Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians – Media Availability – September 26, 2021

Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians – Media Availability – September 26, 2021

 

(Opening Statement)

“Obviously not the outcome we’re looking for. I didn’t think we played, in any phase, up to our ability today. Obviously, in the road game, we didn’t handle the noise like we should have offensively a couple of times. We’ve just got to get stops on defense, which we never did in the second half. Obviously, losing (Buccaneers CB Jamel) Dean hurt. With him and (Buccaneers RB Ke’Shawn) Shawn (Vaughn) both out, other guys have to step up. We didn’t today. Our pass rush didn’t get home and we had to get home to help those guys out and get it done. We didn’t score down in the red zone for the first time this year and it was a little disappointing, but we’ll bounce back next week.”

 

(On if there are any updates on Dean’s knee)

“No.”

 

(On what some of the major flaws were in the second half)

“Busted coverage.Just totally busted the coverage. Lack of communication and they didn’t get the call to each other. That’s what young guys do.”

 

(On not making stops on defense)

“Yeah, that’s the pass rush. You can’t sit back there and hold the ball. We’ve got to get home. We’ve got to get home better when rushing forward and do a better job of covering seven routes.”

 

(On if the Rams did anything different to prevent them from getting into an offensive groove)

“Defensively? No, I don’t think so. It’s the same defense and good players make plays. We didn’t make enough of them.”

 

(On Bruce’s admiration for Rams QB Matthew Stafford)

“Well, as you said, you push him down the field so easily. You’re right at work in his face one time then he finds a guy wide open down the field and gets it to him. Other guys can’t do that. They see them, but they can’t get it to him. He gets it to him. So, yeah, he’s a special player.”

 

(On Bruce allowing the Rams to convert third downs)

“The both – it’s a lack of communication and a lack of making plays. As I said, the front four didn’t get there. We got one sack on the book, like late, but we’ve got to do a better job with the front four getting home.”

 

(On what the Rams did specifically to corral the pass rush)

“They just blocked us. They blocked us. (OLB) Joe (Tryon-Shoyinka) came through clean a couple of times. He got the ball out. The times that we did beat them, they were quick or some other thing that the ball came out quick. So, we didn’t get the sack.”

 

(On starting to get new corners in)

“Well, we brought a couple of guys in, in the last couple of weeks, that have experience – long and tall corners. We’ll make that decision on the plane, on the ride home.”

 

(On the pressure to get corners due to Dean’s injury)

“No, like I said we just broke two in the last two weeks (CB Jason) Pierre (Paul) and (CB) Rashad Robinson, so they both can play little man to man and are good corners, so we’ll see what we’re going to do.”

 

(On the Rams personnel changes from last year and their danger to the team)

“Well, I guess really the only one was (Rams QB) Matt (Stafford) and that’s pretty dangerous. I don’t really see a bunch of other guys, but they’re a good football team.”

 

(On the crowd noise being a factor in the game)

“Oh no, we knew it was going to be loud, but you still, if you’re a wide receiver, there’s never an excuse to be offsides. And now if you’re up there audibling and a tackle is playing tight end, then he should be holding onto somebody, make sure he doesn’t jump offsides, but we’ll correct those errors. They’re easy to correct.”

 

(On Giovani Bernard’s knee injury)

“It looks like he’s fine. Yeah. We’ll see. It might swell on the plane but that’s the worst thing about these types of things – six hours or whatever five hours on a plane, you swell a little bit more than normal.”

 

(On Coach being down on the sideline during the game)

“Yeah, I’m tough (expletive). (Laughs)”

 

(On spending time with Tom Brady this week)

“No, no, that’s (inaudible).”

 

(On Rob Gronkowski’s injury)

“X-rays came out negative. So, he’s fine.”

 

(On if it was a Rib injury)

“Ribs”

 

(On not having a balanced offense not being able to run the football)

“No, (Bucs RB Ronald Jones) “Ro Jo” ran really well. And especially in that one drive, but then when you get down, you got to go to the two minutes and speed it up and throw it. So, it wasn’t a game where you could, ‘Hey, let’s stay in the running game for a while.’”

 

(On their first loss in ten games)

“They know right now we didn’t play up to our ability. When we play up to our ability, we’re a better football team than this one. We’ll make sure that we make the corrections. Everybody’s eyes and ears will be open to the coaching and our guys do a great job with that. So, it’s no different winning and losing. You go and you correct It. There’s a lot of mistakes. There’s a lot of good things too and you march onto the next one.”

 

(On the next game against the Patriots and the challenge traveling from East to West Coast)

“Yeah, we knew when we got the schedule this was going to be a tough two weeks in a row, but it is what it is. It’s a great place to go play. Obviously, we’ll have a ton of attention.”