Head Coach Jay Gruden
On the injury report:
"Logan Paulsen was limited today. Everybody else today was full."
On the injuries to tight end Logan Paulsen:
"Hamstring and plantar [fasciitis]."
On if he senses he can look at options that would be beneficial long-term:
"Yeah, but this day and age, a lot of teams and coaches don't have that benefit of knowing they're going to be there for a long time. You're trying to build this team right now, you're trying to win right now, but also in the process develop young talent for down the road. And that's the whole thing about coaching nowadays. We've got some young talent we're developing, I think, and obviously some veteran guys are still producing at a pretty good rate. But the whole key is to figure out how to get wins, no matter who's playing and in the process trying to develop guys into future stars."
* *
On increasing takeaways:
"Well, there're a lot of things on the field you can do. We've done them since training camp as far as ball security wise on offense, how to protect the ball, how to carry the ball. Defensively, forcing turnovers, getting the ball out, how to strip and take the ball away. It's where to put your helmet, where to pull the ball out or poke it out from behind. There's a lot of different drills you can do, but it's got to translate to the field. We have got to do a good job of forcing the ball out. Pass rushers when they're around the quarterback, [being] able to secure and get the ball out. We've had a couple opportunities this year. We haven't got it done. There's a lot of things you can do. Then from a defensive back [standpoint], there's times when you can get an interception, but there's also times when you've got to play the hands of the receiver and you can't. There's a fine line there. When the ball is in the air, guys have got to do a good job of A) making sure it's incomplete, and then B) if they have an opportunity to get it, get it."
On tight end Jordan Reed and how he helps on third downs:
"Jordan is just getting back into the flow. I think he'll be a more of a force on third downs matching up in certain patterns. But, when you have… Roy Helu's done some good things. It depends on the matchup and the team you're playing as far as how you're going to try to attack. Is it a man coverage team? Is it a zone coverage team? Do you want to get DeSean [Jackson] – do you want to get Pierre [Garçon] – involved? But, basically the concept of the play is where the ball will go and we just have got to do a good job of reading the coverage and getting it to the right guy, whoever it is. But, Jordan will have his key looks where if it is man, he'll get his first crack at it, and we've got to do a good job of getting it to him and he's got to do a good job of getting open."
On if he has figured out how he will use wide receiver Leonard Hankerson:
"Like I said before, we typically have dressed five receivers. It could be four, it could be six. Right now it's up in the air as far as who we're going to dress for this game. Aldrick [Robinson] hasn't dressed the last couple, Santana [Moss] has because he's been our No. 2 punt returner also and he backs up Andre [Roberts] in the slot. That could change this week. I don't know yet. We haven't decided. But Hank has looked very good since coming back to practice from his injury. Since we activated him, he's running around good, making plays all over the place. So, it's going to be a tough decision."
* *
On which receiver position Hankerson will play:
"He knows them all. He's a very, very, very bright kid. He's more of an outside guy though. He probably won't line up in the inside, but he's more of an X and Z. But, he's done a good job. Very smart."
On if Hankerson participates on special teams:
"No. You kno,w if you are going to have a negative about our receiving corps, it's special team impact. Andre [Roberts] is obviously a very good punt returner, kick returner. Santana [Moss] is a good punt returner but as far as covering kicks, playing on punt, all those not too effective. Ryan Grant's doing a little bit, he has done a pretty good job but we've got to get that taken care of also."
On who he expects Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy to face:
"Well, that depends on the formation, most time he is a three-technique. If a tight end is on the right, he will be on [Chris] Chester. If the tight end is on the left, he will be on obviously [Shawn] Lauvao. He is a heck of a player. You know, the big thing is he does a great job at timing the snap count and getting off and really plays that he doesn't make he has a lot of impact on because he gets penetration in the backfield and alters the back courses in the running and makes the quarterback step up where other guys can help out. So it is going to be very important for us to try to neutralize him at the line of scrimmage sometimes with some double teams or change the snap count or have different blocking patterns and all that – run away from him, run at him. But he is an impact player on defense. You can see why they made a priority to sign him for all that money because he is a dang good player."
On if he saw anything specifically during the bye week that could improve the running game:
"You know, not really. I think it's a combination of things. There's certain things we can do with our interior line, there's certain things we can do with our tight ends and our fullback and, of course, finding the hole. And then the receivers have some impact also with some of the negative plays as far as that's concerned. Running the ball is not easy. People think you just hand it off and run for 250 every game but it takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of work and if defenses want to load up the box with eight-man fronts, man, it makes it all the tougher to do it. But I think we are getting better. I think we've just got to do a good job of sticking with it and being that we have stuck with it despite only averaging – whatever, four yards a carry, maybe – it has opened up some very, very big plays for DeSean [Jackson]. I think he is averaging 40-something yards on some of these play-action catches that he has had. So that's the good part about it. So I think the runs will come. The more the play-actions hit the more the defense might loosen up, we will have some more good running lanes hopefully and we've just got to stick with it."
On what he sees in defensive end Michael Johnson:
"Michael is a good player. He has got a hurt – I think he has got a hurt hand. He is limited this week; he didn't play last week. You know, Michael is a really hard playing guy and he is so long. He is six-foot-six but he plays like he is seven-foot-eight. He is very disruptive, even if he doesn't get the sack he is very disruptive with getting his hands up and batting balls. Very good pursuit player, so if you run away from him he does a great job of tracking it and making a play laterally down the line of scrimmage. And if you run at him, he does a really good job of shielding blocks. He is a good defensive end. Cincinnati, they moved him around a little bit more than they do in Tampa, but still he is a good player. Very long, very disruptive and good player."
On his preference for practicing inside or outside:
"We will go outside from time to time, but if we have that nice bubble in there – you know if it's real windy sometimes I don't like to go outside because you want to be able to try to get the balls thrown down the field and practice the down the field throws if it's really windy or really cold. There is a time that we will go outside in the cold. I don't really feel that strongly that you have to practice in what you play in. Sometimes it's good to get some work done. People are a little more energetic in the bubble and you get better work done in the bubble with the good weather in there. You do have to go out there every now and then in the cold weather and get used to the elements… I am not a big believer in 'You're going to get used to minus-10 degree weather by being out there at practice on Wednesday,' when you can get a lot done in the bubble and focus in on your job. So that's where it is."
