HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On if there are any updates to the statuses of injured players)

"SirVocea [Dennis] got pretty nicked up with his shoulder. Other than that, Trey [Palmer] and everybody else are just nicked up but they should be okay."

(On if it could be a multi-week injury for LB SirVocea Dennis)

"I think he hurt it pretty bad. We're going to see how bad."

(On the plan at linebacker if Dennis were to miss extended time)

"We're mulling that over right now. There's a bunch of different directions we could go. We'll see which one fits us for the game."

(On what he hopes to get done between now and Thursday)

"It's got to be all mental for the most part. We have our scheme in. I'm sure they have their scheme in. We've got to get some mental work done and we've got to make sure we have that down without going through the physical work."

(On facing the Falcons with a new coaching staff and new players)

"They're different offensively and defensively. They're playing faster and they're playing with a lot of confidence. They added quite a few guys – they've got a lot of talent over there. They can beat you a bunch of different ways. We've got to be on our P's and Q's."

(On the biggest challenges in getting prepared for a short week)

"Really just taking care of their bodies and staying healthy and making sure they're ready to go. Getting treatment when you need to get treatment and getting rest when you need to get rest – be ready to play Thursday."

(On if WR Sterling Shepard might be signed to the roster depending on the health status of the wide receiver room)

"Right now, he's still on the practice squad. Pending the status of the other two (Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer), that's a possibility. We've just got to see how everything goes."

(On what Shepard brings to the team)

"He's very smart, he brings a lot of experience, he can still play – he can play all three spots – he's very fast, he's very sure-handed. If he's healthy, he's a heck of a football player. He gives us an added dimension, just like the other two [wide receivers]."

(On if he considered pulling any players at the end of the game on Sunday to rest them, as college teams do)

"We don't have 90 guys to play and a 17-point lead in the NFL can go quickly, so you're really not up that much. You've got to take care of the ball and you've got to finish the game."

(On if it's hard to balance a short week to prepare and also have the players bring intensity to the game)

"That's always a challenge. That's always a challenge. We know the situation. The schedule comes out every year and we have time to think about it. We know when we have Thursday games – you mentally prepare for it and you get ready."

(On the team elevating P Trenton Gill and what that means for P Jake Camarda going forward)

"We'll see. Jake has been in a little slump lately, but we have a lot of confidence in him. We just needed to work on a few things going forward. Gill had a shorter average, but he got hangtime. He caused some fair catches and he put the ball inside the 20[-yard line] two times. Obviously, you'd like to see him make that tackle, and that was the worst play, but the punts gave some hangtime and gave the gunners a chance to get down there and [force a] fair catch [and] some things."

(On if game-planning for the Falcons is completely different than it was in previous years given the new regime and new quarterback)

"It's a new offense – a new offensive scheme, new faces – so it's completely different. You don't have any old notes."

(On if he knew what to expect from NT Vita Vea coming off his injury and what his thoughts were on his performance)

"He was great. I mean, we saw it during the week. Wednesday wasn't that great, Thursday was great, Friday was good. He came out and he wanted to play, so when Vita is in that mindset, you just let him go and he showed it Sunday."

(On if there is an update on the status of DL Calijah Kancey and S Antoine Winfield Jr.)

"[It is] still to be determined."

(On what kind of threat the Falcons offense poses with QB Kirk Cousins at the helm)

"He's a good football player. We played him last year in Minnesota. We've had our chances to play him a few times, but he's in a different offense this time. He's got a lot more weapons than he had, than just [Justin] Jefferson and a couple guys in Minnesota. He knows how to play the game. He runs the offense well, he knows where to go with the ball and how to get rid of the ball. He presents a great challenge."

(On how well he knows Atlanta Falcons HC Raheem Morris)

"He grew up the next town over from me in New Jersey, so I've known Raheem very well. He's a heck of a coach – outstanding guy. He's going to bring a lot of fire. Those guys are going to be ready to play. They're going to be well-coached on the little things and it's going to be a tough battle."

PASS GAME COORDINATOR / INSIDE LINEBACKERS COACH LARRY FOOTE

(On LB Lavonte David still making strip sack plays at his age)

"He's playing like a young man. He definitely [has] a knack for making big plays. [He] just has to work on his hands. He's going to hear something from me today, but good coverage on the back end, [he] got the quarterback to hold it and he made a big play for us."

(On how offenses have to account for NT Vita Vea)

"He can hold two guys. He covers both A gaps for us, and he can get vertical. You can see [on] that sack – he looked like more fresh legs than… He's definitely a big man that can move and that's why he's one of the best in this league. It's a shame that those nose tackles don't get the recognition that they deserve, but every offensive coordinator and center in this league understands how dominant he is."

(On NT Vita Vea's ability to impact the game without stats)

"Target the quarterbacks. They can't see downfield – the deep digs that, you know, they have to give time for it to open, but he makes the quarterback check the ball down and that's why he's our anchor."

(On who will fill the role for LB SirVocea Dennis if he is ruled out on Thursday)
"We haven't gotten to that yet. We're still waiting on injuries and all that. Todd [Bowles] talked to me about that plan going forward. Hopefully he can go, but if not, we'll make a plan."

(On what he sees in Atlanta's offense)

"They have weapons everywhere. They have weapons, and [we] can't really key on one person. They're dangerous – both of the running backs obviously [are] dangerous, [Darnell] Mooney's coming over here – he's dangerous, you see [Drake] London and [Kyle] Pitts and 34 [Ray-Ray] McCloud in there, so they have weapons. Guys [are] going to have to be ready to tackle, vice tackle, have to read the quarterback. It's going to be a challenge for us tackling those guys and covering them in space."

(On the team playing well on both sides of the ball in Week 4 after losing to Denver in Week 4)

"Well in this league, you never want to lose two in a row. It was our first loss of the season. As a coach, you're waiting to see how these guys respond. I like the way they took coaching last week, and it showed on the field yesterday – how they were ready to bounce back."

(On having players that can fill different roles with all of the injuries on defense)
"It starts upstairs with Jason [Licht] and those guys bringing in depth. You have to have depth in this league. Everybody is dealing with it. Now, as a coach, I just learn Saturday night – I get ready – who's playing, who's up? You have to let the week speak for you [as] far as who's going to be available. Saturday night, I really have an idea of who's playing.

WIDE RECEIVER CHRIS GODWIN

(On if the team is at its best when everybody is involved)

"Honestly, I think so. I think that it really makes it difficult for the defense. It's one thing when a guy is going off because you feed the hot hand, right? But, if we're able to spread the ball around that much, everybody gets involved [and] then everyone is more involved in the run game, but also you can just be so diverse with the play calls. You can mix in your quick game, your deep passing game, play-actions, screens, [etc.]. And then as the game progresses, you have so much more at your disposal than just the handful of plays that were working early on. So, when a team makes adjustments, now you have answers for it."

(On the key to this team's success)

"I think our physicality is something that we're going to have to lean on, offensively and just as a team. I think that we have to go out and bring the fight to whoever our opponent is and play on their side of the line. It sets the tone for the running game, and offensively, it opens up play-action and opens up like everything else. I think when your receivers get involved in the run game, it helps a lot. Then, defensively, if you're able to stop their run game then you limit what they're able to do. So, I think our physicality is going to have to be something that we're really good at and [something] that we're going to have to continue to excel in."

(On when he is the recipient of a tight window throw and if he ever thinks that it shouldn't be thrown or if he always has trust that QB Baker Mayfield is going to put him in situations to make it work)

"I think it's more of the latter. When I'm out there, I really do trust that if he is throwing me the ball, that he believes that we're going to complete this and it's my job to make sure that it happens. I try to just lock in on the ball wherever it's coming. When I look at the film after the fact, it's always like, 'Wow, that was way closer than I thought it was.' In my head I'm like, 'Oh man, I probably could've scored on this,' but then I look at it [on film] and there are four guys around me – like there's no way you were going to score there. It's just the trust that we've built and that we will continue to build. You're not complacent about anything because it's so hard to win in this league and it's so hard to be effective as an offense consistently. Defenses have gotten so good and so much better, and so smart – to me, that's kind of the trend around the league. There are not as many touchdowns being scored. It kind of feels like a shift is happening. You have to really, really be good and capitalize on the big plays that you actually make because it's so challenging."

(On having WR Sterling Shepard who can step in as a practice squad elevation and play 50+ quality snaps and make plays)

"Man, it was very, very huge for us. I know I've been saying it over the course of training camp and the beginning of the season, as other guys have, as well, but we really have a full receiver room of guys that we feel like can really come in and make plays for us. That's a testament to those guys because they work their tails off just like the rest of us. For 'Shep' to be able to step in when his number is called and to go and make plays – that's pretty damn sick. And it was cool being in the huddle with him, too, because he was so filled with energy. He was amped up, man. You could tell he really loves this game, so it was really cool to get to see him play. And, again, like you said, he got elevated – usually when guys get elevated it's like max 20 snaps. He is playing 50-plus snaps – that's insane. I'm really, really proud of our group of guys because we were really battling. It was hot, man. It was a heater, but it was a lot of fun and it's always good to see those guys get the ball."

(On what has made QB Baker Mayfield so successful this season)

"I think just his comfort level. The first year in a system, obviously, is tough just as a whole. And yes, this is our first year in this offensive system, but it's his second year with this group of guys and I think the camaraderie that we built last year really helped. I think the adversity that we faced when we all stuck together – I think [that] really helps this year. I think it's just a natural maturation process, just for him as a player. It helps having guys around you that care about you and that really have your back, and I think that he can really feel that. I'm sure he's said a couple of times, he's really happy here. That's because of the locker room that we have. We have a lot of great guys on this team. We care about each other, we want to work hard and we want to win. We have each other's back, so I'm sure that is probably one of the bigger factors in his success is just being able to go out, be himself and play free. It sure helps the rest of us."

(On the importance of the upcoming divisional matchups)

"It's definitely a huge opportunity for us but we can only take it one game at a time, right? We for sure cannot be looking past anybody, let alone one of our division rivals that presents a really big challenge for us. It's going to be a big game for us, especially on a short week. We've got to make sure that we're on our P's and Q's in the film room and in our gameplan to be able to go in there into a hostile environment. I'm sure their stadium will be rocking. It's going to be a tough challenge for us, but I think we're up to the task."

-BUCCANEERS-