Between preparation for a Week 1 matchup against a divisional rival, a potential injury to one of the Bucs’ Pro Bowl wide receivers and the upcoming debut for so many new members of Tampa Bay’s locker room, including quarterback Tom Brady, head coach Bruce Arians touched on a number of hot topics during his post-practice press conference on Wednesday.
Read the full transcript below.
(On the team’s injury report)
“The only person not practicing was Mike Evans.”
(On the severity of Evans’ injury)
“It’s day-to-day, we’ll see how it goes.”
(On what makes Drew Brees special)
“I think a number of things. Same system, same coach. You’re not going to show him anything that he hasn’t seen, it’s whether or not you can disguise it well enough, and beat people one-on-one. He’s had a really good offensive line while he’s been there and good players around him so that’s a heck of a combination for success and he does a great job with it.”
QB Drew Brees – Photo by: Getty Images
(On an example of an adjustment needed with this unique offseason)
“There’s not protocols coming out daily as far as what we’ll do Mondays after games and it’s been that way the whole time. The biggest thing for us is different meeting rooms, how we’re eating, how we’re going to travel, everything’s different. There’s not one thing that’s the same as what we did last year.”
(On if he’s comfortable with those adjustments given the circumstances)
“Extremely. I think that our guys have made a commitment to each other as far as the virus and staying safe. They’ve adjusted to every single change in the schedule and I changed the schedule on purpose, everything wasn’t the same time every day. You have to read the schedule and you had to make changes every single day and I might change it at lunch time just to make them adjust.”
(On how much he can evaluate Josh Rosen on the practice squad)
“He doesn’t get too many [scout team] plays, Blaine Gabbert and [Ryan Griffin] share those, those are the only reps they get most of the time so there will be days when he runs the scout team but most of it will be individual work and seeing how he progresses fundamentally.”
(On Evans’ injury)
“It’s a soft tissue injury”
(On the Saints special teams)
“It’s always a challenge, anytime you play a team that has the quality of depth that they have, they’re going to have good teams. They’re well-coached and it’s always a challenge, no different than their offense or defense.”
(On the confidence of going in with a reliable kicker)
“Yeah, hopefully, knock on wood. Hopefully he’s reliable and we’ll see but I feel very, very comfortable with it.”
Saints QB Teddy Bridgewater – Photo by: Getty Images
(On the Bucs’ defense against the Saints last year to this year)
“I think we’ll be a heck of a lot more prepared, we’ve been able to see what we did against them on film. Down there we busted a coverage and gave them an easy touchdown, Carlton [Davis] was ejected for a hit in the flat. There was a lot of things. We recover a fumble on a punt and don’t get it. It was more us inflicting wounds upon ourselves. Here it was more of the turnovers quick and then we didn’t get off to a fast start defensively and we let them go down the field. Those things are all easily correctable and they’ve seen themselves do it so let’s see if they can fix it.”
(On his collaboration with Tom Brady when game-planning)
“It’s pretty much at the end of the week. When we’re going through certain things he might have an idea but it’s pretty much the game plan and then he studies the game plan, he practices it and then he’ll pick the plays like our quarterbacks always have.”
(On bouncing ideas back and forth with Brady and the coaching staff in-game)
“It’s really no different than any quarterback that we’ve every had, he’s just got 20 years of experience so it’s a little different when you’re talking to him”
(On the hype surrounding the Bucs and how he wants the team to approach that)
“You always embrace it and then you forget about it. You’re not going to go to the Super Bowl this week, you can only take care of today’s work. I thought we did a great job of taking care of today so far and tomorrow we’ll take care of tomorrow. It’s a day-to-day process, respect that process and come to work every single day and let the chips fall at the end”
(On starting fast with so many new pieces on the team)
“I think it would help. I don’t think it’s a necessity, but it always helps to start fast.”
Saints DE Cameron Jordan – Photo by: Getty Images
(On how much the scheme and Brady will impact game-planning against Cam Jordan)
“I think both of those things. When you go into a game plan you look at all of the matchups across the board and you can’t help them all or nobody will go out for a pass. A lot of times it’s just send them out fast and let the quarterback get the ball out of hand but he’s going to have to block him. There’s no two ways around it, he’s going to have to block the guy.”
(On his confidence of the Bucs’ cornerbacks keeping Michael Thomas in check)
“I don’t think anybody’s held him in check yet, he caught about 150 passes but take care of everybody else and I like our matchups, they’ve all grown and they’re better players than when they played him last year.”
(On if Ryan Succop’s range will be limited)
“We pretty much know his range right now outdoors in the wind, we always find that out at the stadium. Every week we come up and mark the sheet where we’ll kick from each end zone. Indoors obviously should help to give three or four extra yards. We’ll find out each week at the stadium but he looks pretty solid right now.”
(On if Succop can kick a 50-yard field goal)
“He’s hit 52 outside easily.”
(On Byron Leftwich’s growth as a playcaller and the challenge of having so many weapons)
“I guess we’ll wait and see. He’s called them against Todd [Bowles] a few times and it’s fun, as a coordinator, to have that many weapons. And don’t feel like you have to get guys the ball, let the ball distribute itself. Byron does a good job handling the run game and the pass game and he has a good feel for it being a quarterback and calling plays.”
(On Ronald Jones’ confidence adding Leonard Fournette)
“He just came out and practiced as well as he has all year for the last three or four days and it’s nothing I would have expected any differently, it’s his job and he’s getting ready to play.”
(On Taysom Hill)
“He’s a unique bird. He’s a tight end, he’s a running back, he’s on special teams, they’ve got every fake known to man on special teams with him, he can throw the ball obviously, he’s the backup quarterback. So yeah, he presents a lot of different challenges when he’s in the game.”
Bucs LB Jack Cichy – Photo by: Getty Images
(On Jack Cichy)
“He plays really, really hard and he does everything the way that you ask him to do it so hopefully, knock on wood, he can stay healthy for once but he’s a heck of a high-motor guy that does everything exactly the way that it’s coached.”
(On Evans potentially stepping up and playing without practice this week)
“We’ll take it all the way to the wire with him. He’s got 1,000 reps already for this game already through camp so it’ll be a game-time decision. If he doesn’t go Friday we’ll take it all the way to the ball game and if he can’t play, other guys will step in and step up.”
(On if he’d watch this Bucs/Saints matchup with such great quarterbacks)
“I’d have my TV on for sure. I’d be there early, probably with a few cold ones and some hot dogs but when they turned it on for the kickoff I’d be ready to roll.”
(On guys he can compare Jones’ slower progression to)
“I think most rookies are that way. I’ve always said, if they play before Thanksgiving they’re really special because it’s such a different leap as far as the volume of information that you need to know to play fast and still learn that information, so I’ve seen a ton of guys. Our No. 1 pick in Arizona didn’t play, I don’t know if he dressed for a game in D.J. Humphries, and he’s been starting ever since. So it’s about drafting good athletes and letting them grow into the position, don’t force them in there.”
