back and go get him, but then you've got to be sound because if you're in a four-man rush, you've still got a couple of gaps he can get through there. We've got to make sure we're tight on that. And we've got to make sure we're able to get them in a passing situation, because they have a lot of second-and-4, second-and-3, this and that, and they'll run the ball. You've got to try to put them in long yardage situations and hope the rush gets to them."

(On OLB Yaya Diaby's development) 

"The physical tools were there when he walked in – he's truly a physical specimen. But when you watch his improvement from day to day as he picked up the technique and started learning our system – our system is not an easy system for a young player to come into because we do a lot. We're not a line up in 3-4 or 4-3 [system]. That isn't the way we do it – there's a lot of moving parts there. We ask those guys to do a lot. He's a rusher, he's a dropper, he's a three-technique, he can be out there at nine-technique, he can be in man-to-man on the tight end. We have whole lot of moving parts there. So, to see where he's able to grasp the system and still be a productive player – this kid has a bright, bright future ahead of him."

(On how much the team missed OLB Shaq Barrett last week and what he brings to the team) 

"All Shaq has been through with the injuries and his offseason, we take our hat off to him for what he's been able to accomplish just to make it back for us this season. You guys probably weren't privy to it but if you look out there before our game, he's running sprints with the trainers to try to get to the game. I've been around a lot of guys [who say], 'Hey, I'm off this week.' He was out there sprinting, coming off a groin, to see if he could make to the game. I've been around some guys [who say], 'Y'all got it this week.' Not him. It just shows what kind of guy he is. He said, 'I'm going to be back next week.' That's what you want. Our young players look up to that. He's great with the young guys. He's a tremendous human being and a good football player."

(On DL Calijah Kancey's progression)

"Just keep maturing. The thing coming in, coming from college, these guys have to adjust to the strength level of these guys. Some of these guards are what we call full-grown men. As they adjust to this, some of the stuff that worked in college doesn't necessarily work here. As he adjusts his game and figures out what he can do, the sky is the limit for him because he's a joy to coach and very coachable. If you tell him to do something, he'll try to fix it right away. Continue to be coachable and his ability will just take over from there.

WIDE RECEIVER MIKE EVANS

(On being selected to the 2024 Pro Bowl Games)

"I'm very appreciative of the nod. You know, I know there's a lot of other deserving guys. I'm sure that they'll get their call, but I'm appreciative."

(On attending the Pro Bowl)

"Yeah, it's fun, being around the best players, [and] guys that I watch their games. I'm fans of those guys as well, so I like being around those guys. Especially, now that I'm a little older being around the young guys and seeing how much juice they have."

(On having one his best seasons and record))

"I have seen a lot of guys get snubbed, but that was probably the biggest one that I've seen in my time in the league."

(On what it means to him having the opportunity to tie his personal best in touchdowns this week)

"It's definitely one of my best seasons. I always want to get in the endzone so, hopefully, I can get in the endzone once or twice this week to help my team win this game. [It's a] much-needed game."

(On the Carolina Panthers)

"They're a scrappy team. [The] last time we played them, I know it was raining, but they have some really good corners. Like four or five really good corners that can play the nickel spot and outside, so we [have] to come with it."

(On how he would characterize QB Baker Mayfield's mobility at today's practice)

"I mean, he looked normal when he was in there. He was throwing the ball great, [and] hit me a stride a couple of times today. He looked normal."

(On what he has learned about Mayfield after playing the season with him)

"He's a much cooler guy than I thought he was, that's like the main thing. I always knew he was a really talented player, knew he was tough, knew he played with a lot of energy, mobile, and all of those things. But I've come to find out he's an unbelievable teammate."

(On his message to younger players in the wide receiver room about this week's game)

"Just keep playing hard and playing smart. You know, if we do that, I feel like we have the talent to win this game, and it's a huge game for us. We just have to keep doing what we doing. We've been working hard this week, and we have to make big-time plays come Sunday."

(On how much OC Dave Canales' diversity in routes has helped him this year)

"It helped a lot. It's hard for teams to double me and key on me as much. I'm all over the field."

-BUCCANEERS-