OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BYRON LEFTWICH

(On why there wasn't more help dedicated to blocking Steelers DT Cam Heyward)

"I've got to do a better job of helping [Luke Goedeke] out in those situations. Obviously, it wasn't that simple – but I've just got to do a better job of helping him out. That's really what it comes down to."

(On if TE Kyle Rudolph can help the team at this point in his career)

"I believe so. I believe there's something still left in the tank. He's been having great practices since he's been here. Now he's had enough time to really know what he's doing, to really know the system, [to] understand how we're going to use him and where we're going to use him. I think we'll be fine there. I think we'll be fine with Kyle. He's a Pro Bowl guy – he's a guy that's been in this league, that's been around a lot of football. I believe we'll be fine there."

(On if he has been evaluating his own play calling)

"I look [at] what I'm doing as a play caller every week – I look and see what I'm doing. Obviously, everybody has their opinion, has had those opinions since I've been here – understandable, but we're always doing the right thing that we feel as though for our ballclub. Obviously, we need to be better on first, second, and third down to be honest with you. We're working to get that done. We're working to get that done. We're working to be better on first, second, and third down."

(On the team's commitment to running the ball on first down)

"We do what we feel as though is the best thing for us to move the ball and to score points on every down."

(On if he accounts for the tendencies of the referees when he's developing a gameplan)

"It's huge. We have a great awareness of who's refereeing the game – tendencies, what they're doing, who's collectively as the group of the referee staff. There's work done on that every week on who we're going to have every week."

(On why the team doesn't run towards the right side of the offensive line more)

"We're always doing the best thing for us – what we feel as though is the best thing at the time, regardless of if it works or not. We're always trying to do the best thing at that time for it to work – when it [doesn't] work, it [doesn't work]. We've got to get to the drawing board – I've got to coach it better, we'll play it better."

(On the criticism of QB Tom Brady for attending a wedding last weekend)

"Tom is here, Tom is ready to play ball, Tom is Tom. The Tom I know is still here. When you're in these spots, when you're not having as much success, there's opportunity for everyone to say what they want to say. People probably have been waiting for years to say this stuff – to really get it out and say what they need to say. We understand we're not playing our best football, but I trust this group [and] I trust the coaching staff. We'll keep working and we'll try to get it turned around – that's all we can really do. We're a 3-3 football team – a lot of people are already throwing dirt on us. We'll see, we understand we've got a lot of football left. We're just going to keep competing, keep trying to go out and win football games. We'll see where we're at at the end of the year."

(On if he was concerned by Brady missing the walk-through to attend the wedding)

"No."

(On why the team didn't test Pittsburgh's injured secondary)

"It's easy to say – a lot of things happened in that game where I really won't go into detail. We just didn't do a good enough job of executing really on any down. We didn't play well enough as an offense and when you don't, it looks like that. It looks like that any time you lose football games. That's how you feel – there's always a what if. What if we would have [done] this, what if we would have [done] that. [It's the] same when you win – what if we would have [done] this, what if we would have [done] that. It could have been a little better here and there. That's the game, we understand that. We understand where we're at. We're just going to keep chipping, keep working. I still like who I have, who we are, the coaching staff – same coaching staff, same everything. We're just going to keep working and try to get this thing turned around."

(On if there's enough time for the passing routes to develop)

"Our pass blocking is fine – I think we may be one or two in the league as far as that. Our pass blocking is fine."

(On the lack of explosive plays this season)

"It's not the same team as last year, or the team before. That's the biggest difference – it's not the same team. We're working new people in, we're trying to get to a point where we're playing our better football later in the year. In the process, you still [have] to do enough to win games like that last Sunday. We understand that. We're still working on it, we're going to keep chipping wood and hopefully we get it done. I trust that we'll get it done because I trust the people in that locker room [and] I trust the staff."

(On if the team needs more speed on the offensive side of the ball)

"We're just in the process of continuously putting people in position – keep putting them in position to have success. We haven't had as much as we had in the past. We're doing some things well…you guys are used to us beating people [with] 38, 42, 30 points a game and we're striving to get that done – we're working to get to that point. I believe who we are – I told you guys – I believe in this group, I believe in who we are as a staff that we'll get that done."

(On having success in a different way from previous seasons)

"No, it will have to be done a completely different way. We understand that, but we're in the process of trying to get that done. As we're doing that, there may be some bumps in the road. Hey man, we're going to keep playing ourselves, keep trying to put ourselves in position. Like I said, at the end of the year, we'll count these numbers up as we do every year. We'll see where we're at."

(On how this team has handled the frustration of not being where it wants to be)

"It's frustrating because it's human nature. We're used to it, too. It's frustrating for everyone – anytime you lose in this league, especially if you lose three of four, it's frustrating for everyone. Trust me, we're all walking in the building in the morning [as] frustrated as can be because we're so used to winning. Everything we do is about winning football games and we're not doing that right now. When we're in these tough moments – it's not supposed to always be good – how do we react? That's what I love the most about this group – everybody puts their hand in the pile. Nobody is beginning to point fingers regardless of what's going on. We come in and come to work – that's what I love about this group. I trust that. What that's going to mean, we'll see, but I trust that process that we go through. We've been in these types of moments before – people throwing dirt on us and everything like that. We'll see – we'll keep working and we'll see."

(On Head Coach Todd Bowles' comments about players living off the Super Bowl and if he feels like there are any players doing that)

"Off the Super Bowl? From 2020? No, but I don't really know what he said about that to be honest with you."

(On clarifying Bowles' comments about living off the Super Bowl)

"Yeah, that's true – anybody that's living off 2020's Super Bowl, that's fantasy land. That's almost two years ago. Yeah, he's true on that."

(On WR Russell Gage Jr.'s comments about the offense needing more energy)

"I don't know, you'd have to ask Russ what he really meant by that."

(On his reaction to Gage's comments)

"I have no reaction to that."

(On QB Tom Brady being shown getting animated with the offensive line)

"They'll be fine. They'll be fine. We've built something here – we've been together here a while. This group has been together here a while so we all understand each other. We trust each other that those moments can happen and they never get carried away. That's one thing about this group – those moments can happen. Sometimes they happen on TV where everybody sees them, sometimes they happen out here on a Friday, a Wednesday, where no one sees it. It may not just be Tom, it may be anyone. That's football – we understand football. What we all are trying to do is really just trying to play better. We're working on getting that done. That's really all that that was about – man, how do we get ourselves to play better ball because we don't like where we're at right now. That's really what that is and we're working our tail off to get that fixed."

(On Brady's statement that everybody on the team needed to look in the mirror)

"Oh yeah, oh yeah. Just the way we're coming to work – we understand, this group has been together in tough situations. This [isn't] the first time we've been in tough situations together as a group. We're smart enough to know – hey man this is a long season, let's make sure we're focusing on what we need to focus on. This group is always great with that – this group is always really good with the understanding of how long a season is, the ups and downs in the season. We're just going to lock in, focus, and try to find a way to get a win this week."

(On finding ways to get the wide receivers open)

"We think of those things every week since 2019 [when] we got here. That's really our whole thought process – putting guys in position to have as much success as possible. Sometimes you don't have that success, but that [doesn't] mean we're not still thinking this thing up week in and week out. That's what we go through week in and week out – trying to put guys in position to have as much success as possible."

(On how he handles the team struggling)

"It's miserable when you lose – this game is about winning and losing. It's not even really about how you play – when you win in this league, you're happy; when you don't win in this league, you're not happy. It's just a part of it. When you've lost as much as we've lost in the past four weeks, we need to find a way to get a good taste in our mouth so we're just going to keep working [and] try to put ourselves in position to win football games because we like winning them a whole lot more than we like losing them. Trust me."

(On how he's sleeping)

"I'm sleeping well."

RUN GAME COORDINATOR/DEFENSIVE LINE COACH KACY RODGERS

(On communication and his message to the players this week)

"It's really something we preach all the time – communication. And [making] sure everybody is on the same page and some of the things we jacked up, we shouldn't have jacked up in those situations. And it's just – that's the thig about this league – you have to play under pressure."

(On not calling a time out in order to make a substitution last week)

"From the standpoint of – they shouldn't have been in that situation. We've got to be a lot cleaner on our substitutions, so it wasn't a situation that anybody jacked up. Lavonte [David] was trying to save the day. We should have been a lot cleaner on the substitution."

(On why they haven't been able to get off the field on third-and-long situations)

"The thing that I looked at was, from our standpoint, was the rush. I think we were in four-man rush, zone coverage right there from a pass-rush standpoint. That's the situations you want to be in – third and long, [the quarterback's] got to hold it for a bit. We've got to get off the field. [Last week,] one of them was just base fundamentals, we can't let him scramble, get outside of the pocket…I put more on the rush."

(On what the pass-rushers can do to get home to sack the quarterback)

"Those guys need to rush a heck of a lot better. We just met this morning and talked about it. We expect a lot of those guys – if you look where our resources are on the defense – you need to get home. And they don't shy away from it – we'll squarely put it on them. We need to rush better."

(On his assessment of the front seven six games into the season)

"Six games in, you look at it, there's been some ups and downs. The thing you would try to preach for is more consistency, and this and that. I think Todd [Bowles] mentioned the other day, [it's] been eight quarters without takeaways. We need to be more assertive in taking the ball away and that will start by trying to get home, hitting the quarterback. Throughout the league, those guys turn the ball over more than anybody, but we need to get there quicker and get the ball off of him."

(On if there's pressure for more production from OLB Shaq Barrett and NT Vita Vea)

"Well, just the difference is knowing those are the situations that we are put in that we need guys to step up and make a play…If you were a first-rounder or the first pick of the second round… we need you to show up in the rush. We just have to step up and make plays, and really throughout – when we have success, those guys make plays. We talked a lot about it this morning. Our five-star players have to play like five-star players."

(On how surprised he is that OLB Shaq Barrett only has two sacks)

"You know, we've said it before, sacks come in bunches. Sometimes, you look up, and a guy has a four-sack game. Then all of a sudden, he's tied for the league lead. They come in bunches and the things is if you look at it as a whole, only one person gets the sack, but we have a bunch of them. So, if you're right there, somebody else is getting there and he gets the attention that he is warranted because he is who he is. So, right here, he's a prideful guy – he'll definitely keep coming and the rest of them – it all works together. If we keep [the quarterback] in the pocket, anybody can get the sack."

(On if DL Logan Hall's limited snap count was due to a different package or bad matchup)

"It was just the way they were playing. Going into it, if you look back at last week, they were going to be hard-headed about running the ball, so we wanted the bigger, stouter guys in. You know, once we get in the situation where it's a passing situation, we try to [substitute] accordingly."

(On where Hall will be physically next year and what his potential can be)

"The thing is, I think he can be as good as he wants to be. You know, [if] he puts the time in in the off season, and the guy's about 290-295 [pounds]. Another year in this league with an offseason, he'll be 300-plus. He just needs to increase his strength, but like I said when we drafted him, he has some tools and assets that really accent what we do. He's long, he's athletic, he has pass-rush abilities… We think he can be as good as he wants to be."

(On if he has seen guys looking in the mirror after last week's loss and making adjustments)

"Well, you know, when you look at the guys this week, they were straightforward and looking at exactly what we're in, there's no one pointing a finger. We all had a hand in it, so we'll all have a hand in getting it straight and righting the ship. All of these guys, this week during practice, they've been locked in. Looking forward to seeing them play."

(On LB Devin White's roughing the passer penalty)

"Well, when we talk about [roughing the passer penalties], we ask the guys to be smart, but sometimes in the emotion of the game, guys get caught up in this and that. And when you look at it, it's so many, so many things and we talk about them and when the officials come in every week…You know, one officiating crew will be a super stickler and one officiating crew will let it go, but it's just such a subjective thing, so we just ask them to be smart."

(On what needs to be done to improve third-and-long situations and getting off the field)

"Well, the thing that we look at is – it's always one thing. You know, you have great coverage, the rush lets the quarterback break containment, and that hurts us. Or you know, we have good rush, but [the quarterback] gets the ball out because we're a little loose on the coverage. So, just rush and coverage has to work well together. We just have to execute the scheme and we think we can right the ship."

(On what he's seen from OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka)

"It's funny you should say that because we still want more from Joe. We think his ceiling can be higher. We think he's a guy that can really complement Shaq [Barrett] on the outside with Carl [Nassib] and 'Nelly' (Anthony Nelson) We think we have really four guys we can put in there and go get the quarterback. Kind of like we said, those four guys have to work together and be more of a consistent rush."

QUARTERBACK TOM BRADY

(Opening Statement)

"Before we start, can I say one thing? Earlier this week I made a statement about playing football and the military, and it was a very poor choice of words. I just want to express that to any sentiments out there that people may have taken in a certain way. So, I apologize."

(On how much interior pressure limits his ability to progress through his reads)

"I think any time you get pressure, you're forced to throw the ball quicker than you want. So, it's just tougher to go through your reads. But that's just the reality of football. I've been dealing with that for 23 years, too. Everyone's trying to get to the quarterback and pressure the quarterback however they think they need to do it. Whether you get it on the edge or whether you get it inside it's really the same thing. I think we've faced some very good interior pass rushers the last three or four weeks, between Kenny Clark, Chris Jones, Grady Jarrett, Cam Heyward, Derrick Brown this week. There's a lot of good ones in the league right now. It's a good group and we've kind of faced them back-to-back-to-back-to-back. It's just the reality of being in this league – there are going to be good edge rushers, good inside rushers, good corners. We just have to do a better job overall of executing our assignments, whether that's pass rush or run-blocking or throwing the football or getting open or running the ball. All those things come up. The challenging thing about football is it's the ultimate team sport. We're all in it together and in order to score points you have to do a lot of things the right way. We've just got to keep working at it."

(On what he meant by his comment regarding football and the military)

"To be honest, I don't really want to expand on it too much…thank you, I appreciate it. I have a tremendous amount of gratitude for everyone who's served, and in the end we play a game and the military is defending our country. That's two very different things and I shouldn't have made the comparison."

(On why WR Mike Evans didn't get the ball very much in Pittsburgh)

"Yeah, they did a good job defending us. They've just done a good job of kind of making sure he's covered. Any time Mike is open, I'm going to try to get him the ball. But the guys have been doing a good job defending it, and we've just got to make other plays. Until they allocate help elsewhere we have to make the plays elsewhere. It's just a matter of keep finding the open guy. My job is to drop back and find the open guy. Mike is usually open when he's got the right matchup, but when they really try to take him away I've got to find other guys. That's my job."

(On comments about him looking like he didn't want to be out there on Sunday)

"I think anytime you lose it's not very fun for any of us. I think we've just got to go play better. I think that's the reality to solving a lot of issues, is to play better and to win. Yeah, I've definitely been a part of seasons where we have not played as well as we're capable, and I don't think it's as enjoyable for anyone. I think everyone is working hard to get it right. I'm sure you guys in your job like to get it right. We like to get it right in our job, and when it doesn't go right…I don't think anyone's happy in their job when it's not right. We're certainly not happy when it's not right and we're working hard to get it right."

(On how the season is going)

"I think everything's unique. Every year's different. Every football season is a little bit different. There's different challenges. We've just got to work hard. We're certainly not a finished product. We've got to work hard to make the improvements we have to make, and that's what going out to practice is all about, and having great communication with your teammates and trying to get things headed in a better direction."

(On C Robert Hainsey saying he likes being motivated by Tom Brady)

"Yeah, I think it's natural, certainly when you lose a game. If we won the game it would be taken in a whole different context. I think me and my ability to…whether that's raise my voice at people or create a sense of urgency, that's just part of my style. I've done that for certainly a long period of time, and I think the guys up front know how much I care about them. We have a lot of great conversations over the course of the week, in our own individual meetings on the practice field, where they feel like they can say anything to me, I feel like I can say anything to them. I think everyone's trying to work hard to put ourselves in a better position to win. I don't think anyone's going to be happy – certainly not me – until we start winning and playing the way we're capable of. That's what our job is. Now, yelling is not going to fix that. I think going out and doing a better job and working on the things that are going to help us improve is ultimately what is going to make us a better football team. I think we've got to create the actions and the urgency to go out there and perform better, and then when we do that people will have a lot better feeling about our team and what we're trying to accomplish. We just haven't played the way we're capable of – I think I've said that a few times – and we're working to get it right."

(On if he has seen any players "looking in the mirror" this week)

"Definitely, and I think that's the important thing about losing games. It helps you – those hurt. You stay up night, you think about them, they bother you during the day. Like I said, we're all here to win. That's what we're here for, so when you're not winning there's a part of you that's…no one enjoys that part of football [and of competition] – losing. We're just going to keep working at it. Again, it's more about action than saying a bunch of words. We've got to go do it. You know, no one's making it easy on us, no one's going to make it [easy on them]. No one's going to feel sorry for us. That's sports. It's Week 6, we're going into Week 7, there's a lot of football [left]. Our whole season's ahead of us. We've got a long way to go."

(On if there is predictability in the team's first-down play-calling)

"I think our problem is an execution problem. I think every team has different things they like to do and do differently, and there's scouting reports and so forth. In my opinion – we watch the film – we need to do a better job of executing. There's plenty of plays out there for us to make that we haven't made."

(On if he thinks predictable play-calling has been an issue for the Buccaneers)

"If you improve the run game and then you gain more yards on first down and then you're in a better situation. Yeah, if you hand it off on first down and you don't gain yards it's difficult because you're in second-and-long. But if you do gain yards, you're in second-and-short and you have a great selection of plays. Again, I think it's not as much play selection as, when you run it you want to be efficient when you run it. When you throw it, you want to be efficient when you throw it. I think about it more, not necessarily what plays are called but are we executing the plays that are called in order to [succeed]. If you want a positive run, did we gain five yards? And if we didn't, why did we not? Was it the wrong look, was it a bad look, was it a difficult alignment by the defense that didn't allow us to do that? And then when we throw it, same thing. Are we throwing into a good look or a bad look. Every defense has strengths and weaknesses and we just have to do a better job executing."

(On when he goes to Offensive Coordinator Byron Leftwich and says they should switch up the play-calling)

"Again, I think it's just a matter of [execution]. Yeah, I mean that's the game. There's no other thing other than that. I know it sounds [repetitive], but that's the reality. Whatever play's called, whether it's a goal-line run or whether it's a pass or whether it's third-and-long. Our ability to execute, whether we throw it 50 times or run it 50 times, it's the same thing. Whatever is called we have to do a good job in our job to execute it in the best possible way."

(On how players have responded to frustrating times)

"We've been frustrated. We've definitely been frustrated, for sure. We have a lot of great competitors. Again, I don't think anyone in your job is going to feel great if you're doing your job and it's not going well. It's the same for football players, too. For us, when you're at 3-3, yeah we wish were better but we haven't earned it. So we need to do a good job of earning it. That means going out and emphasizing the right things, working on the right things, practicing, gaining confidence and ultimately going out in the game and executing. That's the reality of what we have to do. Our whole job is to try to go accomplish that. We're putting a lot of focus on that."

(On some national analysts suggesting he won't finish the season)

"That's really why I'm here. I'm here to announce, finally, you guys pushed me to the brink and…no, I think a lot of it for me is us just us going out there to…I love the sport and I love the teammates. I want to go do a great job for this team like I always have. No retirement in my future."

-BUCCANEERS-