HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On if there's an update on the status of WR Mike Evans)

"Again, it's a hamstring. He'll be out this week. We'll see how fast he gets better. Hopefully by the Bye Week, we'll have him back."

(On if Evans underwent an MRI today)

"Yes."

(On if LB SirVocea Dennis might be able to be activated from Injured Reserve when he's eligible)

"It's longer-term than that. It'll probably go deep into the playoffs, if not longer."

(On if Dennis had surgery)

"Yeah, he's gotten surgery."

(On the specifics of Dennis' injury)

"I know it was a shoulder. He had it since college and it was something he was playing with. When it got too bad and he kept hurting it every little bit and it got bad enough, we got surgery done. He would've had to get it fixed after the season whether he played or not."

(On if the issue with Dennis' shoulder was its stability)

"I don't know."

(On the defense's performance over the last few weeks and what can be done to improve it)

"It's practice. Going over things that they can do – making sure they're on point when you're out there. It's our job to get them out there and get the plays where they can have [success], it's their job to carry it out and execute. It's a team thing; it's a coach and a player thing. It's not just a player thing – it's not just a coach thing. We understand where we are. We've been shuffling some people in and out. Hopefully we'll have some stability. They know they have to get better and we know, as coaches, we've got to be better."

(On how frustrating the last few weeks have been)

"It's frustrating from some certain situations. You can play good in spurts, and then in certain situations – when we're playing situational football – we let up a play that you go over and that can't happen. We've got to keep harping on that."

(On if it's easier or harder to play a divisional opponent for the second time of the year)

"When you have a division game – no matter whether you play them close or whether you play them far apart – it's going to be a tough game. This one happens to be with a lot at stake on the line this early in the season for first place. They beat us at the end last time – we made some mistakes at the end and they made more plays. We've got to make the plays at the end this time."

(On if the team will ask more of the defense while the offense deals with its injuries)

"Definitely – it's a team game anyway. We need more from the defense, week-in and week-out, regardless of who's playing on offense. With both Mike [Evans] and Chris [Godwin] out, having the offensive production that they've had, and not just relying on those two guys, the defense has to step up and play."

(On if he thinks the team needs to make an acquisition offensively to remain a playoff contender)

"Not really. If there's something out there that fits us, we'll look at it. If not, we're comfortable with what we have."

(On if he still thinks the team is a contender as it's currently constructed)

"Yes."

(On what he expects from wide receivers Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer moving forward)

"They bring something different. It'll be great because we have to tweak our offense, now, to what they bring to the table as opposed to what Mike [Evans] and Chris Godwin bring to the table. It'll be a challenge for the coaches, as well as the players. I'm excited to see them play. I think they have more than meets the eye that we haven't seen yet. I'm excited to see them."

(On WR Sterling Shepard)

"He's been a heck of a receiver in this league, when healthy. He can make plays all over the field. We've seen that briefly the last couple of weeks. He'll be counted on more to do that – counted on more to help the young guys come along. We expect him to play well."

(On if he has to monitor Shepard's health carefully moving forward)

"No, we haven't had to monitor it."

(On if the reason that the team might not feel compelled to make a trade for a wide receiver is more because WR Mike Evans will return this season, or because they like the young depth they have)

"We like our young guys right now. We think Mike is coming back, but we really like our young guys. There are guys out there, but for what we would have to give up to get them, in the long run, it's probably not worth it. For us right now, we're excited to see our young guys play. We had to play without some defensive guys this year, now we have to play without some offensive guys. We fared pretty well. We think we'll fare pretty well with these guys."

(On the kickoff and punt coverage so far this season)

"It definitely wasn't good last weekend. I think they got over the 30 and 40[-yard line] quite a few times. Obviously the wind held the ball up, but we need to kick if in the end zone – if not, we need to cover a lot better than that."

(On the status of DB Tykee Smith)

"I'm just happy to see him on the sideline. If we were to practice today, he wouldn't have practiced. We'll see how the week goes for him."

(On the Buccaneers bringing back the creamsicle uniforms this week and what memories they invoke for him)

"For me, it's Richard Woods. Same hometown – he grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and he went to the same high school and everything else. It was always great to see him. Doug Williams, Jimmie Giles, Kevin House, you name it. They had a ton of players back then. It was one of the greatest uniforms back then. It looks good to see."

(On him being a Richard Woods fan)

"Same hometown. He was one of my idols."

(On long down-and-distance plays against the Ravens where Baltimore converted successfully, offensively)

"It's attention to detail. We've got to have a lot better attention to detail. We missed a few tackles along the way, as well."

(On how much of the team's struggles on Monday night can be attributed to a loss of morale when WR Mike Evans left with injury)

"None on defense. Absolutely none on defense. Mike doesn't play defense, so we've got to play better on that side of the ball. Offensively, maybe a little bit, but you've still got to play the game. We had our chances to make some plays and we didn't make them. We're not an excuse team."

(On Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen's strong start to the season and if he will have to get creative now that wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are injured)

"You've got to find a way to win. That's part of it. You never know what you can do until you find out what you don't have – Coach [Bill] Parcells always said that. Coaches have to do more, players have to do more, and you have to be more creative. We're putting our heads down to work and we'll get it done."

(On what TE Cade Otton showed in last week's game against Baltimore)

"I think he made some tougher catches in taking those hits than I've seen before. He always made the tough catch before with guys hanging on him, but they were really taking some shots there. He had to get his hands up over his head and make some plays. He kept his balance and stayed up afterwards, so that was big for us."

(On if he's worried about players' emotions moving forward after losing two key players to injury)

"Just looking at it, it was horrible to see, because you could see what happened. It wasn't like they had to tell us – [Chris Godwin's] leg was messed up from the start. That was bad to see in the beginning. We know we have to play for [Godwin], we have to play for Mike [Evans]. We know we've got to play, regardless."

(On the decision to go for the two-point conversion when trailing by nine points, and if the decision was made so that they could know what they would need to do later in the game if they were to score again)

"That definitely was the thinking."

(On his message for WR Jalen McMillan going forward)

"Just getting on the same page and getting the routes down and understanding coverages a little better. My message was, 'Play like you did in college. Play just like you did in college.' He was a great player in college. We think he's a great player now – he just hasn't had the experience yet."

QUARTERBACK BAKER MAYFIELD

(On what he remembers most from the second half of the game against the Falcons)

"We just didn't execute as much. We obviously started extremely fast in that first half, [we were] really rolling and then they switched it up a little bit – what they were doing on defense, making us be a little bit more patient, but then they were defending the runs a lot better. In our minds, and after watching film, it still comes down to us executing and doing our jobs each and every play, so yeah, that's really what it was. We had plenty of chances to seal that game and we didn't."

(On his confidence in wide receivers Jalen McMillan, Trey Palmer, and Sterling Shepard)

"I'll be extremely confident in those guys. Obviously, I had rapport with Trey going back to last year, Sterling for years obviously, and Jalen, all of offseason and training camp. I expect those guys to have success and play really well, and you know, throughout the week, getting on the same page within the game plan as we continue to nail this thing down. We expect everybody to step up in a big way and [we're] still leaning on our offensive line – [I] thought they played great. Obviously in the past few weeks I think they've played really well and [our running] backs continue to play well so it's just going to be a full group effort. It's going to look different but that's okay, and you know what, it'll be a little bit more creative, and we'll have some fun with it."

(On if this is an opportunity for Offensive Coordinator Liam Coordinator to be creative as a play caller)

"Yeah, as we're getting this game plan going, looking at obviously not having Mike [Evans] and Chris [Godwin], teams can't exactly play to those tendencies when we're game planning with those guys. It'll look different but everybody just has to do their part. Everybody has to be dialed in and it's next man up."

(On being able to lean on the rushing attack on offense)

"The improvement in the run game… Obviously I said the offensive line has played unbelievable the last few weeks, and just continuing to hammer the details home – that's where you've seen the biggest jump in the run game is those guys are just really on the same page. Guys are hitting their tracks and doing it right. You've seen the explosive plays because guys down field were also making the blocks they need to, so [we're] going to lean on that and see how they want to defend us. You know, we won't know because it'll be a new look for us, as well."

(On what needs to happen for him and WR Jalen McMillan to be on the same page)

"It's a little bit [of] a combination of everything, just talking a little bit extra about the details within the schemes, and you know, when we do get the live reps during practice this week, making sure we get it down and if we need to take an extra rep after practice, making sure we do that. The constant communication – obviously him being a rookie and understanding where Mike [Evans] and Chris [Godwin] are, and just understanding their body language, but [I'm] still learning that with Jalen, but [I] expect him to play well and be at the right spot at the right time."

(On RB Rachaad White's performance in Monday's game)
"[He was] explosive. I thought he was obviously toughing it out quite a bit for us, and just played well, made the plays when they were there for him to make. That's what we expect out of any back we have in there, but yeah, it was good to see Rachaad back and healthy and [he] was definitely making plays in the pass game, as well."

(On if a game of this significance against Atlanta brings a bigger sense of urgency)

"Every game is important. Obviously, you have a little bit of emphasis on the divisional games, and just where we're at right now. It's tied for the division, this one is [for the] outright lead for the division and [we] definitely need it for head-to-head stuff. We need this one – next-game-mentality but it just so happens to be a divisional opponent at home."

(On if he is being tested as a leader after losing WR Mike Evans and WR Chris Godwin to injury)

"It's not just me. We have a ton of leaders around this building. For example, Chris Godwin wasn't even named a captain. You don't have to have any of that stuff on your chest to be a leader and we have plenty of guys that have stepped up in a huge way. [Being] more verbal for me will go a long way, body language always, but that's what I try and do every day for these guys – be consistent, be the same leader, bring energy and just have these guys focused."

(On if he feels any energy will be drained from the team due to the injuries)

"No, I mean it obviously sucks. There's no way around that, but when it comes down to it, you should want to play. The guys… Next-man-up mentality. You don't want anybody to get hurt but you should want to play for those guys. You know, you should want to bridge this gap in the meantime until we get Mike [Evans] back as well, but yeah, you should want to play for these guys. They meant a lot to this team so a little bit of extra effort for it."

(On what might've caused his interceptions against Baltimore)
"The second one was just decision making. I'd say that one was really similar to the first one in New Orleans – just not the right throw by any means, just check it down and live to play the next down. In the red zone, [I] just lost Marlon Humphrey. He had covered Cade [Otton] originally in the flat route and [he] just made a good play falling underneath it, but in the red zone especially, if he's not blatantly wide open that late on a scramble drill, don't throw it."

(On monitoring being aggressive vs. reckless as a passer)

"[I] just try and go through the reads, let the defense dictate where the ball needs to go and when we have things schemed up to win, you have to let it rip. You know, you can't be timid. When you hesitate, mistakes happen – [a] lot more sacks, [if] you hold on to the ball, bad things can happen."

(On other teams looking at Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen as he's building himself a strong resume)

"Yeah, you would expect that. Liam's obviously done a great job of playing to our guy's strengths and that's a huge part of being a coordinator. We'll take it one game at a time and hopefully make him stay around here, whether that's… I don't know. Behind closed doors, beating him up or whatever it takes [laughs]. I'll get through this week, maybe it's some more creamsicle gear, I don't know what it is."

(On if GM Jason Licht asks for his input when looking for wide receivers)

"It's not like I'm sitting down and having a meeting with him. If they have any questions about a guy, if they know I've worked with him in the past, and they already know exactly who most of these guys are, they just want a little bit of confirmation. But yeah, I'm confident in the guys we have so [we'll] go out there and roll with that, and until somebody else shows up, this is what we have and I'm happy with that."

(On if he will put any extra work in this week with the wide receivers)

"I think it's extra communication within the game plan, just making sure that the details – obviously because today [was] a walk through – making sure we talk through it again, [get] a lot of mental reps, just making sure that whatever the look is, we're on the same page and then when we do get the live reps, if we miss it in practice, get it after."

(On his thoughts on the creamsicle uniform and game theme)

"I think it's really fun. I love the creamsicle 'unis' (uniforms), maybe we should wear them more often. I don't know, it's not my choice, not my decision, but I like it a lot and it's just fun. You see all the old school gear, the fans that have been fans for decades that still have their old stuff, the retro stuff, it makes it fun and [it's] an exciting week for us."

(On having the trust and chemistry with WR Sterling Shepard from college)

"I have a lot of trust in Sterling. It's been like that forever but it's always good to have a deep receiver room. It's a long year, things happen so you have to have these guys step up in a big way, but you don't want to ask them to do too much. Stay within yourself, it's not like they have to replace Mike [Evans] and Chris [Godwin]. It's going to be a group effort, and [we'll] go from there, but yeah, I trust Sterling a lot."

(On knowing his wide receivers physically and mentally)

"I understand these guys. That's a part of the offseason program which is why I think getting to know these guys throughout the whole year is important. We're in a good place, I know how these guys are wired, how they tick. I expect everybody to be in a good headspace."

(On his confidence in TE Cade Otton)

"Cade has always been consistent. [He's] somebody that we can always rely on. Obviously, last year, I think he played 97% of our offensive snaps and he's just consistent, makes plays when we're calling on his number, and does a lot of the dirty work, so he's a guy that we trust and I trust completely."

WIDE RECEIVER JALEN MCMILLAN

(On having the opportunity to play a bigger role moving forward)
"[I'm going] to just take every week and approach [it] more detailed. I'm just going to keep pushing everybody to their full extent and also push myself with the details and try to become a playmaker."

(On if he and QB Baker Mayfield are doing anything extra this week to prepare for Sunday)

"[I'm] waking up earlier, getting the game plan ready, just always honing in on the details and just trying to get better every week honestly."

(On Head Coach Todd Bowles wanting him to 'play like he did in college' on Sunday)

"Yeah, on Sunday, I can. You know, at first, I was kind of overthinking things but that's just what comes with transitioning, you have to just adjust. I'm adjusting and just playing my role right and [I'm] just ready to make plays."

(On having the opportunity to play for most if not all of the game)

"Yeah, it's good for me. At the end of the day, I'm just going to have fun with it. I'm a rookie and I'm not going to put that on myself, I'm going to try to go out there and play like a regular guy."

(On what he thinks he's improved the most since the start of the year)

"My mindset [and] my confidence. Training camp was fun, but training camp to the league is a different ball game so you know, just being detailed and being confident and just listening to my coaches and my support system."

(On his emotions seeing WR Chris Godwin and WR Mike Evans get hurt)

"It was rough seeing that. Chris is the focal point, he's a leader, he's somebody that I kind of lean on when it comes to maneuvering in the league and being a rookie, so you know, it sucked but we have to pick up where we left off. At the end of the day, them being absent shouldn't make our offense worse, it should stay the same. We just want to continue to improve and be better every week for those guys as well."

-BUCCANEERS-