BUCS HEAD COACH JON GRUDEN ON THE RETURN OF JERMAINE PHILLIPS
“He is a clutch player. He made some great hits and obviously some big plays in the passing game. He has a presence about him and he exudes confidence. He’s a great playmaker and great to see him do what he did today.”

GRUDEN ON SLOWING DOWN DREW BREES
“Well, it’s a tough day to throw the ball now. We couldn’t throw it very well. It’s hard to grip. The wind was going sideways. The footing wasn’t good and both defenses are pretty good and it’s a big game. We tried to run it, I think we were a little more deliberate trying to run the football and they put the ball in Drew’s [Brees] hands and rightfully so, but I think the conditions were hard on them to throw and I thought Monte [Kiffin] once again did a great job mixes up his blitzes and our guys played good. Our defense played really good and I hope they get a lot of credit because they are playing their hearts out and I am really proud of them.”

GRUDEN ON RETURN SPECIALIST CLIFTON SMITH
“He is the real deal. Tampa Bay fans have been after us for a long time asking us to return punts and kicks like we are now. I said a couple of weeks ago Clifton Smith, get a ticket, you want to see him play. He is something else. He has really helped us.”

GRUDEN ON QUARTERBACK JEFF GARCIA’S PERFORMANCE
“It was hard. The conditions were awful and it was tough. It was very tough on both quarterbacks today. The statistics weren’t very impressive, but he hits Antonio Bryant on a beautiful throw deep mid way through the third quarter. He protected the ball and he was careful with it in some situations. I have to look at the tape and he will say I could have taken a shot here, I could have thrown it there. The ball didn’t feel right in his hands, it was an awkward day, the wind was moving sideways and it was tough. I’m proud of him. He has won six out of seven since coming back and he gives us a chance.”

GRUDEN ON BEING 9-3
“I have done this a long time, 9-3, I haven’t been 9-3 very many times. It’s a great accomplishment. It’s not the outcome that we desire. You know, it’s not the greatest day of our lives today, but it is right now. We will wake up tomorrow with a lot of work to do, but I’m so proud of our players. Guys are stepping up everywhere. Jermaine [Phillips] comes back after being inactive. Cadillac Williams comes up of nowhere to score a touchdown. I like this team a lot and they have a chance to do something exciting.”

GRUDEN ON ONLY HAVING ONE PENALTY TODAY
“We knew we had to play above the radar today. I had to take care of the football. We had to eliminate penalties and we had to make some clutch plays when they were there to be made. We have a disciplined group of guys. They kept their poise I think throughout the game and won a hard fought football game.”

BUCS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR MONTE KIFFIN ON RUMORS OF GOING TO TENNESSEE
“It’s all just speculation. That’s all it is. I’m just telling you, I can honestly tell you that is just speculation just like it came up with the Raiders. It came up last year, ok. So, all I want to talk about, stay focused on, is Monday Night Football, Carolina Panthers, and the game we just played.”

KIFFIN ON ADDRESSING RUMORS AFTER THE SEASON
“We’ll see.  It’s all speculation, it really is. It’s all I can tell you. It’s speculation.”

BUCS QUARTERBACK JEFF GARCIA ON SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WIN
“It’s huge. You can’t downplay the significance of this game to further separate ourselves from an explosive, scary team like New Orleans. Again, we can’t say enough about our defense here because they just have played outstanding football and did a great job today once again. But now, to put this one behind us and focus on a big game in Carolina, one step closer to potentially grabbing a division title, that’s something to be excited about. To play it on Money night is a great opportunity for this team.”

GARCIA ON WHY HE RAN SO MUCH TODAY
“There were a couple of times when I stepped up and probably forced a throw or tried to make a tight throw and there were lanes for me to take off and run and I probably could have moved the chains. When those opportunities presented themselves later I was able to do that and convert some first downs and pretty much do whatever I had to do to make something work. It wasn’t happening as easily through the air today so we needed to basically just battle through it and do what we could do. That’s where I just thought if I use my legs at times then I would just go ahead and do that.”

BUCS CENTER JEFF FAINE NEXT WEEKS GAME AGAINST CAROLINA
“That’s going to be a playoff atmosphere. It’s going to be a huge game. Everything is on the line; division title, playoff placement, it’s going to be huge.”

BUCS CORNERBACK PHILLIP BUCHANON ON HIS LATE INTERCEPTION
“I was reading his eyes and the opportunity presented itself. I was my turn, my time, to make a play to help this team win.”

BUCHANON ON THE WIN
“At home we get the job done. Sometimes it doesn’t look good, sometimes it does look good, but Drew Brees I definitely tip my hat off to him. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the league at this moment right now and I am just happy to get the victory.”

BUCS SAFETY JERMAINE PHILLIPS ON HIS INTERCEPTION
“We were just in a zone coverage and I was just looking at Drew Brees, following his eyes and he just took me to, I believe the receiver was Marques Colston, but he throw and it came to me and I was like a little kid on Christmas. My eyes got big and excited and I made a play.”

PHILLIPS ON BEING BACK ON THE FIELD
“It’s great to be back with the fellas. I just wanted to come back in here and just jump right in. I didn’t want to worry about my arm or anything like that. There’s 10 other guys that were depending on me, so I just wanted to make sure that I went out there and play the way I was before I got hurt.”

BUCS CORNERBACK RONDE BARBER ON GOING UP AGAINST THE DREW BREES AND THE SAINTS
“We knew he was going to throw the ball 45 times, 50 times a game. That is what he does. I’m not sure, but I believe their first 15 plays were passes, so you know you are going to get your opportunities and we have to relish it. We feel like we are one of the best secondaries in the league and I think our performance today, at least in our minds, proved it to us.”