The Buccaneers locker room was, not surprisingly, a very quiet place immediately following Sunday’s 28-13 loss. Amidst the funeral parlor type muffled tones, one voice stood out – veteran defensive end Michael Bennett – who was visibly frustrated when speaking to the media.

“On Sunday it is time to strap up and get ready to play,” Bennett said. “Because people are coming at you and you have to be coming back at them.”

Tampa Bay held the Rams to 285 yards, yet Bennett said there is no consolation is a statistical victory.

“It can’t be our best of the season unless you win the game,” Bennett said. “We plan to wins games and that is all we care about is to win the game. So whatever happened on defense, or whatever happened on offense, as long as you win the game, that is what you have to do.”

Bennett talked about the 80-yard touchdown that opened the third quarter, but said that play didn’t make or break the game.

“It was a breakdown but those things happen,” Bennett said. “Things are going to happen. In this league you have to translate them and keep playing and not let that play define you. I know everybody is going to say is that the play changed the game. But it isn’t the play that changed the game. We had many opportunities to change the game but we didn’t step up like we were supposed to.”

The fired up Bennett said the blame squarely falls on the players – not the coaching staff.

“And the coaches come out and make the gameplan week in and week out,” Bennett said. “But it’s not up to the coaches. People want to say the coaches this and coaches that  – it’s not the coaches, it is the players. We have to come out and do what the coaches say and execute at a high level. This is the NFL so we have to execute on Sundays. Not Monday, not Tuesday not Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday. But Sunday. That’s the day games are won.”