OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR LIAM COEN

(On why Tampa Bay was able to run the ball so effectively in the fourth quarter and overtime against the Panthers, but not so much in the first half)

"It was a collective effort. I think that we had a plan in mind a little bit going into the game with their defensive structure that we knew we had to get those safeties down a little bit based on them playing so much shell defense in general. It was an overall kind of philosophical thought process from us as a group. It just so happened that in the fourth quarter, our guys got tougher, they strained longer at the end of the day. We were able to break some tackles and make some explosive plays in the run game that we had been needing throughout that game."

(On RB Bucky Irving's long rush against the Carolina Panthers)

"That was a wham influence – a wham play that we had designed. We had run wham variations over the course of the year, but that one was specific for their base defensive structure where we had the tight ends kind of going cross-key a little bit there, which confused a little bit their linebackers in some ways. Bucky was able to get to the post safety and stiff arm him I believe…That was really well designed from our staff from the guys and just very well executed. I think Cody Mauch did a phenomenal job on that play…Just the guys straining – they were playing so hard. That was something that makes you smile."

(On Tampa Bay running more '12' and '13' personnel against Carolina)

"Payne Durham thinks we're a '13' [personnel] team now. All the sudden, every time we get into heavier personnel, he just gives me a nudge like, 'Let's keep going.' It's just trying to utilize personnel in different ways and get everybody that's up and active and available playing for us. Sometimes you can get defenses a little bit more static in some different ways when you get into some bigger personnel groupings – we've done it over the last two weeks a little bit more than maybe we had [earlier] in the season. [It is] just something else that they maybe have to prepare for, that may be something that we can continue to carry. Whether it's a '12' personnel run that we're used to running and it fits within maybe '13,' [we are] just trying to add to that menu as we go."

(On how he decides which running back to utilize in the red zone)

"I'm not really thinking about it that much, honestly. It just depends on if we have something truly specific within the plan that we're trying to get one of those guys specifically on. It's more so just going with what's working in the red zone. I was always kind of taught that if you can run the ball into the end zone, you would like to be able to do that. We were able to do it on one of those runs that Bucky [Irving] had off the left side that we walked in on. We didn't get in on some other ones and we ended up in some third downs in the red zone that we didn't convert. That's what's going to lead to field goals over touchdowns, ultimately. If you go run-run and you don't score and now you're third-and-9 on the nine [yard line], your chances of scoring on that play aren't as high. It's a give-and-take. You want to go and run and run and impose your will in the red zone to score, but you also have to make sure you get in the end zone. It's a little bit of a dicey situation, as well as the field closing more as you get tighter and tighter."

(On how tough RB Bucky Irving is)

"I would say he's pretty darn tough to be able to do what he's doing. Really, any [running] back in this league…I've always said the line, the quarterback, they get it, right? But [running] backs, they get hit maybe the worst out of anybody, right? You get profile tackles from each side, sometimes you don't see them, and he's been able to stay available for us within the games. Really, you can't say enough about Rachaad [White] as well, being in that situation, and now having to truly take it over, and then what he does at the end of the game for us. It's not like any of these guys are fully healthy. It's a testament to Bucky and his toughness, but also Rachaad's, as well."

(On if he considers a player's health status when he's game planning)

"A little. You just more so [think], 'How much is too much?' More so from a mental standpoint, but also what can they handle from a physical standpoint? Our trainers and everybody [do] a really good job of letting us know where they're at, how many snaps, what's the goal this game…We try to stay collective with that."

(On the selflessness of the Tampa Bay running back room)

"I think that's a great point that you're making, that maybe goes a little unnoticed. It's not easy for anybody to share. My three-year-old has a hard time sharing. It's hard, right? It comes from our being, as we're kids. For that room to be as selfless as you mentioned and the next man up and just keep going, whoever has got the ball…We're not going to just stop calling runs because somebody is not in there. It's next-man-up [mentality] and they've done a nice job."

(On QB Baker Mayfield's ability to reset and finish strong after a slow start offensively against the Panthers)

"That was my exact message to [Baker Mayfield] after the game. My first comments to him were, 'Yeah, that wasn't us. That's not how we want to operate; that's not how we want to look…But, for you, and for us and our offense moving forward, that was huge.' No, we didn't execute at our highest level. No, we did a lot of things – self-inflicted wounds…But to be able to come back, reset, refocus, and lead our team in a situation – a critical moment – I thought showed a lot about his mental and physical toughness."

(On how to get TE Cade Otton more involved after a few quiet weeks)

"Yeah, I think he's got to catch the ball a little bit more consistently, as well. I think he knows that. We've got to continue to get him in some favorable matchups and give him some more opportunities, but when the ball comes his way, he's got to make sure he's ready to make those plays."

(On Las Vegas edge rusher Maxx Crosby)

"He doesn't stop. He doesn't stop ever. Our goal this week is, how do we play longer and harder than him? Because he's going to go every single play through the echo of the whistle. He's got a ton of respect. I've got a ton of respect for him as a player. Baker [Mayfield] had him in 2022 in the first game he ever played [with the Rams] in that game [and] he led a two-minute drive to go win it. We've got to have a plan for him in both the run and the pass, and also be able to – from a play-calling standpoint – make sure that we're not letting him influence and affect the game in a negative way."

(On the 2022 Thursday Night Football game between the Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders in which Baker Mayfield and Liam Coen came out victorious)

"I just remember a cram session happening at about 12:30 [a.m.] when he walked in the building at about 10:00 p.m. that night. We went at it pretty good until about 1:00 a.m. He went home to the hotel, got a little rest, and we were back at it again at 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. that next morning and we did that until the game. I just remember sitting in Sean [McVay's] office before the game and we said, 'Hey, look, he's going to play at some point in this game, let's just leave this game with some positives that we can work forward to for the end of the season.' I remember Sean vividly saying, 'If we win this game, it's going to be a miracle.' That did occur. It was really cool."

(On Mayfield saying his experience with the Los Angeles Rams made him fall back in love with football)

"I think it was just letting him be him in so many ways. Him giving us confidence while maybe us also giving him some at the end of the year when he may have needed it at a tough time for him."

(On RB Bucky Irving's work ethic)

"[I have] a ton of respect for him right now as a young guy in this league that's just starting to come along. He already has a process; he already has a plan. We always try to teach, 'Okay, have a schedule, have a plan, know what you're doing, have every hour of your day accounted for.' Structure is typically a good thing for us, right? For him, he already has it. He already has that vibe of who he is, how he goes about his business…[He] definitely [has] a bright future."

(On the lack of the deep ball in Tampa Bay's offense)

"It doesn't bother me too much. I think we have enough ways to get the ball where we want it. Yeah, I'd love to be able to throw it down the field a bunch, [but] it just hasn't really been quite our M.O. Whether that stays consistent over the next four or five weeks, I'm not sure. I think we could definitely get the ball into some deeper spots, but it's not really been a huge impact in the system so far."

PASS GAME COORDINATOR/INSIDE LINEBACKERS COACH LARRY FOOTE

(On his thoughts on signing S Kaevon Merriweather and S Ryan Neal)

"I thought, like you just said, they're familiar with our defense. It's late in the year and we have a lot of respect for those guys and I'm glad we got them back."

(On how he plans to go about containing Raiders TE Brock Bowers)

"You have to have a lot of eyes on him. You have to be ready, even if we double team him, everybody's double-teaming him. He looks like one of those guys – the [Travis] Kelce's of the world and he's dominant. He's got a lot of skills, he's good after the catch. That's going to be very important for us, but we have to just play. We have to take the challenge head on and know where he's at."

(On what separates Raiders TE Brock Bowers from other tight ends)

"He looks fast. He looks younger, he's fresher but he looks like a wide receiver. I'm telling you, there's certain times you don't know if he's a wide receiver or not when you see his cuts. I always tell those guys when I played against the greats like [Rob] Gronkowski and them, that's the difference – when those tight ends can stick and get separation, you better be on your Ps and Qs because he's dangerous."

(On if Rob Gronkowski was the toughest tight end he faced)

"As far as out-route – a lot of times that's typically – as a linebacker, when you face those guys, when they run that out-route, and 'Gronk' could get separation with the best of them."

(On if Raiders TE Brock Bowers' best skill is his ability to get separation)

"Yeah, I mean, speed – he's fast and he definitely gets separation. He's great after the catch. [He has] a lot of YAC (yards after catch) yards and he's impressive."

(On how S Tykee Smith will help the defense if he is active)

"He's sharp. Everybody knows he's an above-the-neck type of guy. Hopefully we can get him back. We knew that in college, he's just sharp. The more guys you have out there that know what they're doing, they can communicate, and can anticipate, you know, pre-snap and as the plays going, those are the guys you want. You have to teach those guys that but he's natural. He came out of the womb with that skill. He can play the game, it's slow to him."

(On how he would evaluate LB J.J. Russell's performance against Carolina)

"Typically, there's some good, there's some bad. I like J.J.'s demeanor. He's a serious guy, he's a pro, and sometimes – I hate to say it – you have to learn on the run, but he bounces back. He's tough, reliable, he likes to play the game and we trust him when he's in there."

(On how he looks to keep Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell from building confidence)

"They're a tough, big team up front so we have to stop the run. We know their weapons. He's poised in the pocket when you watch him. He knows what to do with the ball, he gets it out, so we just have to play our game. Every week, we want to try to make a team one-dimensional, stop the run and try to grab an advantage."

(On what his vantage point was of OLB Anthony Nelson making the forced fumble in overtime of the Panthers game)

"That was the second big-time play he made against Carolina. I remember a couple years ago, the winner of the game where whoever won got in the playoffs. He got the strip sack. He had an awesome week last week, had his second boy and a big-time play. I'm definitely happy for him."

WIDE RECEIVER MIKE EVANS

(On what it means to him to be the Buccaneers' Waltor Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee)

"I mean, it's an incredible honor. [In] this locker room, the guys around this league, there's a lot of great candidates and I'm happy to be the Bucs' Waltor Payton Man of the Year nominee."

(On what he can say about Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen's play calling in the fourth quarter and overtime against Carolina)

"Liam puts in a lot, a lot of work and it shows. He's prepared for a lot of different things that the defenses do and he's been having a really good season for us, helping us out, running the ball, being balanced."

(On how the run game is performing better than it has in most seasons that he's been here)

"It's great to see just those big plays – Rachaad [White] [having] the game-winning run, Bucky [Irving] running crazy all game, I mean it's good to see that. It helps the team out and the O-line loves to run the ball as well."

(On what his 1,000-yard streak has meant to him over the years)

"Obviously, it gets bigger and bigger each year. You're chasing history, chasing greatness. I've been blessed, like I said, I've been blessed to do that for this many years and be close this year. Hopefully I get it."

(On what he's been the most proud of the team for after the Bye Week)
"We have a lot of good players, man. Everybody is just coming to work excited – you can hear them in the back – everybody is just excited. We're happy to be here and we're happy to compete for a playoff spot."

-BUCCANEERS-