HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On if LB SirVocea Dennis or any other injured player would potentially be available for Sunday's game)

"SirVocea won't be available at this time. We'll see about [Jamel] Dean, Cade [Otton] and [Antoine] Winfield Jr. this week."

(On if it's possible for WR Chris Godwin to return if they make it deep in the playoffs)

"Not at this time."

(On what went into the decision to go for it on fourth-and-8 in Sunday's game against the Saints)

"Well, we figured if we punt it, we weren't gaining [anything] but about 20 yards. It was fourth-and-8 and we were trying to win the division, trying to win the game. You don't want to look back and have regrets. We called timeouts, and we got a good play in. They did a heck of a job and Jalen [McMillan] made a heck of a catch. Baker [Mayfield] made a heck of a throw."

(On whose decision it was to go for it on fourth-and-8)

"Oh, I made it."

(On if Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen or QB Baker Mayfield campaigned to go for it on fourth-and-8)

"They want to go for it on fourth-and-30 [laughs]."

(On having conservative coaching instincts and if it was rewarding to see the bold decision to go for it on fourth-and-8 pay off the way it did)

"I don't know if they're fairly conservative in that situation. [I] haven't really been in it too many times. [I was] just trying to win the ballgame, understanding how our offense was playing and understanding what we had to do to win the ballgame. It was a calculated risk."

(On what is left to be said about this year's rookie class and what continues to impress him about them)

"They just have to keep growing mentally. They learned a lot the first half of the season. That was really their training camp and for them to be [playing] situational football in the second half of the season and make plays and come up big off the things they learned in the first half says a lot about their study habits."

(On how much improvement the Commanders and Washington QB Jayden Daniels have made since the Buccaneers beat them in Week 1)

"That was his first time starting – the first game. They're a lot different, they're a lot better all the way around. We're a different team and they're a different team so it'll be a tough ball game. He can beat you a ton of ways, from the pocket, out of the pocket, with his legs, with his arms. They have a lot of characters around him that can really play ball so it's going to be a tough game."

(On the Buccaneers allowing significantly fewer points to opponents in the second half of games compared to the first half, and if there's a reason for that)

"There's not a whole lot of adjustments. I mean, there are things we talk about. We just play more aggressive in the second half once they see things. I don't know why that is. We keep trying to start out that way and we talk about it. We know that's happening, we know what's going to happen and [there's] a lot of different parts with the different guys playing but we just have to play that way for four quarters. They're capable of it."

(On if RB Rachaad White having zero touches in Sunday's game was because they were relying more on RB Bucky Irving)
"We have to get him more touches. The kind of way the game went in the first half, I thought the defense stayed on the field too long, didn't give them many opportunities. The second half, I think we were trying to press some things, we backed up and made some plays in the passing game, but we have to get him more touches for sure."

(On QB Baker Mayfield's ability to scramble and make big run plays)

"He's one of those quarterbacks that has that mentality in his head that he'll do whatever it takes to win. He has a good knack for seeing where the rush is and when the pocket is open for him to run and get through. He made some big scrambles for us, especially in the second half that kept some drives alive, especially when were backed up. He was like that in college, he was like that in high school, he's like that now. He wants to win, whether he's playing street ball or whether he's in a playoff game. He's determined to win. He'll do whatever it takes to win, and a lot of guys have developed that mentality because of him and we really like that."

(On limiting penalties)
"Just make sure we're fundamentally sound and we have good body position, everybody is executing at a high level. We know we can't win many games like that."

(On QB Baker Mayfield saying his mentality was to get in and then see what they can do in the playoffs)

"Anything can happen. We've played almost everybody that's in the playoffs right now so we just have to take care of ourselves and do the little things right, [and] be ready to play on Sunday."

(On QB Baker Mayfield's touchdown pass to WR Jalen McMillan)
"It was a heck of a throw. Not just the arm strength but the accuracy in which he put the ball there so if Jalen didn't get it, nobody got it. If it had been any higher or lobbed any softer, the [defensive back] would've made it or it would've went out of bounds. It was a heck of a throw, heck of a dime, put on the spot. Jalen makes a heck of a catch and gets his toes down – unbelievable."

(On potentially playing teams they've already played this season in the playoffsand if he prefers that as opposed to playing new teams)

"Not really. In the playoffs, it doesn't matter. In order to get to where you want to go, you have to face them all anyways. Whether you've played them or didn't play them, they're all good teams in the playoffs. We think we're a good team as well, so we'll take whatever comes in front of us."

(On the Buccaneers finishing 10-7 after overcoming so many obstacles)

"There were a lot of obstacles but at the same time, the games we lost were self-inflicted. Even with the injured guys playing, we felt like we were in those ballgames so there was a lot of hope and a lot of promise that way. We felt like if we could come out in the second half of the season and correct those little things, we'd have a shot to win a bunch of ballgames, and we won six out of seven. Credit to the guys for believing and buying in and working on themselves for us to be a better team."

(On if OLB Yaya Diaby dislocated a finger in Sunday's game)

"He should be fine."

(On how much better the secondary could be if S Antoine Winfield Jr. can return)

"Hopefully they can be if they come back. We'd like to see them healthy. The bad part it about it is if we gain two, we usually lose two. I hope that's not the case and we can get everybody back at the same time and just have them all healthy."

(On if S Jordan Whitehead is the only one who probably won't be in play for Sunday)

"At this time, yes."

(On DL Calijah Kancey leading the team in sacks and his growth as a pass rusher)

"It's just him understanding how they're trying to block him and understanding when he can use his quickness and when he can go up and under and stay on the block but he's playing with a such a high level of confidence right now. His speed – he's playing very fast. There's nothing he doesn't think he can't do and we believe him."

(On missing tackles early in Sunday's game and how that is a point of emphasis)

"We missed quite a few tackles at the start of the game. Even in the middle of the game, some of the small plays that should've went for minimum yardage...We started wrapping up, we kept our head up in the second half and kind of calmed down and played a normal game."

(On if it's hard to make a team that was 4-6 continue to believe in themselves)

"No, it's not hard to pull off, especially understanding how we lost. If you understand how you lose then you can fix your own problems and you know why you lose. That kind of helps. We have a bunch of character guys on this team and in that locker room right there and a bunch of leaders that lead those guys. The character and the effort is never a problem. We just correct the little things and we move on. Nobody has thin skin and everybody wants to be coached and everybody coaches and everybody plays."

(On QB Baker Mayfield's fight and leadership and if that carries over to the rest of the team)

"It's huge. We have a lot of fight. We have a lot of fight and when Baker shows that on the field, he's the leader. When he's doing the little things like diving for fumbles and trying to block down the field [and] doing those types of things, everybody else looks at him like, 'Why can't we do our part?' So it kind of buys in and the relationship we've had for a couple years now has been outstanding. I love having him around here, love everything he's doing, love the way he handles the team. Everybody has bought in and we're all in the same boat."

(On Good Morning Football honoring him with a game ball for taking a risk to get WR Mike Evans 1,000 yards and helping keep his streak alive)

"I was just hoping it was complete, and I think Mike owes me a million dollars."

-BUCCANEERS-