HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On calling a timeout with about one minute remaining in the first half against the Cowboys)

"Yeah, we needed it. Offensively, we needed it."

(On why he chose to call the timeout)

"We were disheveled. We needed the timeout."

(On if there is a way to have RB Bucky Irving on the field in a two-minute drill)

"Yeah, it's possible."

(On why RB Bucky Irving wasn't on the field during the two-minute drill at the end of Sunday night's game)

"Well, like you said, Rachaad [White] is our two-minute guy, and the clock was going so we went with him. We had to protect some, and the game turned out how it turned out. I don't think that had anything to do with the outcome."

(On if there are any injury updates to share regarding TE Cade Otton, S Antoine Winfield Jr., and S Jordan Whitehead, or anyone else)

"[It's] too early from last night about the guys coming out of the game. [We] have to wait until they come in and get a report on [them]. We'll see where those guys are next week as far as Winfield Jr., Jordan and Cade."

(On if the breakdowns in pass coverage in the middle of the field are a result of LB SirVocea Dennis being on Injured Reserve)
"No, it had nothing to do with coverage. It had everything to do with missing tackles. We can't miss tackles."

(On if it will be difficult to get the team back on track after losing control of the NFC South division race)

"It won't be difficult. We've got to win a ballgame. If we don't win a ballgame, we don't give ourselves a chance. We have to focus on us like we've been doing, we have to correct the mistakes, and we have to go out and win Sunday and we've got to win the next week and then we'll see what happens after that."

(On why the defense was not able to contain Dallas WR CeeDee Lamb)

"I don't think we played very good fundamentally and technique-sound football on the outside. I thought we tackled him as far as the screens go, but with the passes down field and the holding penalties – we can't have those."

(On how concerning it is to still be having fundamental and technique problems in Week 16)

"It is concerning. I mean we have a lot of different people playing so it's always concerning. You always have to coach them. We had a few of those – we had less of them when we had the winning streak and then a couple of them creeped up yesterday that we have to put out. [It's just] discipline and practicing every day and everybody has to do their part, coaches and players."

(On WR Trey Palmer fielding two punts inside the 10-yard line, and if the team tells players to not field punts inside of the 10-yard line)

"That's our rule of thumb as well. The nine-yard one, I understand. The five-yard one, I do not."

(On if he's seen enough from P Jack Browning to promote him to the active roster)

"We'll see. He's been kind of up and down. [He] has got to have more consistency."

(On how to improve tackling fundamentals in practice)

"It's just want-to. It's more or less angles for the most part. It's really just angles. When we won four games, the tackling was very good, we had angles, everybody did their job. When we lost this one last night, we had some mishaps, and we didn't take the proper angles, and we had bad technique."

(On what positives he saw from the offense)

"There [were] some positive things, obviously. Some tough guys – some guys played tough. Just too many mistakes – in all three phases, there were too many mistakes. Offensively, obviously, the turnovers you don't want, but we got down and made it a game and gave ourselves a chance to be in position to win. We just turned the ball over."

(On if there is an update on WR Sterling Shepard's hamstring)

"Not at this time, no."

(On if he has any idea how long TE Cade Otton will be out)

"Not yet, no. We'll get the reports later."

(On two of Tampa Bay's turnovers on Sunday night coming on plays where Dallas was able to rip the ball away from a ball carrier)

"We knew they were going to rake at the ball going into the ballgame. We just have to have two hands on the ball, and we have to fight for it. We have to take better care of the football. That's priority No. 1."

(On his assessment of the offensive line's play against Dallas)

"They pressured us quite a bit. It got a little hectic at times, but I didn't think we protected like we had in the past. Our quarterback got hit too many times. Sometimes you have to get rid of the ball and sometimes it was the protection, but we have to do a better job."

(On QB Baker Mayfield getting tested for a concussion during the game and if he has been cleared from that)

"He's been cleared of that, yes."

(On how to get more sacks from the outside linebacker position)

"We have to get there. We have to get there. They're working at it but we're not getting the pressure outside like we need to, so we have pressure packages inside and all over the place but we're just mixing people up. We have to get pressure somehow, so we try different people, and we try to get there different ways."

(On if WR Kameron Johnson is ready to return from Injured Reserve)

"He's ready to come back. We'll see where 'Shep' (Sterling Shepard)'s injury is going forward and then we'll make that determination later in the week."

(On if there is any update on S Antoine Winfield Jr.'s injury and if he will return before the end of the season)

"He's progressing. We'll see where he's at later in the week. Right now, we don't have an answer for you."

(On the team's playoff push and the final two weeks of the season)

"The spirit is still up. The grind is always going to be the grind. It's about discipline, doing the same things every day and not getting bored with doing the same things every day. We understand where we are. It's great to be playing December football. We just have to take care of ourselves and look up at the end and see where we're at."

-BUCCANEERS-