TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Head Coach Dirk Koetter
(on the impact of weather conditions) "I thought Jameis [Winston] threw the ball really well in the first half. We just didn't do a very good job catching it. It wasn't a throwing issue; it was a lot more of a catching issue, and we just didn't have the ball very much in the second half."
(on the Ravens' running game on third down) "I thought our defense did a good job in the first half of containing [the Ravens]. But, similar to last week, our defense was just on the field too much in the second half. It ends up being a 37-minute time of possession. You could sort of see that coming the second half. They are a good running football team, but we've got to hold the ball more on offense to keep the defense off the field."
(on playing close in the first half the last two weeks but losing the game) "Losing is not fun. When you get beat, you're always going to look at the things that your team could have done in all phases, including coaching. That's not fun at all, frustrating, or how you want to call it."
(on what dimension does QB Lamar Jackson bring to the Ravens' offense) "He makes you play 11-on-11 football instead of 11-on-10. We had him wrapped up a couple of times, and he squirted out of there and was able to extend plays. They're on a nice run with him in there at quarterback, and with that defense, they're going to be a tough team to beat."
(on being down eight and the third-and-1 play) "We knew as soon as we crossed the 50 we were in four-down territory. We were moving the ball fine. We go third-and-1 and have two mental errors. We had two different blocking errors on the same play. That was ridiculous that Peyton [Barber] had a free runner at him, and we had two guys miss assignments. So, instead of converting on third-and-1, we end up going for it on fourth-and-3, or whatever it was, and we thought we had a good play up, and we didn't make it."
(on not getting the most out of red zone efficiency) "We knew we needed to get at least 21 points today, and we didn't do it. We had our chances, and we didn't [do it]. I thought that was a tough call on the 'P.I.' that they gave Mike [Evans]. We did have a chance to overcome it. We had our chances, but we can only look at the things we didn't do. We got down there enough times, but you've got to get in the end zone."
(on if the Ravens did anything he didn't expect) "No, they didn't do anything that we didn't expect. They've got a pretty vast package of coverages that they play in the red zone. A lot of different combinations of man coverages, but nothing that we haven't seen before."
(on if the drops today were because of the weather) "I'm sure the weather had something to do with it, but we usually don't have drops. Jameis [Winston] was right on the money today. We had three drops on offense and a dropped interception. You've got to be able to catch it."
(on LB Lavonte David's play) "Lavonte was fantastic today. His double-digit tackles, two sacks, calling defense…Lavonte was fantastic."
(on if the one big play was QB Jameis Winston) "That was the scramble play. That was an awesome play by Jameis. We actually had a combination on one side, and then Jameis in a scramble situation. To throw it that far down the field and be that accurate … I'm going back to what I said in the first question – in the first half, I don't think you could have asked Jameis to throw the ball anymore accurately than he did."
(on if it feels like the team is struggling to put together a full football game) "We definitely did that today. Every game, you have to play good enough to win that game. The last two weeks, it's been the same story. The last two weeks our offense is 0-for-3 on third down in the second half. Our defense has to be on the field too long. With our depletion at linebacker, it's tough to hold up against a team that can run the football."
(on if the team is more talented than to have another losing season) "We have enough talent. There's more than one factor that goes into losing a football game. Everybody in the NFL has talented teams. We're not lacking for talent."
(on the play of DT Vita Vea) "I thought, next to Lavonte [David], he's probably the guy that stood out for me, watching from the sideline. He's really come on the last handful of games, and he's shown what he's capable of."
(on his message to the locker room after this loss) "Everybody in there is a pro, and we're all paid to do a job. We've got to finish it out."
QB Jameis Winston
(on the field conditions) "It was very tough to play in those conditions. The rain made it very hard at times. Considering the conditions, I thought we did pretty well. But, we needed to execute better, especially on third down."
(on the Ravens' defense) "They have a good defense, so kudos to them. They made some big plays. We needed to take advantage of the opportunities that our defense gave us. There were a couple of times when we had good field position, and we couldn't execute on third down. We needed to take advantage and score in those spots."
(on the fourth-and-4 play with 7:12 remaining) "[Chris] Godwin was my second read, and I got the ball to him, but the defender made a good play. It was my fault, because guys were open on the left side. I should have executed better."
(on how the losing season is impacting the team) "We can't let it get to us. We need to finish strong, and we need to find a way. I just keep encouraging the guys and telling them we can do better. Character comes out in times like this, and I know we have a lot of character on this team."
(on whether the last few games are a referendum on him playing quarterback for the Buccaneers) "I am just trying to win. My future is in God's hands. Of course, the losing bothers me, but I feel blessed to be playing in the NFL."
G Ali Marpet
(on the field conditions) "It was a struggle out there, but it was a struggle for both teams. When it was raining hard, it was more difficult, but we still needed to execute."
(on the offense's inconsistency) "It's very frustrating because we didn't execute. When you get chances to score, and you don't take advantage of them, it makes it more frustrating. We had plenty of opportunities, and we just couldn't get anything going. It was very frustrating."
(on how the Buccaneers ran the ball in the first half) "I don't know what the numbers were, but it seemed like we were breaking off some runs in the first half. I think we did a decent job up front in the first half. It just seemed like we had less opportunities in the second half."
DT Gerald McCoy
(on the defense) "We knew what type of game it was going to be. Old school football, we got some stops early but we just didn't finish the game."
(on QB Lamar Jackson's play) "He's the reincarnation of Michael Vick. He's a lot faster than you think on the field. When you see him in person, he can really run. He controls the offense well. They put him in great positions – he's going to be good for a long time."
(on defensive coordinator Mark Duffner) "We love Duff. He always puts us in great spots to win, so we just have to finish games better."
(on LB Lavonte David's play) "He doesn't make a big deal out of games like his. That's Lavonte, best linebacker in the National Football League. It doesn't surprise me when he has games like this."
(on today's loss) "Hanging in there isn't good enough. I can only promise this, me being the elder statesman on the team. I'm not letting anybody give up. We're just going to keep fighting. Now is a test of our will as men, more than just football. How are you going to approach this as a man? Shut down and falter? I've been in these situations more than I'd like to say. People go back and look at the film. You'll see who kept fighting and who didn't. I'm going to do my best to see to it that everybody keeps fighting."
(on fans calling for coaching changes) "I don't say anything to the fans. I don't care. We're going to keep working."
(on what he would say to the decision makers) "I'd say nothing to them either. I can't determine the decisions they make. The only thing we can do is watch [the film], put it to bed and get ready for Dallas."
DE Carl Nassib
(on the defense) "Defensively, we had our opportunities to make big plays. Myself, especially. We've got to get better, watch the film and improve."
(on QB Lamar Jackson) "You've got to give that kid a lot of credit. He's a great player, a great young player. He provides a lot of things. He's very elusive. I did have my hands on him. I had plays to make and didn't make them. I just need to make them in the future."
(on defensive coordinator Mark Duffner) "[Mark] Duffner is doing a great job. We're all fighting for him. We like him."
(on the Ravens' run game) "You've got to be disciplined in every game. At times, we're more disciplined. We're going to get better and watch the film."
(on his play where QB Lamar Jackson was called for intentional grounding) "I was glad we got off the field. It was a great series for us. I was proud of the defense for getting off the field."
C Ryan Jensen
(on the offense) "We came out and attacked them fast. I felt like we played a pretty physical game. They're known for a very physical style of defense. I felt like we matched that physicality."
(on the weather) "They're playing in the weather, we're playing in the weather. That's just what it is."
(on coming back to Baltimore) "It was cool. Coming back, we obviously didn't get the result we wanted. Spending five years here, it's always cool coming back."
(on the fans reception) "They're heckling me, but all out of love, I'm sure."
LB Riley Bullough
(on the game) "Playing in the NFL, basically every week it's a one score game. You just have to play through the end. We just have to capitalize when we get those big plays. For me, I felt like I left one out there with the interception, so I want to have that one back. But the key is to keep fighting the whole game and try to come up with a 'W'."
(on whether the weather was a problem) "Other than that interception I dropped, you know, it really wasn't. I love playing in this kind of weather. It's more of the offensive guys who struggle in this, but even with the weather, I think the offense did a great job catching the ball in these conditions."
(on the team) "We pride ourselves no matter whether we're winning or losing. Playing with heart, playing with intensity, playing tough, tough-nosed football. That's who we are and that's the kind of football team that we want to be and we're going to continue to be."
(on defensive coordinator Mark Duffner) "We're extremely confident in coach Duffner. He's been awesome this whole season. And me being a linebacker, I get to be with him every day in meetings. He's taught me so much. I truly think he's done an awesome job."
LB Lavonte David
(on QB Lamar Jackson's play) "He adds an element to their run game. He's fast; they use him really well. They put him in situations where he can tuck and run it or make a precise throw."
(on the Ravens' halftime adjustments) "They did some stuff that we didn't see on film. It just got us out of our rhythm. You have to give them credit. They are a great football team. We just have to make adjustments and execute."
(on the Bucs' defensive stop early in the fourth quarter after a tough third quarter) "It felt good at the moment, but the situation we found ourselves in at the end of the game, we just needed to get off the field. We just need to [make stops] more consistently. If we were able to get off the field, the offense would have been able to make a play, score a touchdown and put us back in the game. It's very frustrating when they're getting four yards a carry. It's very frustrating."
(on his fumble recovery in the first quarter) "It was a great situation, and I had a great spot for when the ball popped out. I think they fumbled the snap, and I was able to get on top of the football."
TE Cameron Brate
(on the missed opportunity after the muffed punt in the third quarter) "We couldn't seem to stay on the field. Their offense was churning up the clock running the football. It hurt us that after we got the ball back after one of those seven-minute drives that they had, we turned it over on the first play and put our defense back out on the field. It was like that all game. We kept putting our defense out on the field too much, not converting on third downs. It's frustrating. You have to give them credit. They're a really good defense, statistically one of the top in the NFL. They really challenged us today, and unfortunately we didn't make enough plays."
(on running the football more in the first half than the second half) "Sometimes, the game doesn't dictate to continue to run the football. We had that big play to [WR] Mike [Evans] which put us down in the red zone a couple of minutes before the half. That was really our only big explosive play of the game. That's something we've been doing well all year, making those big plays. When we don't get those, we have to find a way to consistently run the football. At times today, I thought we did that really well. When we had to do that in the fourth quarter, we couldn't get a drive going."
WR Mike Evans
(on the Ravens' defense) "They played well, really hard. They played smart. They got blessed a little bit today with the weather. I feel like we could have aired it out a little more, but the ball was very slick, not the best conditions. Of course, they had to play in it as well. So we just have to be better."
(on playing in the rain) "Rain games are tough only for receivers, pretty much, but it was cold, too. The ball felt like a brick early on. You had to get used to it, get warmed up. We tried to use our bodies as much as we can when we're catching those. After a while, you get a good feel on how to catch the ball. I dropped one, making me think I have to be more focused when I catch it. I thought we did better in the second half trying to catch the ball."
(on his 64-yard catch) "[QB] Jameis [Winston] did what he does. He scrambled and dropped an absolute dime. I wish I could have scored because we only got a field goal on that. That sums up our season right there. We make big plays but not capitalizing like we should."
(on lack of red zone efficiency) "That's been the problem since I've been here. We have to be better. It's not one man's fault, not the coaches' fault. As a group, we have to be better. I don't know what we have to do to be better, but we have to figure it out."
(on his offensive pass interference call in the third quarter) "We knew the coverage. They were blitzing everybody. That's a play where I'm supposed to get out of the way and give [WR Adam Humphries] a little pick, I guess, but I didn't touch the guy who was guarding him. [CB Brandon Carr] was pressed on me, and I was just running through him. I should have just had my hands up. I know officiating's really tough when guys are moving that fast, but in the heat of the moment, I was really upset. I have to look at it again, but I don't really think I did much. I never really see it get called when other teams do it because they do it all the time. It got called against us, so that's just how it is."
RB Peyton Barber
(on if he feels stronger as a running back having gotten the most carries of his career) "Oh, yeah, and I feel stronger as the game goes on as well when they keep feeding it to me. You get that confidence in you. I'm not saying I don't have it in the beginning, but it's just kind of how it is when you're a running back."
(on his play today) "It's not a good game unless it's a win. I'll watch the film tomorrow and see what we can do better. We've got to score more points, not just field goals. We have to make those field goals touchdowns. We can't score 12 points in the NFL."
(on having to watch as the Ravens held the ball so long) "It's definitely tough when you're going up against three running backs like they have – it's hard. When we were put in good position, we didn't get the points we needed. When we were on the field, we needed to convert more when we get into the red zone."
