HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On what he saw when he reviewed film of the team over the Bye Week)

"It's just everybody needing to do their job. If we take care of us and everybody has their responsibility, not trying to do too much, we'll be fine. [We're] focusing on fundamentals and technique and that's at every level of the defense – offensively, as well. We went over the [New York] Giants film, we went over our film. We need to take care of us. We need to get back to playing how we want to play. If we can do that, we'll be okay."

(On the team's tackling ability)

"That's part of it. That's part of it."

(On the team signing S Mike Edwards)

"Mike was good when he was here. We really liked him. We never wanted him to leave in the first place, but obviously [with] business, you can't do everything. Having him back, he can do a lot of things for us in the pass game and the run game, as well. He's very aware, has very good self-awareness. We've just got to see what kind of shape he's in and what kind of recall he has. Some things have switched within the defense since last he was here. We've got to bring him along and see where he's at."

(On if there's any peace of mind in Tampa Bay's losses coming in close games)

"I mean, they're losses – they can always go either way. You see it every week – you saw it during our Bye Week, you saw it when we played. We've just got to do the little things at the end of the ballgame and some things in the middle of the ballgame to take care of that."

(On Tampa Bay's recent ability to make postseason pushes after the Bye Week)

"It helps to recalibrate, from a coaching standpoint. I think it helps the players get a little healthier – as healthy as you can be going into this part of the season. It gives you a look back on the things we can do better, things we don't want to do, and it kind of refreshes you and gets you ready for the stretch run."

(On S Antoine Winfield Jr. missing more tackles as of late)

"He just has to [bear] down. There [are] a few tackles, but he just has to [bear] down and make them."

(On if LT Tristan Wirfs or WR Mike Evans will play this weekend)

"Mike is trending that way. We'll see how he does the rest of the week. Tristan is probably going to be a game-day thing [to] see. He was doing a little bit of things – I don't know where he is as far as [being] ready to play."

(On CB Jamel Dean's health status)

"He's healthy, it's just a matter of getting into football shape. He's got to get in football shape. He's another one where we've got to go through the week, see where he is, and see what he can and can't do as far as helping us and go from there."

(On CB Zyon McCollum's health status)

"He's limited right now, just like Tristan [Wirfs]. It's going to be close. We'll see."

(On how to get the team's mindset back onto football after the Bye Week)

"It's just getting back to basics – getting back to basics. This game is still blocking and tackling. Fundamentals and technique are the number one thing at this point, and them being ready to play."

(On CB Troy Hill and how likely it is that he might play if one of the starting cornerbacks was unable to play)

"He's a presence. We've got to see what he knows this week. We'll really take a long look at him and we'll make that decision at the end of the week."

(On if there will be a concerted effort to get WR Mike Evans targets so that he can extend his 1,000-yard streak)

"No, I don't think it's a concern. We're trying to win the ballgame. Mike is a big part of the offense, so he's going to be in the ballgame when he comes back. We'll go from there – see how they're playing us and take it from there."

(On how to replace WR Chris Godwin's production from the slot position)

"I think it's going to be a few guys. I don't think you can replace Chris with one. You've got [Sterling] Shepard that can do some things, you've got Ryan Miller that can do some things, you've got 'Rock' (Rakim) Jarrett that can do some things and you've got Jalen [McMillan] that can do some things. Between all of them, you kind of move them around and you try to make things happen accordingly to what they're good at."

(On his meeting with the coaching staff and ownership during the Bye Week)

"I meet with ownership every week – it's no different than [what] I always do. We're having a talk, so that's normal. The coaches, it was about self-scouting – what we can do better, what we don't want to do, what we want to coach differently and how we can get them in the best position to be successful."

(On what he sees from New York WR Malik Nabers)

"He's a talented guy. He's got moves, he's got speed, he's got hands, he's got YAC (yards after catch) ability. He's a special talent. He's a great receiver. You'll see in about two or three years from now, you'll probably be talking about him as probably one of the best in the league right now. He's there now – he doesn't have the stats yet, but you can see all the talent that he has."

(On the importance of the offense having explosive plays)

"We want to be consistent in everything we're doing. Obviously, big plays help us, but if we can move the ball and have consistent plays that lead to big plays, I think that'll help open it up. We weren't getting the little plays to extend to bring people up to get the big plays. We've got to get back to that."

(On if the coaching staff took some time off during the Bye Week)

"I worked through Friday. I took the weekend."

(On New York QB Tommy DeVito)

"He's very good in the pocket, as far as escaping blitzes and pressures. He can run around, he can throw the deep ball, he's very good at seeing the short stuff, seeing blitzes come and he's very good at getting out of harms' way. He's going to be something to deal with."

(On New York DL Dexter Lawrence)

"It's a huge challenge – a big challenge for us. Dexter [Lawrence] wrecks everybody he plays against. He's on the ball and he plays hard for four quarters. He doesn't take any plays off. The game means something to him. It's going to be a big challenge for our guys up front to try to handle him."

(On whether RB Bucky Irving has earned more touches)

"He probably has earned more touches, but there are certain situations that other guys have certain responsibility that they have to play, too. It's going to be by committee, it's going to be who's hot during the week. We know Bucky can do a lot of great things, we know Rachaad [White] can do things, as well as Sean [Tucker]. He'll continue to get his touches. Sometimes it may be more, sometimes it may not be. Depending on the situation that we're in from a football standpoint, we've got to play it how we play it and see it – but he's definitely earned more touches."

(On if Irving's stature limits his ability in pass protection)

"No, he'll be fine. He's a tough guy."

(On if the team has specifically been adding veterans to the secondary for a reason)

"It wasn't so much for experience – we thought they could help us. We thought they could help us at the time, and we still think they can help us, so we'll see how they fare during the week."

QUARTERBACK BAKER MAYFIELD

(On how WR Mike Evans looks this week)

"From what I can see, good, and just [from] talking to him, he seems really positive about it. I mean, you guys know, Mike is a pro. He's going to do everything he can to get back out there with us and fight for this team as we take it one game at a time."

(On how much having WR Mike Evans back would help Mayfield do his job)

"It's huge, just for the chances – we talk about trying to get explosive plays in and somehow creating that and we've tried to be dialing some things up within the scheme. It's huge to be able to have that threat in one-on-one coverage, to be able to take advantage of it and then when they do want to double cover it, it opens things up for other guys. It's always a big factor when he's playing."

(On if having close losses gives the team more confidence heading into the second half of the season)

"Yes and no. You always want to be on the other side of those games but then you look at the film and look at what we can still improve on. Offensively, we've been playing okay but there's still things that we can do better to where those games won't be that close. That's the positive thing is lot of that's still in our control and that's how we're trying to handle it right now is continue to improve. November – December ball is when real things happen, so we just have to take it one game at a time."

(On how he would assess his performance so far this season and what he can improve on)

"I mean, we're sitting at 4-6 so there's a lot I can be doing better. Pretty much I'll leave it at that."

(On if it's critical for the offense to have more explosive plays)

"Yeah, it is. We're driving the ball well but it's hard to sustain drives when you're not getting those chunks and when you're not cutting the field in half sometimes so [we] have to try to find ways to get explosives. If those explosive plays aren't there, check it down and live to play the next down. You just have to be careful with it and always keep the ball in your possession."

(On what stands out to him within the Giants defense)

"Their front. They have great players up front and they allow their whole defense to play free. It's a big matchup for our guys up front and our tight ends and our [running] backs. They present their own issues. They have individuals up there that can ruin a game all over so [we] just have to be ready for that."

(On how much the offense needs the wide receivers to step up)

"A lot of that – just game planning wise – we've been getting the ball to our [running] backs and our tight ends a lot more recently but then just the execution. You know, I think about the San [Francisco] game, missing throws to Sterling [Shepard] especially. I just have to make those and that'll come. The production will come with that but just continuing to get reps with those guys and let the defense dictate where the ball needs to go and go from there."

(On if the wide receivers are in the right spots and it's just him missing the throw)

"Yeah, they're in the right spots. Those guys have been playing really well so I just have to make the throws."

(On if there will be a concerted effort to keep WR Mike Evan's 1,000-yard streak alive)

"You guys have been around Mike for long enough now. The streak – yeah, it's important to us, but he cares about winning. He's a huge part of this offense when he's in there, so I think that will come naturally. I've been in the situation when you're trying to force-feed the ball to a guy and that's not how this offense works especially, so staying true to the reads. Defense, like I said, dictates where the ball needs to go. When we have our one-on-one matchups with him, we need to take advantage of it."

(On his equipment donation to the Space Coast Vipers High School football team and the impact it has)

"I got chills thinking about it. It's just a cool story. Like I said, [I] have an unbelievable platform to be able to give back and obviously, they were in the predicament of probably not having a season. Not just for the varsity, the JV – they didn't have enough equipment so just being able to give back and then seeing that turnaround – all we did was get some helmets. They did the rest. They turned it around, they believed in it and that's what football is all about. It's teaching life lessons, how to handle adversity, how to deal with it and push forward. Congrats to them. It's pretty special."

(On what he sees from New York Giants LB Micah McFadden and S Dane Belton)

"[Micah is a] smart player. I think he's been playing really well in space. And then Dane is a guy that rotates in. He's done a really good job of disguising the coverages, giving them different looks. He's a versatile player back there so those two guys in the back end – yeah, they're good players."

(On if having WR Mike Evans helps predict what coverage the defense will be in)

"Yeah, it goes back to how do we format some things to get Mike in one-on-one coverages. When you line him up in a single receiver, they're going to roll safety over the top but they also believe in their corner [backs]. You see on the tape that they've let those guys cover some great receivers one-on-one consistently so when they're there we have to take advantage and then also if they want to take him away the whole game, then we have to move him around."

CENTER GRAHAM BARTON

(On if it feels like a new start following the Bye Week)

"Yeah, I think we all know how the standings are and where we stand so this is the time we have to make the push. There's not like, 'Well, it's early in the season,' anymore. It's now or never so we're going to obviously – obviously we want to win every game but like playoffs for us really starts now. We have to win and we have to win now. That's our goal every week. That's how we're going to approach each day at practice and in the building. We're well aware of where we're at and what we need to do to get in the dance."

(On preparing for the New York Giants defense)

"They have a great defensive line. There in the interior with Dexter [Lawrence II] and then on the edge – those guys are really talented as well. It's a good challenge for us up front. You know, they're all playing at a really high level right now and so we have to be ready. We just have to prepare like we do for every opponent, worry about our technique, our fundamentals, and then some more specific things for what they do. It's just like every other week because in the NFL there's a lot of high-level players, but absolutely – Dexter and those guys are playing at a really high level. We have a lot of respect for them so we're looking forward to the contest on Sunday."

(On the team returning from the Bye Week with a positive mindset)

"Yeah, I just think everyone sort of took the week and reflected – here's where we're at and here's what we have to do and now we're ready to do it. Getting that week to kind of clear your head and see what's at stake and what we've got to do to get it done makes it pretty obvious and direct in our heads. I think everyone has the right mindset and we're ready to go."

(On if having close losses gives the team confidence on where they're at compared to the rest of the league)

"Yeah, I just think it means we can beat anyone. Obviously, you don't want to sit here and hang your hat on, 'Oh, we almost beat the Chiefs or the 49ers or any of the former conference champions or anything like that.' You don't want to hang your hat on that but it just shows us that we're just as good as any other team in the NFL so we've got to figure out what we have to do within ourselves to come out and be able to close out tight games. Whether it's me giving up that play or something in a different game, or this or that, everyone has to do it. Everyone has to look within themselves, and I think that will help us close out some games."

-BUCCANEERS-